Ibis Saint Emilion

It’s a basic place, but clean. I needed an iron, though the only one available came without an ironing board. I didn’t use it because ironing on a surface that isn’t heat-resistant felt too dangerous and like a fire risk.

We had a comfortable bed, a large shower and satellite TV with English channels. The room was a little small, and the WiFi was a bit slow. At the start of November, the hotel’s air conditioning was switched off. We left the window open for some air, and since our room was at the back, traffic noise was minimal. The breakfast was great, with the usual continental spread of cereal, eggs, ham, cheese, bread, pastries, coffee, tea and fruit juice. We also had an excellent dinner at the restaurant attached to the hotel. The location worked well for us, about 3 km from Saint Emilion and 2 km from Libourne.

The room and bathroom were big and comfortable, the bed was great, and check-in was quick. It was good value for an easy stay, with free parking nearby and pine trees beside the property that made it peaceful and quiet. A gentleman on staff helped me open and get through the main door with my bags, which was helpful. Getting around with suitcases was difficult, though, and it could be tricky for people with disabilities or mobility issues. The WiFi was absolutely terrible, constantly dropping out and not holding a connection.

The room and hotel were fine, but the internet kept cutting out. That made it annoying to stay in touch with our children, who are dotted around the world, and our contact was patchy. It seemed the hub was too far from our room. The response we got about it wasn’t really acceptable.