“Yes, It Really Has A Belle Vue”

The term Belle Vue is somewhat hackneyed in western Europe, especially in the UK. Over the years, thousands of low-rent seaside B&Bs have called themselves Belle Vue thinking it adds some je ne sais quoi to a place with no such thing. To illustrate my point: in Manchester, where I come from, the… more

The term Belle Vue is somewhat hackneyed in western Europe, especially in the UK. Over the years, thousands of low-rent seaside B&Bs have called themselves Belle Vue thinking it adds some je ne sais quoi to a place with no such thing. To illustrate my point: in Manchester, where I come from, there's a famous place called Belle Vue that was the venue for a zoo, a funfair, greyhound races, and Speedway tournaments. Trust me; there are no beautiful views within miles of the place. But I digress. Hôtel Belle Vue in Souillac is a large, brightly painted, two-star B&B that sits high above the town and has spectacular views of the Dordogne Valley. I'd booked in on spec as I was having trouble with my car and was awaiting assistance. Luckily there were plenty of single occupancy rooms available. At 64€ including breakfast, it was good value, especially as it has a panoramic terrace and a swimming pool if you fancy a refreshing dip. After spending the day in the sweltering sun having my car towed around, all I wanted was a shower, some grub, and to crash out. Hotel Belle Vue provided most of these requirements. My en-suite room was okay, nothing special, and decorated with bold red, white and black wallpaper popular in the 1980s. The wifi was a little finicky with an outdated log-in protocol but was strong enough once working. A small TV mounted in an obscure corner above the door could have been a little bigger to watch comfortably. After a trying day, all I wanted to do was fall exhausted into bed which I did after an excellent dinner in the Cafe de la Gare opposite. The following morning I took breakfast in the large restaurant. It was a predictable continental buffet of bread, jam, fruit, cold meats, cheese, and machine-made beverages. Again, there was little to surprise, but it was none the worse for that. As the sign outside proudly indicates, Hotel Belle Vue is a two-star establishment, and, to my mind, it went above and beyond that. For a well-priced no-frills family-run stopover as you explore Souillac, then you can't go wrong. As the saying goes: it does exactly what it says on the tin. Oh, and it really does have a belle vue!

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“Very good hotel”

A lovely family hotel by the station on the edge of town. Swimming pool and outside bar are useful. Triple room we had was spacious and comfortable. Very quiet at night. Would stay again. Warm welcome and ample parking.