Hotel Review: Holiday Inn Garden Court Dijon, France

The Holiday Inn Garden Court is a very modern hotel. It is located on the outskirts of the city of Dijon, adjacent to the Toison D'Or Mall. They have their own private parking lot, which is separate from the rest of the mall. It was rainy and foggy when we got here and we were welcomed with the news that Joe's suitcase had finally caught up with us. It had been to Italy without him. After eight days, it was an emotional reunion!

The hotel has two great big elevators that take you quickly from floor to floor. Our rooms were spacious and well-appointed. We had two comfortable double beds, plenty of pillows and blankets, color TV with CNN, a table with chairs, good reading lights, and a large modern bathroom. The only problem we had was that the heat was controlled at the front desk, not in the rooms. We spent three days trying to get our heat right. Mostly we were cold.

The big advantage of this hotel was that the mall was right outside our front door. We had access to the food court there which was inexpensive and also to lots of stores, even a grocery store. We picked this hotel because it said in the write-up that it had washers and dryers. This isn't true. You can drop off your laundry at the hotel desk by 9 a.m. for same-day cleaning, but for the prices they charge, it would be cheaper to throw away your dirty clothes and buy new ones. There is a laundry at the mall, but it is also drop off. We were disappointed about this but resorted to hand laundry.

Our rate included a buffet breakfast. It was very extensive. The scrambled eggs were the only weak point; they seemed to always be green and, without ham, not very appealing. There was lots of fresh fruit, grapefruit, pineapple, and orange slices, as well as fruit salad. Add yogurt, four kinds of cereal, fresh juice, bacon, sausage, croissant, applesauce, apple pastry, four kinds of bread, and you have the makings of a full breakfast. They even had a toaster grill to make toast. It's amazing how much you miss toast!

The hotel has a pool and fitness center. Bus service comes right to the front door and will take you into the center of Dijon. This was a big convenience and we left the car and opted for the bus.

But the main draw here is location, location, location.

Things to see in Dijon:

Art Museum