Hôtel de Brienne in Toulouse

We checked into what felt like a sauna on the first night. When I went down to reception to raise the issue, I was informed there was a fan in the room “for additional comfort” and was shown how to operate the air conditioner. The next day, our room was not cleaned. By midday, I contacted reception and was told housekeeping was still attending to other rooms. By the evening, I inquired again, only to be told that the cleaners had gone home and had likely forgotten our room altogether.

At that point, I considered checking out, as this level of service is unacceptable for a four-star property. However, I was asked to give the hotel another chance. I was also informed that the air conditioning unit had been faulty and recently replaced—which perhaps explained the fan in the room.

Things did improve somewhat after that, but upon check-out, I received a phone call shortly after the official check-out time reminding me that I was late. As a frequent traveller with elite status across several major loyalty programs, I can confidently say that most hotels would overlook a minor delay in check-out—particularly in light of a service lapse of this magnitude.