18, Rue du Faubourg de Pierre, 67000 Strasbourg

Hôtel Couvent du Franciscain Centre ville

Name: Hôtel Couvent du Franciscain Centre ville
Address: 18, Rue du Faubourg de Pierre, Strasbourg, 67000, FR
Price range: 92 EUR
Rating: 4

Hotel 3-star in Strasbourg

Presentation

At 18 Rue du Faubourg-de-Pierre, the Hôtel Couvent du Franciscain preserves within its stones a 13th century you would never suspect from the street. The building first welcomed Strasbourg’s poor travelers in 1369, before becoming an inn after the convents were closed in 1525. What remains are vaults, generous volumes, and walls whose thickness renovations have never really erased.

Outside, the lane is quiet. Almost a dead end. Mostly, you hear the footsteps of those heading back toward Les Halles or Place Haguenau, just a few minutes from the Grande Île and the cathedral (a ten-minute walk, no more). The Christmas market is a little over four hundred meters away, and the tram stop is right across the street, barely a hundred meters from here. From there, the European institutions are about a twenty-minute walk away for anyone who prefers to keep moving rather than hop on a bus.

In the morning, head down to the breakfast room in the basement. There you find the original convent vaults, a fresco by André Wenger depicting Franciscan monks, and a buffet served between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. Guests who stay here often mention it: generous pastries, fresh bread, and a selection better than what you would expect from a three-star hotel. The coffee, for its part, is decent but nothing more, rather mild; those who need a stronger wake-up call turn to the espresso machine placed right next to it.

Upstairs, the tone changes. The rooms are more contemporary, air-conditioned, and equipped with a safe and a flat-screen TV. Some, under the eaves, gain a dormer window that gives them character, though it also takes away a few centimeters in the process. That is the downside of an old building: the single rooms, barely eight square meters, will feel too tight for anyone who needs space to spread out their things. The larger categories, doubles or triples, breathe more easily, with their walk-in shower and desk tucked against the wall. Two rooms on the ground floor are designed for guests with reduced mobility; an elevator serves every floor.

On the practical side, also on the ground floor, there is private parking, but spaces are limited, about ten, and must be reserved in advance. The best approach is to mention it at reception as soon as you arrive: they also know the neighborhood’s public parking lots if needed. With the tram just steps away and the city center within walking distance, a car is not really necessary anyway to discover Strasbourg from this address.

In the evening, the ground-floor bar serves as a transition before heading out for dinner. Alsace wines, a few snacks, and a hushed atmosphere beneath the vaults. The restaurant tables, meanwhile, are just a stone’s throw away, between Rue du Faubourg-de-Pierre and Place Kléber, for anyone who prefers to keep the evening going elsewhere.

For business stays, a meeting room with daylight can host up to sixteen people. Cyclists will find a storage room for their bikes. Pets are welcome, with no particular complications.

One last tip for the morning: head to the vaulted breakfast room as soon as it opens at 7 a.m., before the groups, to enjoy the buffet and the monks’ fresco in peace.

Summary of a few positive reviews read on the Web

Really friendly welcome, and they even gave us specific advice on where to park in the neighborhood. Small room but spotless. Generous breakfast, with plenty of choice every day.
Room not very big, but charming with its dormer window. You feel good there. Comfortable bedding, no noise despite the city right next door.
The breakfast room alone is worth a look, with stone vaults and a fresco of the monks on the wall. Generous buffet, fresh bread, plenty of pastries.
Convenient location for doing everything on foot, cathedral and old town ten minutes away. The tram is right across the street for going farther.
Air-conditioned room, which makes all the difference in the middle of a heatwave. We slept well despite the heat outside.