Formule 1 Hotels France - has anyone stayed at one?

[hockeymum]

Thinking of breaking up the driving for a keycamp style holiday at a Formule 1 hotel as they're dead cheap. Has anyone stayed at one and what are they like?

Yes - a couple of times at the one near Dijon and once at one near Calais.

Find them basic but clean.

We've been in the "orfinary" room, which is a double bed with a single bed over it as a sort of bunk bed. There is a TV and a wee wash basin the room. You've got to go along the corridor to the loo and/or showers.

I think they also do larger family rooms.

You can also get a breakfast of croissant/juice/coffee - but we've usually just go up and away and then found a "proper" French cafe to have breakfast.

For only slightly more, Mister Bed gives you a shower and loo in the bedroom, with a simialr bed layout. However they are not as widespread as the Formule 1s. There is one very close to the the Formule 1 in Dijon, so for preference we would go there.

We use them as a stopover point on the way to/from Meribel if we're driving there.

The Formule 1 is almost always alongside other only slightly more expensive but way superior hotels so I only stayed there once. I think Hotel Premiere Classe was the one I normally went to.. Having said that, if you don´t take any luggage in teh room with you and accept there is probably no bathroom in the room, Formule 1 is ok.

campaniles are quite cheap as well IIRC so could be worth looking for.

hi hockeymum, we have used formule 1 en route to the south of france and as the other posters have said, they are clean if basic. My main issue with them is that they are often quite a few miles from nearest town on horrid industrial type estates (next to tile warehouses etc etc) and although cheap, they are absolutely soulless. We have decided recently to give them a miss as to us, the travel stops are part of our holiday and we like to see something of the town we stop in, go out for dinner, explore, but if you are exhausted and are simply looking for a bed, go for it

They only sleep 3 to a room, I have looked for 'family' rooms but failed. My preference is for here as they have mezzanine rooms that sleep 4 which are ensuite and cost about 56 Euros.

I also saw hotel bonsai chain which seems to have family rooms or ones that are interconnecting for up to 6 people.

We stayed in Campinile hotel this time at Hotel bb was full and there are 4 of us. They are doing a summer promotion for families for 2 rooms (up to 5 people) at 89 E plus 7 E for adult breakfasts (free for kids) We had 2 rooms next door which was nice.

These hotels do get booked up, I only booked about 2 weeks before going and most places were fully booked in Orleans!!

Oxocube actually I agree with you. This time we styed in a great hotel on Bourges on our way down, small family run with a swimming pool that was fab after a day of driving. Arrived at 5pm in time for a swim and a beer, went out to supper and even had a last swim after breakfast which felt great.

On the way home though we tend to stay in our campsite until mid/late afternoon and then drive until 10 pm. so don't care so much

I suppose a lot depends on how much you want to organise your holiday and also your if French is okay. We tend to book campsite/gite/caravan or whatever for the week but on the way down and back we just drive until fed up or until the kids become monsters then park up in a nice looking town and go to the tourist info office for list of hotels. Lots of the 2 star ones are fine for us and we just go and have a look and see if they work. Then go out to eat . Mind you, we don't usually go in peak season and we're not dead fussy, so long as its clean and not too pricey. All part of the adventure

Would second that Misterbed are excellent value, much better than Formule and Premierre Classe, just booked 2 rooms again next week, £54 inc excellent buffet b/fast, thats for 2 rooms!

At the risk of being sued for libel, stay well away from them!