Metz Apartments

Place advertised limited parking but there was none. No handicapped parking either. Nearest parking was a block away and 12 Euros for 3 hrs but free from 1900 to 0900. Reception team unaware of parking rates and restrictions. Small room was adequate, kitchenette but needed air conditioning. Our 6th floor room faced west and it was hot. Fan provided helped. All instructions were provided in German along with a pocket size map in French. Excellent location near most sights in easy walking and bike range. Breakfast at 8.50€ was very European. Quiet area in NW area of city center near everything. No lobby or restaurant in our facility. Restaurants required reservations but plenty of outdoor seating was available in the many pedestrian zones. Beer averaged 6.50€ for 1/2 liter and wine for a small glass started at 3.50€. Grocery stores and gas stations are well hidden. Overall parking expense was a major drawback. Find a hotel that has parking.

The residence was easy to find and wasn’t far from the city centre, but was situated a stone’s throw from an extremely busy railway line and sidings. Checking-in was straightforward and the guy on Reception made a real effort to communicate in English. We paid for the room and for private underground parking @ 9 euros a night and we were pleasantly surprised to find how easy the access was to the car park. A word of caution though – we were in a long wheelbase Mercedes and we grounded on the ramp – could have been nasty if we had got more weight in the car. The car park had direct access to Reception and there were lifts to all floors. So far so good . On entry to the room we noticed immediately that there was a strong smell of damp and that it in no way resembled the photos on ***********. We passed through a miniscule kitchenette with a pedal bin backed by stained wallpaper, and into a bedroom so full of cobwebs that it was like a 1950’s horror film set. Spider webs in the corners, above the bed and at ceiling level everywhere. The main light shade was full of dead insects and one of the chairs was badly stained. Tops of the door frames were grimy and obviously hadn’t been cleaned this century. The main window had no security opening option so was impossible to have open without risking getting our throats cut whilst we slept. Being seasoned world travellers and familiar with second-class foreign accommodation we opted to make the most of it and chalk it down to experience, but our patience reached the limit when my wife had a quick shower and I followed to find that the water was stone-cold. Upon complaining to Reception we were told that ‘the rooms have individual water reservoirs’ and we ‘would have to wait two hours for the water to warm up.’ Unacceptable in 2022, as was the Receptionist’s suggestion that we could change rooms for an additional 100 euros. Faced with having to try to find alternative accommodation in Metz city centre at short notice during the Christmas Market period, we had little choice but to make the most of it. *********** were completely useless – said that they would speak to the hotel management but then came back to us saying that there was nothing that they could do. Hot running water on