Hotel Ibis Styles di Amiens

The Grand Hôtel de l'Univers is located on a pedestrian-only street in center of Amiens, very conveniently located a very short walk from the train station. Our room was clean, comfortable, and well-maintained, and the bathroom appeared recently-renovated. The rest of our room, and the common areas, however, were a bit more worn, and a little renovation wouldn't go amiss. WiFi was available, free, and it worked well. Our room was not air conditioned, which didn't matter much during our stay (September) but might be uncomfortable in mid-summer. The front desk staff were bilingual, very welcoming, friendly, and went out of their way to help us. Overall, I'd give it a grade of A for location, A+ for the staff, and a B- for the overall condition of the facilities.

Several years have elapsed (and Covid) since our last visit to the Mercure Cathéderale hotel in Amiens. Apart from being a fantastic hotel in an equally fantastic location, our prime reasons for returning were a) the excellent crêperies, b) the Hortillonnages waterways and c) the Macarons d’Amiens (Jean Trogneux). Being centrally located, one of the very useful features was the proximity of the underground car park in rue des Huchers. We paid €29 for a 7-day ticket which was exceptional value. Reception staff (Célestine, Olga & Adam) were very friendly and helpful on arrival as well as during our four-day stay. The hotel reservation was made directly on the Accor web site (membership benefits) and breakfast was included in the price. Breakfast was a delight - literally was everything you could wish for, and more. Amiens is a beautiful city with lots of “must-see” attractions – we had previously been to the Maison de Jules Verne (excellent) as well as the Hortillonnages, but always good for a return visit. This time we did some prior research regarding the local Amétis bus service and routes with the intention of visiting the tomb of Jules Verne in the Cimetière de la Madeleine as well as the Zoo d'Amiens. Armed with the timetables for each route we traversed the city with ease. Each day we spent just over £5 on bus fares (two persons and two journeys). Both venues were equally impressive. Returning to my own car on departure one has to be aware of the rather strange priorities in town/city centres, such that cars travelling on what would appear to be a side-road have priority over those on the main road (priorité à droite). The image I attached shows the Audi car leaving the underground car park and having priority over the traffic on the main road (rue Flatters). Bit bizarre, but worth being aware of. If you are thinking of visiting Amiens in the Autumn be aware of the impressive son-et-lumière display at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame which is usually around Sept-Nov time. An evening well worth spending in the centre of Amiens.

Parking is easy to find (Amiens 2) and just 9 Euro overnight (albeit the spaces a little tight). Pleasant reception staff who also warmly welcomed our Golden Retriever Marley. Modern bedroom and very nice bathroom. Breakfast was fine. What really makes the hotel great is the location, just a 10-minute stroll to the cathedral and the river side dog walks!

It's never a good start when no-one has told you that you can only access the adjacent car park by getting an RFID card from reception (and good luck finding anywhere to stop on the road on a busy Friday afternoon). The car park is dirty, dingy and hasn't got a lift, so you'll be practising your weight-lifting as you negotiate the stairs. Next problem: the corridor to the room reeked of cigarette smoke - the give-away was a fire door propped open with (of course) a fire extinguisher, so the 'balcony' could be used as a smoking area. And thus the room smelled of smoke (and was full of flies). The biggest problem: it was a very warm day (and had been a warm week) but the air-conditioning didn't work. Reported it, the staff weren't at all concerned, they said it was 'not the season' for A/C and 'no, it is not possible to turn it on'. Opening the window onto a busy street = lots of noise (and room didn't cool down that much either). Breakfast room was unbearably hot (because the A/C wasn't on there either) and the choice was of poor quality and limited. Not that you'd notice: full sun, no blinds, you'd die of heatstroke before you could consume much. I've seen some positive reviews of this hotel, so perhaps we got them on a bad day, but I'd absolutely not recommend anyone stay here unless you get confirmation that the A/C is working **and** actually turned on.....

LOCATION: Ideal. I arrived by train and it was about 5 minutes walk down the same street, nice and flat for the wheelie case. Lots of local sights within easy walking distance including the cathedral (France's largest, twice as big as Notre Dame in Paris), Jules Verne Museum and the incredible Musée de Picardie. APARTMENT: When I entered, I was blown away by the superb views over Amiens including the the cathedral spires from both the sitting room and bedroom windows. The apartment was spacious, clean, quiet and had everything needed. STAFF: Amiable and helpful VALUE: Outstandingly good.

The only thing disappointing me was that the hotel number provided by Trip.com was incorrect. I nearly missed the checkin time as I couldn’t ring them.

Logis La Chambre d’Amiens was easy to find by Satnav but is tucked away behind some trees on your right as you exit the roundabout. Parking is ample and good and check in was friendly, although I do wonder why Logis hotels still require guests to fill out a lengthy booking-in document when they should already have the details on line via your booking. The hotel is an easy 20 minute stroll to the start of the town centre, but the riverside area of St Leu is another 10 minutes or so. Our room on the first floor (no 10) is of average size and with the minimal, but adequate storage space you tend to find in smaller hotel rooms. The en-suite is fine and has a good shower but, as it is of the walk-in variety, be prepared for a wet floor. The room also has a balcony with a couple of chairs, which is a bonus in hot weather. In any event, the hotel also has a rooftop terrace which is accessed via a small lounge on the first floor. Breakfast was a decent affair with fresh fruit, yogurts, cereals etc along with cold meats and cheeses; and you can also boil yourselves some eggs. There was also plenty of bread, pastries and cake. The coffee is from a machine but perfectly good. The one issue I’d raise about breakfast was the bowl of “fruit salad” which consisted mainly of strawberries that were either frozen for too long, or out of an ancient tin. Whatever the case, the fruit was soft and completely tasteless. My suggestion is that you either make a fresh fruit salad or use decent tinned fruit; but ditch these strawberries. Fortunately, there was also a bowl of stewed apples which were very good. We have had an enjoyable two days here, service throughout has been very good and we would certainly use this Logis again.

Après la lecture de nombreux avis négatifs, j'ai hésité à réserver. Mais ayant un petit budget, j'ai tenté. Eh bien, je suis ravie de ma nuit reposante de cet hôtel. Ma chambre donnait sur l'arrière et je n'ai entendu aucun bruit ni de l'extérieur, ni de mes voisins ! Elle est de confort simple et propre. La jeune femme de la réception est très agréable. Je conseille cet hôtel.

This hotel is easy to reach from the train station and close to the cathedral and the center. The surroundings reflect Northern France's past as a working class region but this is interesting as well. Staff is very friendly, rooms are clean. Area is safe.