hotelF1 Lille Roubaix Centre

The hot shower was a plus, and the three-person room has a bunk bed, which feels a bit frivolous. But bring towels: you get a small one, not enough for much beyond drying your eyebrows. We were up at 6am for the Paris roubaix bike ride, after a night of shouting from a couple of guys three doors down. At first we thought they were fighting, but after about 30 minutes we realized it was just loud conversation. It went on until around 2am. The shared toilets have no seat covers, so your options are to risk sitting, hover, or cover the seat with toilet paper if you’re lucky enough to find any. The room itself felt so unpleasant that we were afraid to touch anything unless we had to. Parts of the bed covers were stuck together. The TV didn’t work, though we were mostly trying to get out of there anyway. The lights came on about 15 seconds after flipping the switch, so each time felt like roulette. The online photos didn’t reflect the stay, and the front door wasn’t working, so we had to wait for staff or another guest to let us in. You get a room code from a machine inside. I wouldn’t call the place the pit of hell, but I’m struggling to find a more accurate description.

We paid €35, so I wasn’t expecting luxury. It was nicely decorated, and the man at reception spoke English, which was a big help. A typical F1, cheap and cheerful.

The environment was very clean, and Mr Gora, the director, is kind and provides good service to clients.

A catastrophe. The price was cheap, but it still wasn’t worth it. I’ve never seen hotel rooms, toilets, and showers this dirty.