We pulled into Le Puy in the early evening after a long day driving through the Gorges du Tarn on our way north from Carcassonne. We stopped at several hotels in town to discover them fully booked.
At the Ibis hotel the manager said he thought he knew of a vacancy... "But I must tell you", he said...
"it is the most expensive room in town... a suite." My wife, daughter and I were tired so I said sure,
no problem. He made a quick phone call ... yes, the room was available...then gave me instructions
on how to reach the nearby Hotel du Parc.
We were there in 2 minutes. The charming young lady at the desk asked if we could speak in English...
I speak French well enough but she was keen to practice her English. No problem!
The only room they had left was the "Lafayette Suite" on the top floor. It had been newly renovated and she seemed quite proud of it. 200 euros a night. More than I'd normally pay but it was late, hotels were full and after all we were on holiday.
Minutes later we exited the elevator and entered the suite. It was huge! A large living area had a desk, a table and chairs and a daybed for our daughter. A dividing wall separated the queen bed from the main
room. There was a large flat screen TV and free internet. Even a huge a walk in closet... the closet alone was as big as some Paris hotel rooms I've seen!
The piece de resistance was the bathroom! Opposite the separate WC was a marble oasis... double sinks,
a walk in shower with a rain head and a lovely deep soaker tub. Our teen daughter immediately laid claim to the latter! When I finally got in, the rain shower was wonderful.
There is a very upscale restaurant in the hotel... we were already tired and after freshening up only wanted something light so we walked to a cafe around the corner for drinks and a light supper.
It was very warm and it was great to return to the air conditioned suite... unlike some hotels this AC really worked well. After a restful night for all we departed early next morning after loading up on croissants etc from the bakery next door.
All in all a most enjoyable stay from the front desk welcome to the comfort and amenities of the suite. Next time in Le Puy I know where we'll stay. ;^) It's worth every centime.
