We booked a Campanile hotel in the big, bustling, industrial town of Montpellier, which had half a dozen Campanile hotels and others more central at higher prices.
What did I like?
The sign is welcoming, the N turned into a green house with a dot in the middle.
The staff were smiling. And bilingual.
The bedroom was large. We had booked a large room.
The en suite bathroom had a pull out elnlarging shaving mirror.
The bedroom had a capsule coffee maker.
No fridge, just a bar, but reception said they could take items in thier fridge. But I won't put pills in a hotel fridge in case they get forgotten.
The website says a pool, which I made a condition of our hotels. I made the mistake of thinking that the south of France is hot all year. It was nearer gfreezing in January. I was wearing thre blouses and three tee-shirts. But the outdoor ground floor pool at the back is open only May to September.
The room was cold in January 2023.
All in all good. We liked the honey soap in the bathroom dispenser.
Breakfast was ample. We liked:
1 The fresh squeeze your own orange juice from a machine.
2 You could cook your own boiled eggs with a guide to timing.boiled egg, five minutes soft, seven for hard.
3 The chocolate muffin had a soft liquid chocolate centre.
4 Three types of cheese including brie and Gouda.
5 The coffee machine made all kinds of coffee, no waiting for a waitress.
Tips on Rooms
This Campanile was another brand of hotel before joining Campanile which has extensive marketing, so the curent management's receptionist told me he thought the hotel layout is superoor to others in the group.
The rooms are large. I wanted a second bar stool to sit typing at my computer in the bedroom. they loaned me one from reception. Hotels worldwide provide only one dining chair in a room for two. I realised the bar table in the bedroom is the right height for typing standing up.
Bathroom Tips
The toilet is outside the bathroom in almost all the rooms. I prefer to have a wash basin or shower next to the toilet, not two door handles away. If you want a toilet in the bathroom, the hotel has two rooms designed for the benefit of handicapped wheelchair users. These rooms have the toilet in the bathroom, a large bathroom with a shower and no bath, and a smaller bedroom. The price is lower than their standard bedrooms, because a smaller bedroom and no bath.
Dinner Tips
Sunday night the restaurant is closed. Monday we could get dinner.
It was reasonable priced. You could choose a set meal of two courses about twenty Euros or three courses aout twenty five. We opted for the three course meal. Two choices of starter two main courses and another for a couple of Euros extra, and two desserts. Good value.
Wines were by the glass at reasonable prices. No kir but I could get a Prosecco so that kept me happy. One of the waitresses was wearing blue jeans, which I thought was a bit dull for a four star hotel. Although a couple of sustomers were also in jeans, I was dressed up for a holiday and because it was my one chance to wear an evening outfit in the hotel, when I would have worn something warmer to go to an outside restaurant.
Violet Dessert
Apparently they change the menu every day so no use my telling you what to order. The starter and main courses were filling but average. The best part was the dessert. We chose on of each. One of the ice reams was violet ice cream. I alwasy think ice cream scooped out of a bought in tub, but vilet ice ceam was unknown to us anywhere else in the world, a novelty, unusual pale colour and delicious flavour. I shall look out for violet dessert. A feature of the south of France.
The ride up in the glass lift past the palm trees was a touch of the south. for those from cold climes such as the UK, a good piece of escapism.
We had been househunting, hopint the south of France would be warmer in winter. The temperature was near freezing, hardly different to London, England. For warmth in winter, we would need to go to southern Spain or Gibraltar.
We do like French food. The time is an hour different. And the sun last longer in winter, not such a short day as London. However, it looks as though for a place big enough for all our clutter, but in budget, was well as warmth, we Brits should to live in Spain. And holiday for good food in France.
Now you and I know why the Brits, such as my late parents, used to winter in Spain.
Ryanair interior of plane to France from Luton. Photo by Angela Lansbury.
Useful Wesbites
Campanile
Wiki campaniles
booking.com
Wiki Montpellier
Ryanair
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