Lovely public areas

Stayed at the alliance to celebrate a 40th birthday. Public areas, i.e. bar, lounge is fantastic-a great place for a beer after a long walk in the old town. Ask not to stay on the 4th floor-not the best rooms!

The loveliest part of Lille

The Couvent des Minimes is a beautiful hotel in every respect and

has made me think of Lille as a cultured, artistic and genuinely friendly city.

I've spent a great deal of time in Lille, but I had never stayed in the

Couvent des Minimes--it is everything the reviews have raved about

and more! The architecture is amazing and the staff is the friendliest

I've ever encountered! Our room had a great view over the canal

and the room was very big, even by American standards! The barstaff

was incredibly helpful and friendly, and the gentlemen at the frontdesk

made me feel like a regular--even though it was my first time there!

The Couvent des Minimes will ALWAYS be my destination in Lille.

Comfortable hotel in good position

Chose this hotel from Eurostar brochure with tips from Trip Advisor. We walked from station in about 30 mins over the cobbles and were quided to the hotel past a park (quite dark and quiet but appeared safe) by a helpful student. This beautifully converted hotel is in a good postion away from the noise of the town, it is very clean and comfortable with good bathroom and separate lavatory, tea/coffee provided. Rooms do look out over a landscaped car parking area/houses. The staff were helpful and the dining room served good food, good quality buffet breakfast and the one evening meal we had was delicious and well presented. We had booked an out of season break, free upgrade on Eurostar and hotel rooms were 3 nights for price of 2 (Quite expensive otherwise). I would be very happy to stay here again and it would suit all ages. We booked a taxi at the hotel back to the station and were charged 12E as driver went over ring road - other guests said the trip to the hotel through the town was only 4E so check before you set off.

Lovely hotel

We stayed at this hotel in February 2004. It is a beautiful hotel, very tastefully decorated, good, spacious, comfortable rooms, we did have a problem with no hot water, but it was soon sorted out. The restaurant was lovely and the food was delicious, our only complaint was that the staff on the reception desk treated us as though we were not welcome. Whether this was because we were on a shortbreak deal with a national newspaper of not, we will never know, but they definitely looked down their noses at us. The staff in the bar however, couldn't have been more helpful. I would recomment this hotel and if going to Lille would not hesitate to stay here again.

A real treat

We were delighted with our stay at this hotel. The room was spacious and well furnished and the bathroom beautifully clean. The hotel has been renovated from an old convent but everything in it is spotless and runs like clockwork. The staff are friendly and we would certainly recommed it. One tiny point is that it is probably 8/9 minutes walk from the centre but this gives it the advantage of being extraordinarily quiet.

Lille & Hotel Alliance

The hotel alliance was very unusual as it had previously been an old convent and has been very tastefully converted to a modern hotel. There were large framed photographs showing the conversion on the upstairs walls. Rooms were pleasant, if a little claustrophobic as our room faced towards the atrium.We ate in a small restaurant in the Rue de Gand - the only place to eat, especially a deux.We enjoyed the architecture and the bustle of Lille.

A modern day retreat

Once we had found this secluded hotel, (more a case of poor internet diections than anything else), we could not have been more satisfied.

The Hotel Alliance, since that it what the sign says, is a sympathetically converted former convent and the cloisters still give it the feel of quiet meditation, in spite of the modern works of art on display.The glass roofed Jardin de Couvent restaurant was very good and the service excellent. The best part was the fact that, having asked for a soft bed, we were given a small apartment with queen sized bed and a comfortable double sofa bed which was ideal. The bathroom was to die for, spacious and all in peach marble. Add to this its convenience for the city centre and local restaurants, we very much enjoyed our two night's stay in this hotel.

Great weekend break

This hotel has everything you need for a perfect weekend break; a quiet location so you can catch up on rest and relaxation, but within easy walking distance of the centre and just across the road from the Bois de Boulogne and the citadel. The rooms are comfortable, clean, well furnished, great bathrooms. No alcohol in the minibar but the cocktail bar in the spectaculatly converted cloisters more than makes up for that. The restaurant is good value, especially the menu with vin compris, which for once means what it says - your glass is refilled as often as you like. Perhaps best of all, the staff throughout the hotel are friendly, courteous and unobtrusively efficent, happy to speak excellent English or let you stumble through your elementary French without laughing. Thoroughly recommended.

Excellent

This was our second trip to Lille and our second stay at this hotel. We had no hesitation at booking here again as our first stay was excellent. Our second stay proved to be equally as good. The rooms, the staff, the breakfast and the service were all faultless. Would thoroughly recemmend this hotel. Its position is also desirable as it is on the edge of the main town less noisy, yet within walking distance of the centre and the parks and the citadel.

An atrium to savour and enjoy!

We stayed here for 4 nights in October 2003 and were very pleased with our room which was spacious, well furnished and comfortable. However, our overriding pleasure was with the massive atrium, formed by glass roofing over what presumably the large courtyard within the original convent. It contains lots of comfortable furniture and was well served by a marvellous cocktail bar staff and kept entertained by live easy listening piano music each evening. Just off this lounge is the restaurant which is very comfortable and serves excellent. good value for money cuisine in relaxed surroundings. We were so impressed on our first night here that we ate here for the rest of our stay!