Agena

I stayed here for five nights with my husband and teenage son during our recent pilgrimage to Lourdes. The hotel is spotless. The rooms are large and comfortable. There is a really lovely area where you can socialize and have a drink or cup of tea/coffee. The staff was courteous and helpful at all times. I really felt like a valued and respected guest. The only area which didn’t suit me well was the food. The meals were organized and served meticulously and promptly, and vegetarian options were catered for. However I found the lack of choice a bit of a disappointment. Nevertheless considering the time constraints on the hotel (who had to have meals served to accommodate other events) it was understandable. I would definitely stay there again and have no hesitation in giving it five stars.

This is a well located hotel for a visit or pilgrimage to Lourdes. Even at a slow walking pace the entrance to the basilica /grotto is less than 5 minutes away. Being down at river level beside the bridge there is minimum climbing required unlike many of the other hotels. Our room was on the top floor and even though on the road, the noise was minimal, the room was fresh and simply decorated, with a modern shower / toilet. The shower was not supplied with a bath mat which would be the only improvement I would suggest. The beds were comfortable, the wardrobe is small and only a couple of shelves with a small desk area and 2 mains sockets and high speed wifi, ideally suited to stays of just a few days. The lobby area is a bright welcoming area with plenty of seating and serves as a bar and coffee area as well as having a large screen TV. For us Irish they have Irish channels for GAA and with an Irish landlady in Fionnula they are happy to switch on Irish TV. You can even enjoy a pint of the black stuff (Guinness to the rest of the world) or Bulmers while watching the match. The meals are quite good, while there is only a single set menu each day, if you do not like what's on offer, they were very accomodating in offering an alternative. My wife is dairy free and every meal they had a substitute item, which was advised in advance of serving. Jaques was very helpful in the dining room. Lunch and dinner are multi course meals, breakfast had porridge, fruit, cereals, ham and cheese tea coffee and juices more than plenty to eat. All the staff were polite and friendly, the staff we spoke with all had very good English. All in all this hotel delivers above its three star rating. When we return to Lourdes, this a where we will be staying. There is a small car park at the back of the hotel, you should probably arrange parking in advance.

We stayed in this hotel form 87th to 12th August 2014. It was an excellent choice. The accommodation was excellent. Rooms and bathrooms were airy and cleaned with a change of towels etc each day. Food was of the finest quality and the service was second to none. Staff were most helpful and looked after us so well. Free WiFi was available both in the lobby and in the bedrooms which allowed me to listen to news from home when I wished to. It is very close to the Grotto area being only 3/4 minutes from St Joseph's gate, which is the entry point to the grotto. I've stayed in Lourdes before but if I get there again, and that is my intention I will definitely stay in Hotel Agena.