Hotel Vallis

A convenient stop right on the Dutch Mountain Trail, with a friendly owner of the Greek restaurant downstairs handling check-in and explaining how everything works. Breakfast starts at 8, so we went to the bakery on the same street for an earlier option. The rooms are large, but there's no air conditioning, just a fan, and you can hear street noise at night. There was a coffee machine in a corner on the first floor. Only one window could be opened, and the rooms are reached by stairs.

A bottle of their homemade olive oil, imported from Greece, was a lovely surprise on my second night. The clerk gave it to me just because I'd been friendly. I didn't get to try the restaurant during my short stay, but I've used the oil at home and it's good quality, tastes good, and doesn't spit. I had to find a hotel at the last minute because of problems in Aachen, and this one caught my eye on booking.com. It's in the lovely, peaceful town of Vaals in the Netherlands, 15 minutes from where I needed to be and 400m from the bus stop. I arrived at 11pm and was welcomed by a very friendly, helpful clerk who speaks all four languages and Greek. After a quick, cheerful chat, I got my room key. I paid €46\ night, so I wasn't expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised. The room was enormous, more like a suite, with a classy design, a warm, comfortable bed, a big TV with many posts, a dining corner, and a modern shower and sink. I'm 2.02m tall and fit the bed perfectly. It was quiet, and there was a vending machine with alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks. For this price, it's a must stay for anyone visiting Aachen who wants some luxury without paying a luxurious price. I recommend it and will choose it every time I'm in the area. I'd give it a deserved 9/10. The only reason it's not a 10 is that I didn't get to dine there. To the owners, keep it up!

The owner and staff were super friendly and couldn't have been more helpful. Downstairs is a really cool Greek restaurant with a great atmosphere. We chose from the day menu and had the best meal I've had in ages, much needed after cycling 260km's. We had a top stay on the high-street in Vaals, with excellent accommodation, food and service. The room was huge, with twin-beds, and spotlessly clean. The only possible downside was some traffic noise from the main road, though it was extremely warm and we had all the windows open. We later discovered we could have shut them and used the air-co. 10/10!

An unpleasant stay. We booked a double bed, but got two singles pushed together with a huge gap between them. The mattress setup was awful too, a very hard base with a thin, soft mattress that slid around. There was no kettle, tea, coffee, or refrigerator in the room. Parking cost £4 a day and wasn't next to the hotel, which hadn't been mentioned in advance. Construction started at 8am and carried on past 8pm until we complained. We wanted a day to rest before and after travelling, and the work really got in the way. The room also wasn't soundproof: we heard people on the creaky stairs, and the cleaning staff talking very loudly early in the morning. I chose this hotel based on the reviews, and I don't know how it was rated so highly.