Alsace and the Black Forest on the cheap (Atelys Hotel Strasbourg (France))

Member Name: ben-lloyd

Product:	Atelys Hotel Strasbourg (France)
Date:	14/05/09 (120 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very cheap, unlimited breakfast, good location for exploring the region, parking

Disadvantages: Dark, some unwanted noise

~~~ Overview & Appearance ~~~
I first came across the two-star related Hotel Atelys whilst organising a three day break for my wife and I to celebrate our anniversary in August 2006 since which time we have had a second stay in July 2007. I chose the Atelys because I had planned a visit to the excellent Europa Park situated just across the River Rhine in Germany and had found all of the hotels in the Germany / Black Forest region to be far too expensive.

Situated in the Lingolsheim suburb of Strasbourg, the Atelys is situated in a semi-industrial area two minutes walk from the Lingolsheim train station and within a short taxi ride from Strasbourg international airport. The hotel is also conveniently located near to major roads leading to Germany or elswhere within the Alsace region of France and beyond.

The hotel has 78 rooms spread across three floors and two wings and a breakfast room-cum-meeting area just off reception. There is a lift in the hotel which will facilitate access to most areas of the hotel, although I would recommend that wheelchair users make this clear when making bookings as there are rooms located on the ground floor. Also of note is that the corridors are all very dim and gloomy thanks to the dark carpeting and timed-lighting which must be triggered by the guest; a virtually impossible task when one cannot see the light switch in the first place!

Our room, situated on the first floor, had a double bed as well as two nightstands, a cupboard, a desk and a wall-mounted 14" television which has access to both German and French channels (no English-speaking channels however). The bathroom was a fairly standard affair with a bath and shower, a toilet and a large sink. The shower was powerful and hot, and Mrs Ben was equally pleased with the bath.

As you would hope, you get two decent-sized bath towels, two hand towels and a bath mat. No tea or coffee making facilities are provided.

Our second stay was in a triple room which was effectively the same as the double but had a third bed, a third towel, a broken TV and was located on the third floor.

The breakfast room is nothing special; two rooms separated by a divider (open at breakfast time) with a large table in each laden with half-baguettes, cereal, croissants and a fridge containing milk, juice, cheese,butter, cold meats and yoghurt. Hot water is provided to make tea (including several fruit teas) and a large water heater containing coffee.

The staff were very helpful and spoke excellent English. I had to ring in advance on our second stay as we were running very late to check-in but the receptionist was very patient with my pidgin French-English cross-over!

~~~ The Pros ~~~
- At £23 for a triple room near the airport, a train station and major roads, the place is a steal.
- Nice, clean room.
- Eat as much as you like breakfast included in the price.
- Staff speak very good English.
- Large, gated car park to the rear of the hotel.
- Free internet access in Reception area.


~~~ The Cons ~~~
- No tea and coffee making facilities in the room.
- Dark corridors make the place look gloomy
- The car mechanic across the road seems to start work about 5.30am!
- Not as close to the centre of town as many other, higher priced, establishments.
- Probably not to the taste of more discerning tourists or travel-snobs.


~~~ Other Stuff ~~~
As mentioned before, the Hotel Atelys is situated in a semi-industrial area and there is a car repair business opposite which seems to start work quite early in the morning which may not be the ideal start to your day. At times the hotel seems to come under the nearby airport's flight path which will also add to the ambient noise at times.

Free internet access is provided to hotel guests through the PC located in Reception. It will take you a while to get used to the French keyboard should you need to check your email or the like.

The hotel offers conference facilities - ask at Reception for details.

Leaflets regarding local attractions are on display in reception some of which include discount vouchers. If you have time, you may like to try out the local Kronenbourg brewery tour.

The hotel seems to be popular with coach trips (probably due to the aforementioned road links) and the good value offered by the hotel.

Although located near to a train station, the last train through Lingolsheim (which we caught) was at about 6.30pm and there was no return journey available. Despite being the seat of the European Parliament, Strasbourg is not a 24-hour city! If you want to get back to the hotel after dinner, you must catch a bus which does fortunately stop at the station next to the hotel. The Tourist Information office at the main train station were incredibly helpful in helping us find our way home and they speak perfect English too.

If dining out in Strasbourg, La Chaine d'Or is highly recommended as it specialises in seafood in addition to Alsatian delicacies and local wines.

As previously mentioned, we used Hotel Atelys as a launchpad for trips to Europa Park which is approximately 40 minutes drive away. Thanks to the highly efficient German autobahn, the trip is a breeze and any petrol costs incurred on the journey are offest with change when compared to the cost of a double room in one of the resort hotels (~£100 per night!).

~~~ Conclusion ~~~
Hotel Atelys is outstanding value for anyone wanting to explore Alsace in France or the Black Forest region of Germany and thanks to its proximity to public transport and major road links, the hotel cannot be beaten for the price.

I would not hesitate to recommend the Atelys to anyone as I believe each of the 'cons' outlined above is balanced by the 'pros' of the hotel.


~~~ Useful Links & Numbers ~~~
The official Hotel Atelys website (accurate pictures throughout) which allows for direct bookings: http://www.atelyshotel.com/en_accueil.html
Book a room at the Atelys online at a heavily discounted rate - www.federal-hotel.com
"La Chaine d'Or" - Telephone: (+33) 388 750269 for bookings or directions (web: www.chainedor.fr)



© ben-lloyd 2009. This review appears on other websites under the same user name.

Summary: Chirpy-chirpy cheap-cheap!