CAEN CENTRE NORMANDY- AUG 2005

Unintentional stay here. On route from one camp site in Normandy to another campsite in another part of Normandy the petrol tank began to run low. Drove past a couple of closed petrol stations then a closed supermarket. No worries. On to Deauville. Bound to be a petrol station there . It's a major town after all. Well there was a petrol station and it was closed. What was going on? Why would all the petrol stations, along with everything else be closed on the 15th August. Because its the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary thats why!

Of course France is a secular republic. You know! Secular in the way that all the shops close on religious holidays along with all the factories and offices and airports and petrol stations.

The only thing we could do was to limp in to Caen, put up in the Ibis and wait for the morning. Unexpected pleasures though are often the best. This is a nice little town which we wouldn't even have driven through. As it was we had a nice walk around the medieval castle followed by a lovely meal outside in the medieval square in the shadow of the castle.

BRUSSELS CENTRE STE CATHERINE BELGIUM - MAY 2006/JUNE 2007

This Ibis is in a really good location. There are actually 8 Ibis' in Brussels but for me this is the best location. 6 of them are either near the airport or in the suburbs around the Parliament. The other 1 is virtually on the Grand Place and although I have never stayed there it always seems well noisy and far too near the action for a restful nights sleep. The Ste Catherine Ibis is 10 mins walk from the Grand Place and is in an up and coming district which has a new Metro station (Ste Catherine) and is near to a rapidly improving restaurant and market area. 2 mins walk from some excellent fish restaurants and far enough away from the hustle and bustle for a bit of peace and quiet.

The hotel itself, which I have stayed at twice (once for pleasure and once for work), is fine. Normal Ibis rooms. Decent sized bar with big screen for football and so forth. Good restaurant area for evening meals and breakfast and very friendly staff. I have never had a problem at this hotel on the couple of occasions I have stayed there. Would recommend it to anyone. 'Cheap as chips' as well if you book plenty in advance and go at the right time. You would be hard pushed to get a better deal so close to the centre in Brussels, which is a notoriously expensive city. If you know Brussels it's about 5 minutes walk from the Bourse.

RENNES CENTRE GARE SUD FRANCE - JULY 2006

Stopped off here for a night on the way back from a week in Brittany watching the Tour De France. This is a very big Ibis. Located right next to the main station in Rennes its well located. There is a nice old medieval bit of Rennes which is worth looking out. A couple of nice bars there and some interesting Moroccan and Algerian restaurants. Steer clear of the Algerian wine though. Definitely an acquired taste.

The Ibis has all the usual facilities plus a restaurant. I liked this one. No bath though just a shower.

PARIS GRANDS BOULEVARDS OPERA - DEC 2006/JAN 2007

Went to Paris for New Year. This Ibis was 20 mins walking distance from the Champs Elysees. Its just below the Monmarte district. The area has loads of interesting restaurants. The best one we found was a Lebanese place about 50 yards from the hotel. Went there New Years Eve before joining half a million other people outside the Arc de Triomphe.

Pics show view from hotel window. Lebanese restaurant is left out of the hotel entrance on the same side of the road.

SAINT MALO - JULY 2007

Last leg of a long trip round France last summer. Stopped off for the night here to catch the ferry in the morning.

This Ibis was OK. A bit sleepy and a bracing walk along the sea front from the main town. Not too far though and fantastic sea views if you like that sort of thing.

Very clean and excellent bathrooms (see pic).

A bit of a bar area with a decent selection of wines including quite a few half bottles which is always a good thing I think.

Saint Malo is suprisingly nice for a ferry port. Big beach. Walled town and plenty of nightlife, restaurants and bars.

Had had enough by then though and ready for home. I'd go back one day for a couple of days just to stay there though.

Bought a nice bottle of Calvados as well.













Interesting key fob as well, if you like that kind of thing. Which I do!!

LA ROCHELLE - JUNE 2007

Two Ibis' in La Rochelle. This is the one nearest to the harbour. Funny location down a back street above a cinema but perfectly fine. No distance at all to the shops and restaurants of this funny little French port. Had a Thai meal as by this time after a couple of weeks of poulet et frites we were losing the culianry will to live. It rained of course. Parking here is a problem but the best placeis on one of the meters by the river that runs out of the port. About 5 mins walk from the Ibis. Safe enough overnight and fairly cheap.

Not much of a bar in this one. More a few seats in the reception area where they will serve you drinks. Pleasant enough but not really a bar.

Pic shows view from hotel window.

BERLIN POTSDAMMER PLATZ - MAY 2007

Four day break in Berlin. This is one of several Ibis' in Berlin. This one is about 10 mins walk from the Potsdammer Platz. It was OK for us as it was just a couple of mins from the S-Bahn at Anhalter Platz.

The underground/overground/bus system in Berlin is so good it doesn't really matter where you stay you will be able to get anywhere in the city quickly, easily and cheaply.

This Ibis was OK. Good location. Nice rooms. Good bar restaurant area. Staff really friendly and mostly english speaking which was handy as my German only extends to a few pleasantries, the abiliy to order beer and a few inappropriate and no doubt unwelcome commands followed by exclamation marks gleaned from boys comics as a child!! Schnell Schnell!!! That sort of thing.

If you go to Berlin go to the lake at Wansee. It's worth the trip.

BRUGES CENTRAL - FEBRUARY 2008

What a place Bruges is. It's like a cholcolate box lid. There's plenty of chocolate too. Every second shop sells the stuff. Small place but very nice. Good square, nice restaurants, terrific boat trips along the canals. A bit short on bars that are just bars though. Most places are really restaurants which double as bar/bistro type places. There are a few bars which are just bars but you need to seek them out. The Ibis is great. Very big one.

Good bar area (see pic) which sells quite a lot of local beers.

Rooms OK (see pic).

It has a bath (see pic) which not all Ibis' do.

Good location about 15 mins walk from the main market square.

Nice view accross the town from our room (see pic).

AMSTERDAM CENTRE - FEB 2006

Went here for a Valentines break couple of years ago. I have stayed here a couple of times before with work. It's incredibly handy for the centre of Amsterdam. it is literally 50 yards from Amsterdam Central Station. This makes getting to it from Schipol a piece of cake.

This has a nice bar with small but very friendly staff who of course being Dutch all speak English better than I do.

Rooms OK. This is the only Ibis I have stayed in which have machines on every floor which vend beer and crisps. Excellent!!

The location as I said is terrific. 15 minutes walk max to Dam Square. Amsterdam isn't a very big city anyway and most of the place you would want to see on a short trip are in walking distance of each other.

IBIS LONDON EUSTON ST PANCRAS - MARCH 2008

Usually stay in this one when I'm in London with work.

It's dead handy for Euston Station. Christ what a hovel that place is. I hope they are gonna spend some money on that before they start welcomin visitors for the Olympics.

Incidentally the Ibis used to be called Ibis Euston but since they moved the Eurostar Terminal to St Pancras the Ibis marketing monkeys have renamed it.

I always find this Ibis a bit noisy. Ironically its best to ask for a room which fronts onto the road at the side of Euston Station. Quite busy during the day but quieter at night and early morning than the rooms at the rear of the hotel which get all the noise from the kitchens and the endless delivery vehicles. Nice bar area though. Breakfast area gets busy but is typically Ibis breakfast style except for these kind of bacon calzoni things they have introduced which are vile. Stick with the cereals and yoghurts.

You can leave your bag in a secure room after you check out and pick it up when you want. Ask for a ticket at the desk.

COGNAC - JUNE 2007

Stayed over in Cognac in June last year on a car trip down to Biarritz. I liked the sound of Cognac and I wasn't dissapointed. The town was dominated by the big brandy houses like Hennesey Martell. Though like most small provincial French towns it was like a scene from a post nuclear disaster movie. Where are all the people in France?? The pattiseries are absolutely bulging with cakes and bread and pastries , all the time. Who the hell buys them. I have never seen anyone in a shop in France and they only open for about 3 hours a week!!

Still, on the day we were in Cognac it was absolutely boiling hot. A precursor to the 10 days of pissing rain we encountered in Biarritz. Ah well!! That'll teach me to go to the South of France in June in search of sun.

IBIS? WHYBIS??

I have stayed in loads of Ibis Hotels and have always found them really good. I'm not promoting them in this blog, just cataloguing a few stays and recording a few comments about the trips that resulted in the Ibis stays.

I have no connection with Ibis Hotels, they don't owe me anything, nor I them.

It's just a bit of fun.