The Apparthotel Montempô Strasbourg Gare is a budget hotel about 10 minutes walk from the main train station in Strasbourg.
The hotel is next to the rail tracks so if you want a lie-in in the morning it is probably best to ask for a room on the opposite side of the tracks, but otherwise it was a perfect little place.
I was on my way from London to Hungary by train and decided to make Strasbourg my first stop for an overnight stay. I caught the Eurostar from London to Paris and then the last TGV from Paris to Strasbourg. My train arrived at the station at 23:50.
Even though it was a Friday night the city was pretty empty – I imagine Strasbourg is not your typical party town. So I made my way to the hotel to check in after which I went for a walk around the city.
Finding the Apparthotel Montempô Strasbourg Gare
If you come from the train station go out through the main entrance. There will be a big square in front of you. Turn right toward the taxi rank and carry on walking straight until you reach the end of the street.
On your right there will be an overpass and in front of it is the Apparthotel Montempô Strasbourg Gare. It is an orange building and the ground floor is well-illuminated so you won’t miss it.
Entering the Hotel
The hotel has a 24/7 reception desk so you can arrive any time of the day. There is a disabled ramp at the front and also a few steps to reach a glass door. The reception desk is in front of the main door, next to the vending machine and the breakfast area.
First Impressions
I liked the place immediately – in France there are various chains that cater for budget travellers yet the service they offer is pretty high standard. For €44 I got a single room, excluding breakfast which I say is very good value.
The Lobby Area
The lobby area is basically four-in-one: it is here where you will find the breakfast room, the reception, a vending machine and a coffee machine.
It is a nice size room and breakfast is not expensive although I didn’t book one because I wanted to go into town in the morning.
Checking In
I booked through Booking.com and the check-in was very simple. The hotel gets an email from Booking.com and then creates the reservation. I’ve never had a problem with finding my bookings and the receptionist gave me my key pretty quick.
I asked if there was anywhere to eat at that time of night but he said nothing nearby so I resigned to the fact that I would go to bed hungry.
The Lift and Public Areas
There was a lift but I took the stairs as my room was on the first floor. The stairs reminded me of the stairway in my primary school gym: the floor was covered in non-slip rubber and it exuded that sort of rubbery, gluey smell – I loved it!
I got upstairs in a minute, dropped my bag off and took some photographs then I disappeared into the night in Strasbourg!
Inside the Room
The door opened with a key card, it worked for the first time which is perfect late at night. Nothing worse than having to drag yourself down to cut a new key past midnight!
As I entered the key card unit was on the right: the electricity only turns on if you insert the card. The downside is that the unit made a humming noise so instead of keeping the key in I took it out overnight as I couldn’t sleep from the noise.
The bathroom was also on the right and the bed in front of me.
The Bed
There was a single bed in the room which was long and wide enough for me. There was only one pillow which was a bit soft so I had to fold it in half. It was quite hot in the room and the same outside, so I opened the window. My room was on the side of the tracks which I didn’t mind but it meant I had to keep the window closed during the night because the trains passing would wake me up.
The safety system on the tracks was also making some sort of a clicking noise which was driving me nuts so I closed the window as soon as I opened it.
The Rest of the Room
The corner of the room housed the desk and next to that was a fridge which again was making a humming noise so I turned it to zero. The kitchenette also had a sink, a kettle, various cupboards and a hob. The hotel charges extra if you leave dirty dishes behind so you better clean up!
Wifi in the Room
The hotel offers free wifi access and the speed was sufficient: I checked my emails and read a couple of news stories fine.
The Bathroom
The bathroom was simple with a walk in shower, a toilet and sink. There was also a big mirror, a hair dryer and a couple of towels so I had a quick shower. The water was plentiful and hot so there was nothing to complain about really.
Overall Impressions
I had a relatively good sleep even though the room was on the noisy side. I would say it is worth staying here if you are on a low budget and don’t mind a few minor inconveniences. The location is perfect for the city center and the train station and the room was clean so other than the noise inside and outside the room I would recommend it.