Hotel Ibis has always been the equivalent of Holiday Inn Express for me, minus or plus a few things here and there such as a swimming pool and ice machines. But, this kind of hotel (Ibis-Sisteron) in France has the formula "soiree etape" which means paying around 80 euros ($100) for a single room with breakfast and dinner. When they realize that you're a tourist from outside the euro-zone, they try to hide this wonderful formula from you, because separate payments may cost 15 to 20% more. I was impressed with the breakfast buffet, but disappointed with the dinner (spaghetti a la Bolonaise) which was only saved by the salad buffet that comes as a starter and had some good items like marinated herrring and smoked ham that you slice yourself. If situated out of town, you may have the advantage of free parking and ample wandering space for an after dinner walk. Hotel Ibis proves that tourism in France is affordable outside Paris.
