John Cletheroe's
UK and European Travel and Tourism Hints
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External Links To Other Web Sites - Motel And Hotel Chains
Please report any broken links using the "EMail me" link at the bottom of this page.
Most of the web sites listed on this page offer versions in the English language (look for "Anglais", "Engels", "English" or a Union Jack flag). However, some sites are only available in their own national language.
Typical rates quoted on this page probably include national sales taxes such as VAT but at some locations a small additional local tourist sales tax may be added. Rates usually differ at each location and with the time of year, day of the week, special events, etc.
€ is the symbol for the Euro currency, which depending on your computer system may not be displayed correctly in some cases.
A UK hotel directory. There are separate sections for England, Scotland and Wales. External link verified Sep-02.
Accor (various hotel and motel chains)
Accor are the parent company of a number of European hotel and motel chains, including Etap, Formule 1, Mercure and Novotel (and the Motel 6 and Red Roof Inn chains in the USA). This site has links to each of their chains. External link verified Mar-04. See also Standard European Budget Motel Features on this page.
This site, available in the English, French and German languages, has links to each of Accor's chains. External link verified Jun-02. See also Standard European Budget Motel Features on this page.
Akena (European motel chain)
This web site has an English language option and also includes a facility for requesting a printed directory. External link verified Jun-02.
B & B Hotels (European budget motel chain)
This web site includes an English language option. This chain has about eighty locations, mainly in France. External link verified Jun-02. See also Standard European Budget Motel Features on this page.
This chain was previously a member of the Envergure Group but is now owned by RMH Hotels. It has about eighty locations (as at Jan-00). Rooms have a double bed, private shower and toilet. Typical rates for a double room are in the range €29.73 to €51.83 (as at Jan-00). Both external links lead to the same content. Both external links verified Jun-02.
This site is in French by default, with an English language option. The Blue Marine chain is a member of the Envergure Group. External link verified Apr-04.
Bonsai Hotels (French budget motel chain)
This chain has 22 locations, all in France. External link verified Jun-02.
This web site is in French by default, with an English language option. The Campanile chain is a member of the Envergure Group and has about 360 locations (as at Jan-00). Rooms have double beds. Children under twelve stay free in their parents' room. Typical rates for a double room are in the range €44.97 to €80.04 (as at Jan-00). In Apr-04 I received a printed directory for Campanile but amazingly it did not include any prices. Both URL's lead to the same contents, and both URL's verified Apr-04.
Cendant currently (Sep-02) own Travelodge, as well as the US Amerihost, Days Inn, Howard Johnson, Knights Inn, Ramada and Super 8 lodging chains, plus also Avis car rental and the US Century 21 and Coldwell Banker real estate (estate agent) chains. This web site includes links to each of these companies. External link verified Sep-02.
This chain was a member of the Envergure Group but this may no longer be the case. It has about 170 locations (as at Jan-00). Rooms have a double bed. Typical rates for a double room are in the range €33.54 to €72.41 (as at Jan-00). Both external links lead to the same content. Both external links verified Jun-02.
This chain is a member of the Accor group. External link verified Jun-02.
EasyDorm is part of the EasyJet group, and will offer low cost Japanese-style motel accommodation. The first EasyDorm is due to open in London (England) in 2004. External link verified Jun-03.
Envergure Group (various European hotel and motel chains, including Campanile, Hotel Premiere Classe and Nuit d'Hotel)
This web site is in the French language by default, with an English option. The Envergure group has a total of about nine hundred hotels and motels, mainly in Europe. External link verified Apr-04. See also Standard European Budget Motel Features on this page.
Etap Hotels (European budget motel chain)
This web site is in English by default, with options for French and German. This chain is the next to least expensive member of the Accor group and has 243 locations in Europe, mainly in France and Germany (May-01). Rooms have a double bed with a single bunk bed above, a private shower and toilet. Non-smoking rooms are available. There is a basic price for the room and in most cases a small additional charge for a second or third adult (except that in Germany there is a limit of two adults and a child under 12). Typical rates are in the range €28.20 to €32.78 for one person; extra person €3.05 to €4.57 (May-01). External link verified Mar-04. See also Standard European Budget Motel Features on this page.
This site includes extremely useful straightforward and honest descriptions, obviously based on actual experience, of the various European budget motel chains such as Formule 1 and Etap (Accor) and Nuit d'Hotel and Hotel Premiere Classe (Envergure). External link verified Jun-02. See also Standard European Budget Motel Features on this page.
Fasthotel (French budget motel chain)
This web site has an English language option. This chain has about fifty locations, all in France. External link verified Jun-02.
Formule 1 (European budget motel chain)
This web site is in English by default, with options for French and German. This chain is the least expensive member of the Accor group and has 361 locations world-wide, mainly in France (2001). Rooms have a double bed with a single bunk bed above and a wash basin but do not have a private shower or toilet. Prices are per room regardless of the number of persons (one, two or three). Typical rates are in the range €18.29 to €25.15 (2001). Unfortunately the web site does not appear to have an option to request a printed directory. External link verified Apr-04. See also Standard European Budget Motel Features on this page.
This web site is in French by default with an English language option. The Hotel Premiere Classe chain is the next to least expensive member of the Envergure Group and has 179 locations, all except two in France (as at 2001). Rooms have a double bed with a single bunk bed above, a private shower, toilet and wash basin. Typical rates range from €25.15 to €29.73 irrespective of the number of persons (as at 2001). In Apr-04 I couldn't make the facility on the English language section of this site to request a printed directory operate correctly. External link verified Apr-04. See also Standard European Budget Motel Features on this page.
This chain is a member of the Accor group and has 543 locations. External link verified Jun-02.
This web site is in French by default, with an English language option. The Kyriad chain is a member of the Envergure group. External link verified Apr-04.
This chain is a member of the Accor group. External link verified Jun-02.
Mister Bed (French budget motel chain)
This web site has an English language option. To request a printed directory, send an email to info@misterbed.fr . This chain has about twenty-five locations, all in northern France (as at Jun-02). External link verified Jun-02. See also Standard European Budget Motel Features on this page.
Motel One (German budget motel chain)
This site is in the German language only. This is a new chain with as yet only a few locations, all in Germany. External link verified Jun-02.
This chain is a member of the Accor group. External link verified Jun-02.
Nuit d'Hotel (European budget motel chain)
This web site is in French by default with an English language option. The Nuit d'Hotel chain is the least expensive member of the Envergure Group and has 34 locations, all in France (as at 2001). In 2001 its locations were in the process of being converted to Hotel Premiere Classe, but in Apr-04 it was still being featured as a separate chain. Rooms have a double bed with a single bunk bed above, a private toilet and wash basin. Some locations have private showers in rooms, others have showers on each floor. Typical rates range from €19.82 to €28.97 irrespective of the number of persons (as at 2001). In Apr-04 I couldn't make the facility on the English language section of this site to request a printed directory operate correctly. External link verified Apr-04. See also Standard European Budget Motel Features on this page.
This chain has 120 locations in Britain, as at Sep-01. Rates are from £42 per room irrespective of the number of persons with a maximum occupancy of two adults plus two children under seventeen (Sep-01). Non-smoking rooms and at most locations special rooms for disabled guests are available. Rooms have a television, tea and coffee maker and private bathroom. An optional traditional breakfast is available for £6 per person or a continental breakfast for £4 per person. Both external links lead to the same content. Both external links verified Jun-02.
Premiere Classe Hotels (European budget motel chain)
See Hotel Premiere Classe on this page.
This web site includes an English language option (click on the Union Jack flag) but on 30-Mar-03 the link didn't work. I tried to use the "Contact" option in the French version of the site to report the problem but that didn't work either. Both features failed in both Internet Explorer and Netscape. These are probably just temporary faults which will be corrected soon. The French version of the site has a facility for requesting a printed directory but I don't know if it will accept a UK postcode. External link verified Mar-03.
In Sep-02 Six Continents owned the Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express chains, plus the Britvic soft drinks manufacturer and their web site had links to each of these companies. I think this might now have changed. External link verified Sep-02.
This chain is a member of the Accor group. External link verified Jun-02.
This chain is a member of the Accor group. External link verified Jun-02.
This chain is a member of the Accor group. External link verified Jun-02.
A relatively low-cost (for Britain) motel chain. Maximum room occupancy is two adults and one child. External link verified Jun-02.
A relatively low-cost (for Britain) motel chain. Maximum room occupancy is two adults and one child. External link verified Jun-02.
UK hotel information. External link verified Jun-02.
This web site includes an English language option (click on the Union Jack flag) and a facility for requesting a printed directory. This chain has 45 locations, all in France (2001). Rooms have a double bed with a single bunk bed above, a private toilet, shower and wash basin. Typical rates are €26.68 for a room for up to three people and (at some locations only) €32.03 for a room for up to four people (2001). This chain has non-smoking rooms and special rooms for disabled guests. Some locations in the south have air conditioning. External link verified Jun-02. See also Standard European Budget Motel Features on this page.
Standard European Budget Motel Chain Features
The following standard features apply to most of the European budget motel chains such as Etap, Formule 1, Hotel Premiere Classe, Nuit d'Hotel and Villages Hotel.
Some of the chains vary from this list of features slightly, particularly with regard to whether rooms have a private shower and toilet.
- Motel offices are open only in the morning and evening. Outside office hours an automatic vending check-in machine can be used with a credit card to purchase a room key-card and PIN number, whether you have a pre-booked reservation or not. The check-in machines used by the Etap chain in France initially offer a choice of language including English and from then on all instructions are displayed in the chosen language. The same almost certainly applies to the machines used elsewhere and by other chains but I cannot confirm this by direct experience.
- All room prices are the same within each location, but vary from location to location. With some chains room prices are the same throughout the year, in others they vary by season or are slightly less expensive at weekends. Room price is either irrespective of the number of persons or there is a small extra charge for additional adults.
- Maximum room occupancy is usually three adults but in some cases two adults and one child.
- Car parking is free at all or almost all locations. At some locations entry to the car park requires use of the room key-card and PIN number, in which case presumably there are a small number of freely accessible parking bays near the office available for use during check-in.
- Most rooms have a double bed or two single beds, with a single bunk bed above. Rooms in the least expensive chains tend to be small but certainly adequate for an overnight stay.
- All rooms have a wash basin, a television and a small table or shelf. Depending on the chain, rooms may or may not have a private toilet and a private shower.
- An optional self service buffet continental breakfast is available, typically costing around €3.35 to €4 per person (in 2001). With the Etap chain in France, if you wish to take breakfast then be sure to specify this and pay for it when checking in as you cannot make this decision in the morning. The same almost certainly applies elsewhere and with other chains.
- There are vending machines for drinks and snacks.
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As with all the other pages on this site, all the information on this page is solely the opinion of the author, who has no connection whatsoever with any of the companies and organisations mentioned other than as an actual or potential customer.
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Most recently modified 27-Apr-04