B&B Hotel Orleans Ouest La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin

The room itself was warm and comfortable, though the bathroom looked a bit dated. We chose the hotel as a halfway stop and arrived late after Le Shuttle delays added more than an hour to the trip. At 10:30pm the car park gate was open when it should have been locked, which was disappointing since we rely on B&B hotels for secure parking. The spaces are tiny in both directions and awkward to get into without blocking the road. Online check-in gave us the room number and code, but the signs were so poor we struggled to find the stairs. There’s no lift. The bedside tables were too small to be useful, and I wish the TV had streaming or apps so we could watch English programmes. There were a couple of English channels, BBC news and a film channel, but neither had much we wanted to watch.

It’s in a great spot just off the motorway, but the hotel is so old it needs a full renovation. If this had been our first B&B stay, we wouldn’t have tried the brand again. We won’t stay here another time.

The receptionist is a great guy and always ready to help. Breakfast was decent and worth having, though it could be much better, even at a higher price. The hotel sits right by the tramway, which runs from 5:30 in the morning until 23:30. If you’re a light sleeper, I’d ask reception for a room on the opposite side.

Booking and checking in online were both fine. The room, though, smelled strongly of smoke, enough that the smell got into our clothes. There were signs saying it was non-smoking, so this wasn’t a mistake on my booking. It spoiled what could have been an acceptable overnight stop.