I posted these comments on another BB and was surprised at the reaction I got. I wonder what you think.
I have a bit of a gripe about certain hotels I stayed at in France – hotels recommended by LP.
As a backpacker i sought out the budget places but found some of them to be fire traps, a point not mentioned in LP.
The hotel in Bordeaux was a dangerous labyrinth of poorly
lit narrow passages leading every which-way, and various "add-ons." There was no fire escape in sight. I had trouble finding my way to my room during the day – imagine what
would have happened if I had to make a quick exit at night!
The hotel in Carcassone also did not have a fire escape. There was only one way in and out of the place, via a spiral staircase going right up the middle of the place.
In Auxerre, the fire escape was a rickety old wooden staircase. The owners of the place disappeared and I had to leave the key on the doorstep when I left!
Safety, especially in a country where everyone seems to smoke, should be divorced from price. I just hope that Lonely Planet
will mention this aspect when recommending budget places to stay in future editions of their otherwise excellent guides.
It will save many sleepless nights.