Espace Frédéric Suisse Hostel

Comment by Liv

September 2005

We stayed here at the beginning of September 2005. It's really well located, also easy to find once you notice the signpost pointing towards it on the main street (we also asked directions). Cahors is well worth seeing. It has an excellent old town, and we could have done more there if we'd had the time (we stayed one night). The not so great rating is based on only one thing– bedbugs. If it weren't for that, I'd give this place 4 stars, so if the problem gets sorted out then it's a good place to stay (The staff were both shocked and concerned, and gave us an immediate refund on the room.) It may also be that the infestation was only in our room (room 23), which had three beds in it, and what's more they were only in two of those beds, so we may just have been very unlucky. That problem aside: If you stay here, get a meal, the food is INCREDIBLE. We got a fillet of stuffed salmon, beautifully cooked and seasoned, each, plus creamy mashed potatoes and stewed tomatoes. It was so good. We also got a starter of pizza, and a dessert. All for I think 8 euros per person. If you request a vegetarian meal, they will do their best to cook you one. (For my sister it was the creamy mash and tomatoes, plus slice of veggie pizza. In hindsight we should have let her have the whole pizza). Request this from reception when you arrive, because they have to prepare it in advance and if you don't speak French, it's doubly important because the chef when we were there spoke no English whatsoever. For me, the dinner very nearly compensated for the bedbugs. Breakfast is not included in the room cost, but it was good. The atmosphere of the place was very friendly, however the hallways and rooms are somewhat austere. (It's an old convent and it shows.) But there were sinks in the rooms, and serviceable toilets and showers (showers were in separate cubicles which I was relieved about, the water was lukewarm, I think.) The dorms are also pretty small, so with three of us we got a private room, and there are washing facilities. However it is a big place and I only saw one cleaner, and this shows – sheets were clean (bugs live in the mattress/bed) and showers looked ok, but the floors are gritty. On the whole it's not bad here, it's just a shame we did not see the bugs till the morning. (They hide until you're in bed.) And we did get bitten all over (bites showed up about 10 days afterwards), and we had to put all the things we had worn in bed through a hot wash. So if you do stay here, it is worth checking the mattress, ESPECIALLY if you are in room 23. It is also worth renting the sheets (about 4 euros), bearing in mind the possibility of bugs getting into your sleeping bag.