ibis Budget Aachen Raeren Grenze
Flyctory.com Pros
- Very practical location with the possibility to use the motel in both directions
- Parking blocked for cars in front of the hotel
- Good soundproof against the motorway
- Very good value for money
Flyctory.com Cons
- Some marks of usage
- Too few power outlets
- Poor soundproof against other rooms
Staying at the ibis Budget Aachen Raeren Grenze has been a hotel night I have been looking forward to do for quite a while. It is located at the former German–Belgian border facilities at Aachen-Lichtenbusch / Raeren, facing to the Westbound traffic into Belgium. As I did want to take the full drive back home after the last match of Faroe Island’s 2023 UEFA Conference League heroes KI Klaksvik at OSC Lille in Northern France, a night in December 2023 felt like the perfect opportunity to turn the idea into reality. Here is my hotel review. It is also the first time I take you to an ibis budget hotel, one of the low cost brands of Accor ALL.
ibis Budget Aachen Raeren – Location & Access
Technically, the ibis Budget Aachen Raeren Grenze is located in Raeren, Belgium. I took you there already due to the cute Carrot Museum. As this area typically speaks German (even though they are technically part of French-speaking Wallonia), you won’t really feel a difference and the political border is just meters away. Due to the Schengen agreement, there are obviously no border controls or similar, just some customs offices. Apart from the hotel, the petrol station nowadays located on the former border grounds has some helpful facilities like a small store. You can also take the footbridge to the other side, where you can use the facilities of the service area facing towards Germany.
The access is easier at it seems: if you are heading towards Belgium, you simply exit the motorway A44 for the motor stop. There is car parking in front of the hotel, which is also blocked for trucks – so parking should typically be guaranteed. If you come from Belgium, though, you may use a service road. Only custom office cars are legally allowed, but the hotel is signposted and it seems to be fully accepted to use the roads as a hotel guests. Vice versa, if you want to head towards Germany, you can use the same service road and cross the bridge to travel on in Northeast direction. Obviously, you don’t use this hotel if with public transport.
ibis Budget Aachen Raeren – The Room
I booked a standard rate for a one-night stay in mid-December 2023. The rate was not public, but you can book the hotel room for 50 to 60 Euro typically on public rates. Breakfast has been charged with additional 9 EUR. The room came with a typical ibis budget bed. There is something like a double bed on the lower level (you need to like each other a lot if you use it with to people) and a bunk bed across it. The room came with some marks of usage, but was overall absolutely fine and even comparably large, if you you have the price in mind. What is bothering, though, is that there are no power outlets at the bed and just a single one at the work desk.
ibis budget hotels typically come with highly standardized furniture, which includes the sink in the room (which does provide quote a lot of space) and a plastic cabin-alike shower room. The toilet is separate, but does not have an own sink. The room is designed so that you can efficiently clean it – this worked out well. Apart from scars and scratches, the room was really clean. A critical thing was of course the soundproof of the room. I was not that bothered about truck traffic, the insulation worked well here. However, when people chatted in the room or the floors, this has been rather loud in the room I stayed in.
ibis Budget Aachen Raeren – Breakfast
The lounge room at the reception, which is used for breakfast, is also typical ibis budget architecture. Breakfast is served from 6:30 until 10:00 (weekdays) / 11:00 (weekends). The room is fit for purpose, not overwhelmingly cozy. Don’t expect scrambled eggs and other too posh options, but the breakfast has a nice selection, the quality is fine. It is a budget hotel – and the breakfast is absolutely in line with this (which is also reflected in the price…).
ibis Budget Aachen Raeren – Service
The check-in at the hotel was very friendly and charming. The lady which was doing the check-in also felt very welcoming to me. The morning shift has been a bit less enthusiastic, but the performance in that regard was absolutely fine as well. I was also very happy with the speed and connectivity of the complimentary WiFi.
ibis Budget Aachen Raeren – My View
Did I expect a posh palace with spa and gym? Not at all. The ibis budget Aachen Rehren Grenze is a simple, but handy option, especially if you are traveling between Belgium and Germany. It is cheap, it is reliable. It is maybe not a stay you will remember for years, but at least your credit card will definitely appreciate this choice. To make it short: it absolutely gets the job done you would expect it to do. That’s why you booked it. Unfortunately, the soundproof against other rooms and guests is too weak.
Flyctory.com in Aachen
Here are all my postings related to the German city of Aachen:
Accor Hotels 2023
Here are all my postings related to Accor Hotels I posted in 2023: