This is a very inexpensive hotel so we were pleasantly surprised to see fairly large, recently decorated, very clean rooms with incredibly friendly service. The entire town was friendly. It would be a fun place to base yourself for a longer visit in the area.
We needed to do our laundry and were directed to a laundry across the street. However it wasn't an automatic laundromat. We explained in fractured French what we wanted and the laundry lady cheerfully directed us down the hill to a laundry automatique. Once there, a friendly French housewife helped us plumb the intricacies of the machines and we were soon on our way with clean clothes.
The qualifier for us was parking for the car. The hotel has several parking "boxes" underneath the hotel for no extra charge. We checked in and were directed to our box, parked our car and spent the rest of our time in Rodez on foot.
The hotel concierge told us the cathedral was illuminated at 10 PM so at 10 o'clock we dutifully walked over to see. Indeed it was and strikingly beautiful in the lights at night. We all exclaimed at the beauty and went home to bed.
Leaving town the next day, we crossed the Aveyron river and it was spectacular. Now the main highway leads across the new Viaduct de Millau, the highest suspension bridge in France if not in the world. That would be worth a trip!
