Hôtel de France

One good thing was the friendly staff. The rooms themselves were basic and became extremely hot unless we left the windows open. Wi-Fi didn't reach the upper rooms, and the toilets had no ventilation, so they got very hot. The hotel advertises food on site and mentions it in its emails, but apparently hasn't served any in a long time. They suggested eating in the square, but when we went, the only open place was fully booked, so we couldn't get dinner on our first night. Their advertised parking and charging weren't available either, though there is free parking nearby.

We slept really well in the comfortable bed, and the hotel's location in a lovely part of the village was ideal. The staff were warm, friendly, and helpful the whole time. The bathroom was a little tired and could do with an update, though it was adequate enough for the price. The food was the problem. Since the restaurant was closed because of Covid, we accepted the room service option. It came from an outside company and wasn't nice at all. We left most of the starter, main, and dessert after just a few bites, which was a shame when the hotel was working hard to offer the service. The local takeaways are only a few steps away and might be a better choice. Even so, we'd return for the hosting and a good night's sleep.

We stopped in just for drinks and enjoyed the comfortable indoor and outdoor seating. The red wine was tasty, and the beer on tap was great. There's also a small shop at the hotel with good quality beers, wines, and spirits. The beer comes from a craft brewery.

The Hotel de France has a lot of character, though it's a faded version of its once-opulent self. It looks like the owners are working to restore and improve it as they go, and they seem to be doing a good job. The rooms are a good size, the price is competitive, and the location is good. Breakfast might be a plus, though the bread and viennoiseries didn't seem fresh. Staff were friendly and helpful, but sometimes seemed inexperienced, and for much of the time there were no staff on the premises. We tried dinner on the first night. The receptionist showed us jars on a three-shelf unit: starters at the top, main courses in the middle, desserts below. She said she'd prepare our meal and asked what time we wanted to eat. At the chosen time, we were shown to a table and everything was served at once, with all the hot food on one tray. The bread wasn't very fresh. I don't mind food being served from jars, and I appreciated the hotel being honest about it rather than pretending it was cooked on site. My partner had hot soup, then a lukewarm main; I had pâté and a lukewarm main. The food wasn't bad, just not hot enough for the main course and not to our taste. I also wanted a beer, but after three choices that they didn't have, the receptionist suggested one they actually had in stock, despite an advert on the table. The owners are trying to make the hotel better, and at these prices I'd still say give it a try. For now, though, eat out.