Hostellerie de Rimplas

There weren’t enough room keys, and the spare key got stuck in the lock, leaving us unable to secure the room. Despite asking, no one fixed it. When we first arrived, the hostel door was locked. The host had to be found somewhere on the property to let us in, even though she had heard the bell and didn’t answer. We had booked dinner as part of the package, but there was no menu or other information. The host tried to explain what she planned to serve in very poor English, which was hard for a foreign guest to follow. The resulting translation confusion upset her, and she became nasty. Some of our group then didn’t get the dinner they had chosen because the kitchen had run out. What we did get wasn’t very good. Ordering drinks was similarly chaotic. They tried to sell us local beers that were poor quality and not even in stock as advertised, so we stopped ordering. We also couldn’t pay the bill that evening because the host, the only person able to use the cash desk, left to look after her family. Guests were left on their own, and we lost time the next morning paying for the drinks from the night before. This hostel is very basic, with very bad service. I’ve never experienced somewhere so disorganized and unfriendly that was still relatively costly compared with nearby options. I wouldn’t return.

We spent a night at the Hotellerie, and it felt like home. The manager, who was also serving, was very friendly and kind. Dinner was very good.

We were warmly welcomed at this family-run hostel in a mountain village. It was a great stay, and we’d love to return.

The restaurant is only open for a short time, and the menu doesn’t offer much choice, but the food was nice and that was fine for us. The rooms are simple. There are no drinks available anywhere in the village after 21:00.