Hôtel de l'Ile du Saussay

You can stretch out on the peninsula among the swans, their cygnets, and the ducks. The hotel is an older, charming place by the peaceful River Essonne in Ballancourt, with spacious rooms, plenty of natural light, and lovely views. It’s affordable, and they serve a light breakfast to start the day.

We couldn’t tell from the photos what we had booked, and for the same price there are definitely better choices around Paris. The room we got was an old one, as far as I understood, since the hotel has both renovated and older rooms. There was no AC, and the windows couldn’t be opened. The only option was leaving the door open, which would let anyone come in from outside, so we kept it shut overnight and had no fresh air. The place felt dusty and dated, the bathroom seemed medieval, and the toilet was dirty. P.S. The AI-generated reply just shows how disgusting you are.

The natural setting was a real pleasure, and the frog sounds at night actually helped me sleep well. It’s a lovely, green village with lakes, ducks, birds, frogs, and fields of flowers and wheat. The hotel is about a 25-minute walk from Ballancourt Train station (RER). My room was simple, clean, and nice, with lots of thoughtful storage, plus an office with a window looking out onto the landscape. There was also a little wood balcony just a few meters from the lake. I enjoyed my stay immensely and only wished I’d stayed longer.

A decent spot for a night before heading to Paris. The rooms are pretty worn, but the hospitality is great and the place is good in general.