During our recent trip covering western Europe, my mother and I were supposed to have an overnight stay in Dijon, but due to a sleuth of convention fairs and exhibitions, we were shifted to La Closerie in the nearby town of Beaune. Now, the exterior seemed to be quite bland. Nevertheless this did not lower expectations, but merely hinted the hotel's age.

We entered the hotel and the first thing I noticed was the clean and furnished lobby. A B&B style decor with a huge lounge, and the best part, free Wi-Fi. There was also a computer for use that costs a fee, but nevertheless I brought my iPad along so I had no need to. There was also a bar in the lounge, but at the time it was not open. Check-in was quick and we soon got into our rooms. Note that the building has only two floors, and the steps leading to the first are a wee bit tricky for those carrying some amount of baggage.

The room was nice, clean and although somewhat small to some, spacious enough for us two. The beds were good, although I somehow had trouble sleeping at night, but I push the blame towards the wine we bought (I am still unsure if it was from the bar or the supermarket nearby). Everything was working in order.

The next morning, we ate our breakfast in the lounge. I found the food enjoyable, since all continental breakfasts we had were more-or-less the same, but the striking feature was the ambience. Bright and cosy - excellent for such a meal. We had no chance to try out the pool as it was a one-night stay and we had to leave at eight or nine in the morning.

All in all, the hotel is average. I checked the price and it was somewhat expensive - about US$182 for a couple, so it may not be the best choice for those seeking best-value accommodations, but I guess it was decent enough.