Hôtel les Chevaliers

Quirky, friendly and value for money. Well worth the climb to the room at the top of these historic stairs. We only stayed one night but the helpfulness of the staff, especially with the parking, means we will both use it as a future overnight stop to and from Calais, and recommend it to friends.

Centrally located, close/walking distance to all the main sites - cathedral, ramparts, many restaurants. Cozy, quiet, intimate. Front desk person was super friendly, helpful and had many suggestions on what to do and see - also helpful with the luggage as there is no lift - he also does the breakfast. Thoroughly enjoyed our stay and highly recommend. Slight drawback is the street in front is under renovation/repair and parking is at the corner of the street in front of the Hotel de Ville (which is sometimes full), but there is ample street parking in the area.

Friendly, helpful, with a fine sense of history, well placed for the cathedral, and not expensive -- I highly recommend the Hotel Les Chevaliers in Laon. Two hours from the Calais coast, this medieval town is a convenient overnight stop on journeys south. But it deserves to be a destination in its own right, and not just in transit.

A great hotel, well B&B, just off the main square. Lovely old architecture, slightly rough around the edges. Really nice owner, so friendly and attentive. Breakfast well orchestrated and traditionally simple, just breads and a hot drink. Room 12 in the eaves is fab but not overly accessible. We were lucky to park in the town hall square arriving on a Saturday afternoon and leaving Monday morning, any other time is payable. Also little open on a Sunday evening to eat. The upper Laon area is small but atmospheric with an arty vibe.

Right in the centre, next to the city hall, the hotel is at a formidable location for exploring the old town of Laon. Our room was clean and comfortable. The staff was welcoming and helpful. Free overnight parking was available in front ot the city hall, during the day parking is limited to one hour (zone bleu).

You have to assess this hotel within the price range it sits. We were late booking into Laon and were attempting to book over a very poor internet connection deep in rural France. With our first choice gone, nothing else available bang in Laon’s historic centre and not much time to do more searching, we thought, “what the hell, might as well – it’s only a couple of nights”. So, first of all, the price. We paid 80€ a night for a double room with bath (including plentiful hot water) plus 7€ per person for a simple breakfast. Parking, once you’ve offloaded your luggage, is free just beneath the ramparts, with loads of spaces. So, when it’s all added up, that’s at least half what we were paying at other three-to-four-star hotels in provincial town centres elsewhere in France. Yes, the place was in deep need of refurbishment, but we must all remember that the finances of this sector, worldwide, have been badly affected by the global Covid pandemic leaving only those with deep pockets to re-invest in their hotels. For us, the star was the wonderful general factotum (i.e. receptionist cum manager cum breakfast server cum housekeeper, and everything else), Pierre. His English is excellent, he’s utterly charming and he bent over backwards to help us and to make suggestions. And the great advantage of this hotel is that you’re so close to the cathedral, the square in front of its Great West Door and several good restaurants. Be aware that most restaurants here are closed on Sunday evenings and Mondays, so it’s best to book a restaurant early. Ignore all the negative comments written about the open-seven-days-a-week restaurant, Le Parvis – it’s superb. (See my review of that.) Tip: set your satnav for Place du Géneral Leclerc where there’s usually a parking space (but for a minimum amount of time) so that you can offload your luggage into the hotel just 50 metres away, then, as Pierre will show you, do a circuit to get onto the ramparts road where you can park free of charge all day and night long, ensuring you park near the slope, not the steps, for quick access back to the hotel!