I stayed three nights while attending a conference nearby. For the purpose of this trip, I was quite pleased with the hotel. For those not used to traveling in Europe, one has to realize that hotels are usually a little different from the US and, particularly in France, you have to understand you are living in a culture that is different from the US (more about this topic later). With this background, I think you will find this hotel very suitable for business travel. I cannot speak for tourist travel but it is probably okay for that purpose too. The room, thought not spacious by US standards, was more than adequate and good by Europe standards. It was well furnished with a working desk and a sofa in addition to a bed. There is also a refrigerated minibar that you can use to store some food in, if you wish. The bed is typical European, low to the flow and firm. All furnishing were of good quality. The room was well maintained and clean. The carpet was well worn, typical of the thrifty French who don't throw things out just because they have seen a bit of use. I was in a non-smoking room and there was no hint of tobacco smell. The bathroom had a partially open shower that may seem unusual to those accustom to US bathrooms. However, it is not uncommon for the shower and the bathroom to be one and the same in European hotels and having it partially separated so the whole bathroom floor did not get wet is nice (The toilet is in a separate room where it does not "defile" the bathroom). Apparently, there is free wifi but I did not bring my laptop on this trip so did not try it out.

The staff was friendly and helpful at the front desk and throughout the hotel. Keep in mind that you are in a different culture in a French speaking country (more below) and many (most) people do not speak English. With this knowledge in mind, I would say that this hotel was very English friendly and very tolerant of my near-zero knowledge of French. The front desk personnel, in particular, were fluent in English and able to answer any questions I had.

There is the option to get the room with or without breakfast. The breakfast was fine but not spectacular. There were several hot items plus a good assortment of meats, cheeses, breads, cereals, and other cold items. Being a dedicated breakfast eater, I thought the extra cost was well worth it and it was a convenient way to get the day started right.

I don't have any other hotel experience in Toulouse so do not know how it compares cost-wise to other options. Plus, I got a conference rate which may be a little lower than what it would have otherwise cost. However, I thought the price was reasonable for the quality compared to experience elsewhere in Europe.

If you are arriving by plane, there is a convenient "shuttle" from the airport that stops a few blocks from the hotel and cost 5 euro each way. (Details below) There is also some sort of small bus to the airport (I think) that picks up directly in front of the hotel but I never found out much about it. The hotel website is pretty much silent on transportation options. The reservation was made by phone and I don’t recall anything being said about either bus option.

The hotel is adjacent to a large park, Jardin De Compans-Cafferelli. While it is not something you would probably walk all the way across town just to see, it was a peasant setting if you just want to relax a bit on a sunny afternoon. It is also the direction you will probably walk for most any activity so you can usually start the day off with a walk through the park on the way to whatever you are doing.

I am no expert on the French and have minimal travel experience in France. However, I have interacted through my work with a number of French professionals over the years. There is the misconception that the French are unfriendly and unhelpful especially towards tourist. This perception is not true and, just like people pretty much everywhere in the world, the French are kind and considerate people. The French culture, while not terribly different from the rest of Western Europe, is definitely different from the US culture in ways that are easy to misinterpret if you are unaware. I strongly recommend that anyone traveling to France do a little background reading in advance. I found the book Culture Shock France, A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette, by Sally Adamson Taylor that I just happened to run onto in my public library to be very helpful. While I am a fan of the Fodor's travel guides, I did not find the Fodor's France travel guide to be particularly helpful in this regard. Anyway, I would say there are two key points to keep in mind that help tremendously when traveling in France. Each is described below.

First, it is a French speaking country and no one in France has any obligation to understand or speak English. It is your responsibility to deal with your lack of French, not theirs. If this seems a little harsh, remember it is no different than the situation that a French speaking person encounters when visiting the US or UK. I can assure you it is much easier for an English only speaking person to visit France than it is for a French only speaking person to visit the US or UK. It is very helpful to learn just a very few words and phrases. I suggest the following minimum items. Greetings: Bonjour Monsieur/Madam/Mademoiselle, Bonsoir Monsieur/Madam/Mademoiselle, Goodbye: Au revoir, Yes/no: Oui/non, Thank you: Merci, Excuse Me: Pardon, and perhaps Do you speak English: Parlez-vous anglais? You probably already know most of these anyway. However, go one step further and learn how to pronounce them more or less correctly. The Fodor's France guide does have a good pronunciation section. The French almost always greet each other when meeting one-on-one like when you go into a shop, when you get on an elevator, when you arrive at a hotel desk, etc. A simple Bonjour Madam is expected. You do not start a conversation, no matter how simple, with a stranger without first greeting. What I found very effective when trying to communicate was to first make a proper greeting, then apologize for my lack of French (in English) and then ask what I wanted to know. By greeting in French, I set the correct tone. By apologizing for my lack of French, I make it clear that I am accepting responsibility for communications difficulty and do not expect them to speak English. If the person speaks any English at all, they will almost certainly happily make an effort to communicate. If they don't speak any English, then you move on to hand waving and pointing and are still likely to get a friendly response. If you just go up to someone and immediately start speaking in English, you are implying that they should be able to communicate in English. It is rude on your part and inappropriate. I inadvertently did it on several occasions without thinking and it was amazing the difference in response. If you are rude, why would you expect someone to be polite and helpful to you in return?

Second, the French role model is someone who is dignified and sophisticated. They do not normally smile in a public setting even when greeting old friends. While they may be very expressive with their language, they almost always maintain a very cool demeanor, not to be confused with unfriendliness. An important part of this image is someone who "is in the know," someone that knows how to do whatever it is necessary for whatever situation they are in. For this reason, you will almost never have a French person offer helpful information to you if you have not asked for it. To do so would be perceived as rude by the French. They would be implying that you are not in the know, that you are a real dummy. You can be wandering around totally lost and obviously confused and no one is going to offer you help. If you need information, you are going to have to ask. Even when you go to the hotel desk, they are not likely to say “may I help you.” They will greet you; then you greet them; and then say you would like to check in, etc. There is nothing wrong with asking for specific information from a stranger, e.g. where is the metro station? If you are polite and understood, you will get a friendly and concise reply. However, do not expect someone to provide you detailed instructions on “how,” e.g. how does the metro work, how do I buy tickets, how do I know where to get off, etc. Again, it would be rude to imply you are so dumb you do not know or cannot figure it out.

I promised information about the "airport shuttle." I am going to be very non-French and give you detailed information about how it works. When you get to the airport, go to the information desk on the lower level and, after the appropriate greeting, ask for information about the airport shuttle to the Novotel Centre hotel. They will give you a nice little brochure with useful information about the “Navette Aeroport” which I believe translates to Airport Shuttle. They will also point you in the general direction where to find the bus. While you are at it, ask for a map of Toulouse. You will find it useful. The first thing you need to know is that this "shuttle" is a full size regular city bus. The hotel shuttles, taxis, and such pick up right next to the terminal building. You have to cross the street to sort of a triangular shaped island where the "real" busses pick up. Even though I was told to look for the Navette Aeroport, those words are nowhere to be found on the bus. This bus line has the word "tissio" written on it in cursive. Have no idea what it means. The electronic sign on the side will show the four stops, in sequence. Match those to the ones in the brochure and you have the right bus. I believe the electronic sign in the front says City Centre but never saw it as the bus was already there and I approached the bus from the rear. It runs every 20 minutes or so. When you get on the bus, you can buy your ticket from the driver. If you do not have exact change, indicate you want "one" by holding up your thumb (after greeting of course). Do not expect the driver to speak any English. When you get your ticket, you insert it in the little reading box by the bus door and it indicates something and gives you back your ticket. For the Novotel Centre hotel you get off at the first stop (Compans Cafferelli). The stops are not announced. You are supposed to know. You will be getting off on the south side of Boulevard Lascrosses, a main street through the city center. You will need to walk back to the west (they way from which the bus came) and cross over to the north side as soon as you come to a cross walk. Continue walking west and you will shortly come to the park mentioned previously which has a tall wrought iron fence along the sidewalk. Continue on to the west edge of the park and then walk north along the west edge of the park. You will shortly come to a large open play field on your left. The hotel is the building on the north edge of the field. There are no markings on this side of the building to identify it. You will need to walk around to the south side of the building where there is sort of like a courtyard and the front of the hotel. It all sounds very complicated because of all of the detail but it was really quite straightforward and I managed to do it coming in very jet-lagged and sleep deprived.

Going back to the airport is much simpler. The bus stops on the north side of Boulevard Lascrosses immediately in front of the Mercure Hotel and adjacent to the park. The sign on the front of the bus will say Aeroport. There is a bus stop sign that says Navette Aeroport in small print.

One final comment. No self-respecting French person would be caught using a map. To use one immediately identifies you as a tourist. However, I found no other way to find my way around the center part of the city on foot. You are probably going to be taking pictures so everyone is going to know you are a tourist anyway. So, use your map as needed and remember more people visit France every year than live there! Nothing wrong with being a tourist in France. A compas is also helpful on cloudy days.