Hotel & Spa Oceania Lille Les Augustins

The hotel looks lovely, with attractive design and facilities, including the pool area, and it’s an upscale four-star place in a very central spot. But our weekend city break in January was let down by sleep and service. We were there for two nights as a couple, and barely slept the first night because the bed squeaked loudly with even the smallest movement. It seemed to come from the frame or loose legs. We told reception the next day. They said they’d get back to us, but hours passed without any update, so we had to ask again ourselves. During the next 24 hours, we were moved through three rooms in different parts of the hotel. Packing and moving our belongings repeatedly took up a short weekend stay. One replacement room and its bed were clearly smaller than our original. Each move felt like a downgrade, and all three beds had the same squeaking problem, so it didn’t seem isolated. After all the room changes and poor sleep, there was no apology or real effort to make things right. Even our polite request for a late checkout at 3 or 4 p.m. met resistance. We were told to ask again on departure day instead of being offered any goodwill. Good beds and decent service are basic expectations, and both fell short repeatedly. It’s disappointing given the hotel’s potential, but we wouldn’t stay again or recommend it.

We had a relaxing time using the pool and sauna. The sauna was out of order on our second day, though it didn’t spoil the stay. The hotel is ideally placed in the city center near the train station, the rooms were tidy and quiet, and breakfast was perfect. Staff were welcoming and very professional.

It’s a beautiful building with lovely decor and friendly staff, but that’s about where the good points end. We came back to a cold room one evening and reported it. We were told there’d been heating problems all day, which made us wonder why nobody mentioned it earlier. The receptionist kindly brought an extra blanket. The reception also serves as a bar, breakfast room, and route to the wellness area, so walking through in a bathrobe doesn’t feel very cosy. The pool was nice, and the old bank vaults made the decor beautiful. The sauna was warm, but very narrow, less than a metre wide, and barely fit two people. Anyone with claustrophobia would struggle. There’s still a lot of work to be done. We ate at the restaurant, which is also the breakfast room, and it was a huge disappointment. It’s so narrow that you hear the people next to you and can barely move a chair without bumping someone. Almost nothing on the menu was available because they were changing it. I should have read the reviews, since this menu change has apparently been going on for a while. We’re not fussy eaters, but the meat we ordered was rotten and smelled awful, so we left it on the plate. Most breakfast items were available, but it was hard to get through, and the food was spread around reception, the bar, and the breakfast room. It wasn’t practical. We won’t be back.

The hotel was lovely, very clean, beautifully decorated, and the staff were attentive. A few smaller things bothered us. The pool and sauna are tiny, and when we tried to use them they were too crowded. If you want a proper swim, forget it. The beds were so light that they slid across the floor when we moved. Even leaning against the headboard could make the bed shift away. There were no robes or slippers in the room when we arrived, despite the hotel having a spa. The room had just a couple of tea bags and coffees, with plastic cups, which felt a bit cheap for a four-star hotel.