Campanile - A Disney Escape! (Campanile Hotel Bussy St Georges (Bussy St Georges, France))

Member Name: danball

Product:	Campanile Hotel Bussy St Georges (Bussy St Georges, France)
Date:	20/03/09 (222 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Clean, Tidy, Friendly Staff

Disadvantages: Rooms could be bigger.

In the summer of 2008 we decided to take a family holiday to Disneyland Paris. We'd been there a few times in recent years and knew it was a safe bet, we had all had a good time and it wasn't too expensive, so we booked it. In the past, we had stayed in the Disneyland Hotels so decided to try something different and experience the area around Disneyland. We also hoped it would provide us with a rest from the over-the-top 'Disneyness' of the place. The hotel is only a ten minute drive from Disneyland.

The whole holiday was booked over the Internet, the ferry, the hotel and the tickets to Disney itself. Originally we were booked in to the 'Premiere Classe' hotel but, upon arrival, we discovered that it really was not up to standard (review to come, it's worth the wait), and so managed to get ourselves booked (upgraded?) into the Hotel Campanile as it is part of the same group of companies. We complained to the manager of the Premiere Classe hotel and insisted on being given a room in the Campanile as it was right next door.

I'm sorry to say that I am one of those tourists who never really tries too hard to pick up the local language but I studied French for my GCSE's, albeit many years ago, and so was disappointed to learn that the staff at this hotel did not speak English. I guess disappointed is the wrong word but in lieu of a better one, it stays. The lady at the front desk could not speak a word of English but was very very helpful and friendly. My limited French did not really aid the situation but she knew that one of the guests was English and spoke fluent French and so asked him to help. She resolved the problem very quickly and gave us a room for the duration of the stay. We saw here everyday for the rest of the week and she was always friendly, a real testament to customer care.

The hotel itself is not huge; I would assume a maximum of about seventy rooms in all. The reception and restaurant is joined to the building which houses the hotel rooms but you do not have to go through reception to gain access to your room. There is three sets of stairs you can use which all lead from a walkway in the car park. The hotel is on a main road which is very busy but is placed back far enough so that the traffic noise and pollution does not affect you at all. Once you are through the gates you would have no idea that you were on sucha busy road mere seconds before. The surroundings are quite peaceful and clean, lots of grass and trees. It makes the hotel seem very serene. The bar/restaurant area seemed small but well planned and fairly busy. We didn't make use of this facility so that part of the review ends here.

Now, for the room itself. Although not massive, it is fairly spacious and well laid out. It was meticulously clean and well stocked, we had a kettle, tea bags, milk, spare bed sheets, towels etc. For the three of us, there were three single beds; two permanent and one that folded away beneath the others. The room also had a bedside cabinet and a desk on which there was a television. The bathroom was also very clean but was slightly more cramped than the bedroom area. A shower, toilet and sink took up most of the space in there.

The area outside the hotels grounds is pretty dull, there was a McDonalds and a supermarket which took around ten minutes to walk to but other than that there was nothing but houses. Considering the fact that this was on a huge main road, the lack of facilities in the area was surprising, as was the level of public transport. We were advised to use a cab if we did not want to drive ourselves around but a cab would have proved too costly to go to see the sights. We drove to the car park at Disneyland and got a train from there to see the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe etc.

The hotel is fairly cheap, prices change according to the time of year (as you would expect) but is far from overpriced, even at peak times. This is the type of hotel to choose when you need pure functionality, somewhere to store your stuff, sleep and spend a few hours there. I wouldn't say it's the perfect place to go and relax but in comparison to the Disney Hotels, it's a haven!

Summary: Excellent Hotel Just Outside Disneyland