Royal Hainaut Spa & Resort Hotel in Valenciennes

Looks nice. Parking is very far from reception, rooms look nice but beds are uncomfortable and the air conditioning/heating is very very poor. Restaurants are closed on Sundays. It’s basically a holiday inn, but with a nice dress on. Also. No hot water in the shower, which was a very unwelcome surprise in the morning

JUST NOT RELAXED!
Things we liked about the hotel -
The historical building and the sympathetic way it’s been converted into a stunning hotel.
The spa is lovely.
Things we didn’t enjoy -
Arriving at 2pm to discover check in and use of the facilities was at 4pm, very late by any standards, have never arrived anywhere to be told that. Gentleman on front desk was quite stern, so immediately not a warm welcome.
Next problem was finding our aircon wasn’t working, with heatwave temperatures of almost 40 degrees, it’s not acceptable that this wasn’t checked. We realised later it was switching off after an hour. We tried to reset or override the settings but the instructions were unclear. At 11pm when we got back from dinner the room was extremely hot we called reception and they sent a member of house keeping, who appeared to not have been trained in operating the aircon system so a fan was their best solution. Temperatures are still up in the mid 30’s at this time. We were told the hotel was full, so we were stuck in a hot room. Miserable nights sleep.
I made a verbal complaint with reception, I heard nothing back the next day in spite of the receptionist saying her superior would be in touch. The hotel had previously sent a WhatsApp about our check in, so they could have messaged me!
Late that afternoon I went to reception and was told the technician had reset the AC.
No apology.
After that I received an email (reply to my email of complaint) saying a previous occupant must have changed the settings, to a timer, that’s why it didn’t work. Why was this not checked as part of housekeeping, in a heatwave?
As a gesture of good will they said, they may, if available, on a future date, upgrade our room, if we come back! Hardly compensation for a rotten nights sleep! There and then!
I almost wasn’t allowed in the spa without my robe, which my husband had gone to the room to get. Despite I may add, me having my costume on under my dress, and day visitors trooping into the changing rooms fully clothed. Again who wants confrontation entering a spa?! When you do finally get into the spa there’s not enough beds round the pool, although there’s room for plenty more.
Went down to breakfast in our robes and slippers and got turned away as that wasn’t allowed either. It’s a spa hotel! The vibe is meant to be relaxed! Just felt like, rules, rules, rules!
We came for a couple of nights to relax, and I found myself regularly feeling annoyed, not an emotion you got to a spa hotel for. Inefficiencies like checking the AC in a heatwave, or having staff in the building on the night shift who know how to operate the controls are unforgivable. Making your guests feel uncomfortable with rules and regulations, that are not made clear until you accidentally break them. Not making it very clear on booking, that check in is unusually late at this establishment. Poor customer service when things go wrong. This was our experience. It all makes for an uncomfortable stay.

This hotel is difficult to find as there are no directions or signs when you are driving to it. Although it is a spa, there is no jacuzzi or other water features in the swimming pool - apparently not working due to technical issues. Our room was beautiful and clean but the complimentary refreshments and toiletries did not match the four star, clef Michelin category of hotel, ie one coffee pod each, tap water in the fridge, no body lotion in the bathroom. Breakfast was very good but our experience of La Galeria restaurant on our first evening was poor; the food was of mixed quality and the service unsatisfactory with the side order arriving after the main course was almost finished despite requests. Needless to say, we did not eat there again. I feel the hotel is trying to reduce its costs at the expense of the quality of the offerings to the clients.

We checked in on 15 February at Royal Hainaut Spa & Resort Hotel, a hotel listed in the Michelin Guide, and unfortunately our stay was disappointing from the very beginning.
The room was extremely cold upon arrival and instead of fixing the heating system, we were provided with a portable electric heater. The cups in the room were dirty and had to be replaced after we reported it. The safe box was not working and, despite attempts by the staff, it was never repaired.
We chose to have dinner at the hotel restaurant La Galerie and made a reservation for 19:30. The starter arrived after about one hour, and around 21:30 we were informed we still had to wait longer for the main course. Because of our child’s sleep time, we had to leave the restaurant and complain. The food was eventually sent to our room.
Considering the hotel’s reputation and its Michelin Guide listing, the level of comfort, organization, and service was far below expectations. Overall, this was not a pleasant experience.

Update – 17 February

Today was our check-out day. During our stay, apart from the written reply under my previous review, no one from the hotel contacted us to follow up or check on our experience.
At check-out the receptionist only asked whether I wanted to speak with the manager. I declined and explained that I had already shared my feedback on Google.
We stayed two nights and three days, yet no effort was made to address the issues from the first day and night. This left us unsure whether it was simply a communication gap, an internal procedure, or another reason, but overall it gave us the feeling that our feedback was not fully taken into consideration.
In any case, I will also share my experience with Michelin, as I believe establishments associated with such recognition should be evaluated carefully in terms of service quality and guest care.