I have mixed feelings about the Hotel Ibis in Annecy. I recommend it mostly for it's location. It is one of the few hotels in Annecy that is right along the Thiou River. We had a river side room that had a nice view. From right outside the hotel you can follow the picturesque walkways (Quai's) along the river to the Medieval center of Annecy. Rue Ste Claire begins right in front of the hotel as well. It is the main pedestrian street in Annecy, and has plenty of shops and restaurants.

The hotel itself, however, lacks any charm. It is a typical Ibis Hotel. The rooms are sterile chambers with sparse furnishings. Bathrooms are small. Think of it as a European Motel 6. In fact, both chains are owned by the same company, Accor. The rooms are very clean, though, and if you don't mind staying in a bland room, you'll do just fine staying at the Ibis Annecy.

If you're driving, there is a large parking garage directly under the Ibis. Between 6PM and 9AM parking is free. Actually, the front desk gives you a ticket that you put into the pay machine and it validates the parking for you. If you're in the garage after 9AM, however, you'll need to pay the regular parking rates for anytime you're there after 9AM. We had a difficult time finding this hotel, even armed with city maps. Annecy is a traffic nightmare. Many streets funnel you in a certain direction, and it's not easy to turn around. We found it easier to come in from the South.

The hotel web site says the rooms are Air Conditioned. This was not the case, however. We did not have Air Conditioning in our room. It turned out ok, though, since we opened the window, and listened to the cascading Thiou River all night. The hotel does offer a decent breakfast buffet for I believe 6 Euro. It has breads, cheeses, cereal, meats, and assorted drinks.

There is a covered shopping mall right outside the Ibis. However, it is full of mostly empty stores, is dimly lit, and at times seems to be a hangout for teenagers and the homeless. We felt uncomfortable walking through it at night, getting from Rue Ste Claire to the hotel. We never had a problem, but it just had a creepy feeling. The rest of Annecy was beautiful, however.

So, to sum it up, if location is your top criteria in Annecy, the Hotel Ibis is a perfect choice. If you're looking for a charming French hotel, look somewhere else. The Hotel Ibis is a clean hotel, perfectly situated, but it is just like every other hotel in the Ibis chain. We were satisfied with the Ibis, but you might see it differently.