Appart' Valley Toulouse Centre

( 3 stars , Toulouse , France )

Not a great location - quite a hike from anywhere you are likely to want to be. Studio rooms pretty pokey and not all airconditioned - at least mine wasn't. Some basic self-catering things were missing - no kettle, toaster/grill/oven, dishwasher, hair-dryer or iron (the only way to make tea/coffee was to heat water in the microwave in a cereal bowl). What it did have was a strict set of instructions on cleaning the room and the threat of a 50 euro fine if it wasn't done; from their tone the instructions could have been written by the Stasi. Certainly cheap but you can see why; for a bit more, Citadines is miles better and you don't have to do the housework.

We stayed in Toulouse for three nights in June. The apartment block was easily located, only a few blocks from the railway station and near Halle aux Grains. There is a laundry downstairs and an internally accessed, security car park (free on Saturday and Sunday). The Reception staff spoke English and were helpful. The Recption was not manned 24 hour. We had a one bedroom apartment for 120e - you can get a studio cheaper. We thought that was excellent value for such a central location in a big city. The apartment was air conditoned, although you have no control over temperature, the air was always fresh. It had a soft King size bed and soft pillows, good robe space in the small, white walled bedroom. There was a hall cupboard with vacuum, Internet access, desk, divan, table and two chairs and excellent water pressure. It was quiet and rather nice, although compact. There was a separate loo, bathroom and also a small balcony with a bridge and cannel view. The kitchen had two hot plates, dishwasher, fridge and microwave. There was plenty of china and cutlery. We enjoyed self catering (much cheaper than eating out) and there were several Seven Eleven type stores nearby that sold everything including lovely fresh vegetables and fruit. We also enjoyed a Sunday open air market nearby outside a church.