Hotel Bollaert

The picture on the hotel website shows the hotel with a sign which says “Hotel Restaurant Brasserie”. This, along with the “free, private parking”, made it appear the ideal location for my single night stay in Lens. When I got there, a Wednesday, the restaurant wasn’t open. I have subsequently looked at the FAQs which state “No, this hotel does not have an on-site restaurant.” There are a number of other restaurants in the street but all were closed that night and generally appear not to be open for evening service. The choice I was left with was either Domino’s Pizza or Friterie Momo. Fortunately, I picked the latter and had one of the best burger and chips I’ve had in years. The hotel itself is functional although tired and need of a complete refresh. The room was comfortable although the bathroom left a lot to be desired. To get water from the shower you had to press in the heating control. Water then came out for no more than 20 seconds before you had to press it again. That would have been merely inconvenient it I hadn’t had to hold the shower head which would not attach to its hook. No shower gel was provided, luckily I had my own, just the smallest bar of soap I have ever seen. In fact calling it a bar is an exaggeration; sliver would be a more accurate description. Finally, the toilet was very close to a wall. In fact my knees were less than an inch from it. Anyone taller than six foot would have a problem. The breakfast was pretty good with a lot of choice. The parking is across the street in a fenced enclosure which appears to be locked at night.

Ideal for the football stadium. Stayed here overnight as we had tickets for the RC Lens football match. The hotel couldn't be better placed for the stadium. Literally across the stadium car park - which for myself with limited mobility was perfect. Though as a side note, the stadium seating is very steep, and was very difficult for me. Back to the hotel, it's quite big, has a large bar used by the football fans - though not noisy. The staff were friendly & helpful. The room was quite small, but clean & tidy. It's only a short walk from the railway station - or 1 stop on the bus.