Au Pied Du Chateau

Prós: We were given 2 rooms at the top floor. They were relatively spacious and very clean with comfortable beds. The bathroom was large enough to allow 2 people to move around freely and even passed the standard for cleanliness of my finicky son. There was a heater in each room including the bathroom which really helped prevent you ending up with goose bumps on stepping out of the shower. Breakfast was simple but more than adequate for people who are not into big American breakfast. Location is midway between the train station and the Lourdes Sanctuaries; a few meters from the city center and Chateau Fort. It's a 10 min leisurely walk to the Sanctuaries which my 82 year old mother traversed without much difficulty. However, add 2-3min more going back as the hotel is located on a gradually rising slope. The owners, Alain and Oksana were very warm, friendly and accommodating. Oksana not only helped me do our laundry she even brought us to the train station when we checked out (Thank you Oksana I really appreciated that as our luggage apparently weighed a ton). To stay in this hotel is to be part of the family. I would definitely recommend this hotel to those are not afraid of climbing up stairs.

Contras: Initially, it was not easy to locate as the hotel has only a small brass plaque to identify it. I think they should highlight the fact that in front of the hotel is a big pay parking square and opposite it is the Adriatic hotel. The hotel has no lift. Our rooms being at the top floor provided a bit of a challenge to my mother. We, however, did not change rooms because we really liked them and the privacy they provided. Portions of the floor were a bit squeaky which didn't really bother us except that I kept wondering if the guests below we're affected. All in all our room was relatively quiet despite being on the short cut route to the city center and Chateau Fort from the Sanctuaries.