Villa Mariale

“Very pleasant stay.”

Booking I used a link from trip advisor Amoma. No problems on with check-in. We checked in early then the time allowed, I think about 2:30ish. Wasn't a problem. This hotel even though it is a bit dated with the decor it was very nice and cozy. We stayed for 4nights. WiFi was problem for the f... more

Booking I used a link from trip advisor Amoma. No problems on with check-in. We checked in early then the time allowed, I think about 2:30ish. Wasn't a problem. This hotel even though it is a bit dated with the decor it was very nice and cozy. We stayed for 4nights. WiFi was problem for the first night, exceeded connections allowed. I went down to reception and was advised that the hotel uses the city connection, but would get it sorted. Next day was able to connect to WiFi for the remaining part of the stay. The hotel is about 20mins walk from the Lourdes train station. Took us longer coz we were taking in the area at the same time. About 5-10min walk from the sanctuary. Basic channels on the TV, its OK if you understand French, but I had taken my amazon fire stick so was able to stream English channels. Self catering studio room, had all the basics for us to cook and eat in whenever we wanted. Cutlery, pots, pans and dishes all were in room for us. Hotel is not that far about 10mins walk to carrefour city and to town centre for all the shops. I would stay again at this hotel. We did really enjoy our stay.

less

“Perfect location”

We are in Lourdes, you here just for a reason !!! He does need a rennovation but you got what you pay : an honest , clean , well organise place where to rest and is it very near to the sanctuary, staff polyte and professional

“The ins & outs of staying at the Villa Mariale”

Apartment hotels are pretty sweet for several reasons. (1) They have more space to swing a cat in. (2) They have a kitchen with plates & cooking utensils. (3) The Villa Mariale was relatively cheap but didnt look like a rural Thai rat prison. After paying under $100 US for an apartment room i cou... more

Apartment hotels are pretty sweet for several reasons. (1) They have more space to swing a cat in. (2) They have a kitchen with plates & cooking utensils. (3) The Villa Mariale was relatively cheap but didnt look like a rural Thai rat prison. After paying under $100 US for an apartment room i could easily put with small issues. Late check-in: The reception desk was closed by 9:30 pm as staff had finished for the day. However a sign on the front entrance had instructions for after-hours service so we called the phone number and spoke to a person in English who arrived downstairs to check us in. Check-in was quick although we expected some grumpy old lady at this late hour, it seemed she was used to late & last minute check-ins. Understandably she wasn't in any uniform just in her comfortable home clothes, as long as she wasn't dressed in latex & a black leather mask. Needless to say we were fairly relieved. Comparing two different rooms: We actually stayed in two different rooms on separate nights at the Villa Mariale, a Double Studio & Apartment Room room, both were pretty spacious for the price range. The greatest bonus for both rooms were the kitchenette's which had a sink, microwave, full-sized fridge, aircon, plates, eating utensils and stove, adequate to prepare meals during a stay. Floating wooden floorboards throughout the rooms which feel and look better than tiles or carpet. The bathrooms were of a generous size, clean and free of mold. There was a sofa bed in the Apartment Room which could accommodate another two people comfortably or enough space to house at least 20 Syrian refugees me thinks. Free WiFi was OK to browse web pages but we didn't try to stream anything. Although it was a non-smoking room the nicotine addiction is always too much to resisit. Our rooms had a large window with no fly screen which i could open & smoke out of. When booking, we were specifically looking for free parking which was included in our room rate around the back. Apparently there is a sauna & gym at the Villa Mariale but we didn't realise at the time. As with many Apartment hotels, all plates & utensils used must be cleaned & put away before checkout or a steep fee of €50 is uncured, just bite the bullet & make the kids do the washing, problem solved. The Villa Mariale is directly in front of the Gave River just behind the main street which features a nice boulevard to loiter around at night. It is 500 metres walk to the holy grotto at Lourdes & about 1.5kms from the train station. The Villa Mariale is surrounded by plenty of restaurants, cafes', convenience & souvenir stores however it was impossible to purchase cigarettes after 5pm as small stores are forbidden to sell them in France. Overall, the Villa Mariale was a pretty good place to stay with car space & comfortable for the traveler close & convenient to everything, we would probably return.

less