B&B HOTEL Valenciennes Sud

We had an electric car, so having a Tesla Supercharger right beside the hotel was really handy. It's also close to the highway but insulated well enough that noise wasn't an issue. The room was clean and comfortable for a one-night stop.

The breakfast buffet is GREAT for €9.50, with unlimited machine coffee or tea, eggs, bacon, cereals, yoghurt, fresh fruit, juice, croissants, breads, rolls and more. If you need gluten-free bread, bring your own. Dinner is more basic, just dishes in Mason jars heated in the microwave. I had the chili con carne, which was fine. The rooms have the basics and are clean and practical, with good WiFi, adjustable heating and comfortable beds. There's a TV too, though I didn't use it. The location is pretty awful, surrounded by light industry, other hotels and highways. When staff are around, they're lovely. Sam and his buddies were the best part of my stay. If they're not there, check-in and other things have to be done digitally, so be ready for possible difficulties. As in France and Belgium, it's smart to carry more than one card because some cards get declined for no apparent reason.

I often travel across France and have stayed at B&B hotels several times, but I won't stay with them again. We first tried booking at the machine, which showed no rooms available. The helpline said that meant there were no rooms, even though the hotel clearly wasn't full. When we checked online, rooms showed as available, so we booked there. We were checking for a solution on two separate phones and ended up charged twice. One of the phones never even confirmed a reservation. The helpline refused to refund us.

The room was clean and the bed comfortable, just what I needed after eight hours of driving. I was crossing the France/Belgium border at night and stopped for a break. It has the feel of a typical U.S.-style motel, with parking right outside your room. Self check-in was easy, and the security guard was super polite and helpful.