Hotel 1ère Étape

The older woman at the desk was the one bright spot. She was kind and helpful, and managed to make my invoice even though using the computer was a bit difficult for her. She didn't speak English. Getting that invoice took several days, though: the English-speaking man couldn't print it and said I'd have to wait a day for his friend. The girl I asked on the second day promised it for the next morning, then put me off for another day. Whenever I saw her, she looked almost asleep behind the desk. The man also scanned my ID and kept it, saying it was for the police when I asked why. That's the first time a hotel in Lyon or the surrounding area has done that to me. I stayed four long nights. The room was small, old, and not very cozy, but that wasn't the main issue. Noise came through the walls so clearly I could hear conversations, TVs, singing, and laughter from other rooms. It was a real struggle to fall asleep; headphones and music helped. The old quilt had a couple of spots that looked like cigarette burns. Breakfast was only 6 euros, so I wasn't expecting anything fancy, but there was no ham, cheese, or eggs. I was surprised there was nothing with protein to put with a baguette.