B&B HOTEL Versailles Le Chesnay

So far this has been a really bad stay, and there aren’t many other options around. It’s -2 degrees outside, but we can’t get the room warm. There’s a puppy crying next door, the towels are thinner than my patience, and the broken hand soap dispenser we reported still hasn’t been fixed. They also promised extra towels, but none ever showed up.

The room was tiny, though it did the job for our one night near the Palace of Versailles. We could catch the EX1 bus just outside and get to and from the palace easily. Getting there by car was confusing because our map sent us into the mall’s underground garage. We parked wherever we could at first, then moved to lot D or G, both open 24/7 and free. Check-in was quick and the staff were friendly. Breakfast was better than expected, with bacon, scrambled eggs, the usual choices, and a good coffee machine. There was no A/C, though. It was only 24C outside, but even with the fan at full blast we slept pretty warm.

We wanted somewhere clean and comfortable at an affordable price, and this suited us. It’s not luxury, but the room was comfortable, check-in and check-out were quick and easy, and breakfast was acceptable. It’s about a 10-minute walk along a pleasant path to the Saint Anthony Gate of Chateau Versailles, and the usual BB Hotels quality was there.

The first morning’s breakfast buffet was a mess. A large group of Korean tourists cleared out most of the food, and nothing was refilled, leaving other guests with very little. The next day was fine, just a standard French buffet without anything special. Reception was friendly and helpful, and my room was okay. The hotel sits beside a large shopping mall and garage. Cycling from Versailles, I had to ride through the garage to reach it. Getting to Versailles by bus is easy, with plenty of buses and a single fare costing € 2,50, payable in cash. Be ready for the tourist tax too, at € 5,50 a day.