Citea Residence Toulouse

( 2 stars , Toulouse , France )

I stayed at the Citea for work. I found it clean and comfortable. There wasn't many restaurants around to eat, but a stroll to the bottom of the hill to the small supermarket or a metro into the centre meant food wasn't difficult to come by. Or you could just walk 200 yds and have fried chicken or a kebab. The staff were friendly enough and I liked the fact I had a separate bedroom where I could pull the door shut and have it closed off from the main room. I'd stay here again when in Toulouse for a break.

The Citea is located on top of the Jolimont Metro station, which makes access into town convenient. This is important as there are not very many conveniences (markets, restaurants) in the immediate area. The fact that the hotel is on top of a hill makes the 2 km+ walk from the city centre even less inviting. The neighborhood is reasonably quiet, though prostitutes are seen at the Metro station entrance from time to time. Traffic can be heavy on the surrounding streets during rush hour. The hotel itself is new as of 2005. The rooms are a bit small, and are aging fairly quickly. I had a problem with the first room I was given; it had not been cleaned though I was too tired when I arrived to notice until very late that night. It was a major hassle to get the room changed, and I was not offered any form of credit or concession even though I had demanded politely. I was told instead to phone the manager once I returned to the States to see if he would give me credit for a future stay. Not great customer service. The elevator is slow. The desks are small. The cooking area is definitely too small, and there was a lack of proper cooking implements. There was no cleaning materials of any kind, sponges, towels, etc. The WiFi access is free and works well. Access points are on every floor near the elevator. I did not use the parking garage because there is adequate on-street parking if you get there prior to 20h00 (8PM). I also did not visit the morning breakfast but was told by a colleague that it is simply adequate. Most people would cook in their room, which is the point of an apartment hotel. If you don't mind a commute to get into town and a little extra morning traffic if you are heading towards the Airbus campus, this is a nice place to stay.