One of the aspects of travel to Europe that bugs a lot of travelers from India and other parts of Asia are the exhorbitant prices of some of the hotels.Sometimes too the
service does not match the rate that visitors have to pay for their overnight accommodation. Fortunately in recent years US owned chains such as Days Inn,
Holiday Inn Express and others have entered the
market and provided stiff competition to some of the traditional hoteliers. One such chain is the Formulae
You can book your room by telephoning the hotel directly or by going through their web site.
At the hotels, they have all but eliminated the staffed
reception desk-outside peak check-in and check-out times an electronic check-in unit, rather like a ATM, or ’’...automatic room allocate...’’ checks your credit card, debits the room charge and issues ’’This French
group are very high-tech indeed !
Formule I rooms are very functional, clean and standard and can sleep up to three people. There is a
large double bed, an upper bunk above, , a sink with a mirror, TV with remote control, a corner table, and a
small shower area and wc a few steps away from your bedroom.
Breakfast is in a buffet self-service format with the
likes of fresh, crispy rolls, , butter, preserves, coffee or hot chocolate, tea and a orange drink and is served between 0630 and 1000 am.There are no bars or
restaurants and you have to get your lunch or dinner elsewhere. Frankly I dont mind that one iota and even
when I have stayed in more ’’traditional’’hotels, I like to
have two of my three meals outside.
This chain, of course, has numerous outlets in France and in other European countries, in North America,
South Africa and other parts of the globe. Their Formule I budget hotels undeniably offer value for money.
You get, functional, see-is-what -you-get type pricing, no frills accommodation and a night’s stay
which clearly is appealing more and more to leisure
tourists and even some business visitors. By eliminating expensive frills such as health centres, swimming pools, porterage, and labour intensive
room service, Formule I can keep their operating costs
down to a bare minimum.Their basic charge, in the UK,
is a highly competitive 19.95 pounds or US$ 32 per night. On the continent of Europe rates start from around US$25
per room, per night, they are certainly friendly on your wallet.
In Great Britain it is estimated that only about 5% of the lodgings market is provided by purpose-built
budget hotels whereas in the United States the corresponding figure
is more like 20% and in France perhaps 15%.Formule I hotels have a very colourful
design and do not have any bars or restaurants. They are not really for those seeking luxury and high quality service but
for those travelers requiring secure, comfortable , albeit
basic accommodation, for the night they are a very welcome alternative to more traditional forms of accommodation, which are often grossly over priced in Britain and some other parts of Western Europe.