Holiday Inn Toulon City Centre by IHG

Philippe and Jean-Charles gave us a warm, hospitable welcome, and Jean-Philippe was so accommodating with our requests and struck up conversation in a really kind way. Philippe was a gem to chat with at breakfast, which was a great buffet compared with many other hotels. It’s a great choice for a short stay, within walking distance of the city center and with plenty of residential parking. Thanks for having us 🙏⭐️

May 12th 2025. No air conditioning, and lots of mosquitoes. The hotel is old-fashioned and outdated, and clearly needs maintenance. They don’t mention that there’s no air conditioning, presumably because people would stay away. Yet the room costs as much as a proper hotel room. With the room so hot, the only way to ventilate it is to leave the window open. That brings noise and a huge number of mosquitoes. I hadn’t thought about the mosquitoes, and they left me itchy. It’s a choice between losing sleep from the heat or from their sounds and bites. I paid full price, with no reduction, for a place that felt more like a campsite than a hotel. There are much better options in the area.

The rooms are clean, spacious, and have air conditioning, which I think is needed at this time of year. They’re also very nice, and the cleaning ladies are lovely. Breakfast was tasty, with something for everyone, and the hotel is affordable. The service is very nice too. Unlike most restaurateurs and shop owners in this city, they don’t act as though they don’t understand English, so communication wasn’t a problem. My complaints are a particular unpleasant smell in the corridors, possibly from unwashed carpets or poor ventilation, though I don’t know which. The parking lot is also very tight, with room for three cars side by side. I was parked in an Opel Mokka between a MiniCooper and a Tiguan, and barely managed to get out, even though I’m slim. A nice place with a few minor drawbacks.

The staff were the best part of our stay. They welcomed us warmly and were so helpful, especially Cassandra. Breakfast was above average, with a smaller-than-usual selection, but everything was delicious. It stayed the same over our three days, which didn’t bother me because the food was so tasty. The hotel is near the station, with plenty of buses out front, though the walk into town is a bit of a hike. From the outside it looks very shabby and badly needs a makeover. The pool area wasn’t inviting, surrounded by buildings and dying palm trees. My photo makes it look better than it is. Our room was okay. Bathrobes and slippers would have been nice for a place claiming four stars. I did spot some in the storage room on checkout morning, but none made it to our room during the stay.