some fortunate ones having a view of the grotto, and storage cupboards and a table and chairs. Each room opens onto a communal area. Linking the two sides is the Administration Area, with two panoramic lifts bringing visitors to each floor. The administration offices are on the sixth and seventh floors, and there are kitchens for each side. Typically, pilgrims arrive at the Accueil Notre Dame in specially adapted buses, either from Lourdes airport or train station, and will be welcomed in the transit lounge from where they are taken to their rooms. Another residency, the Accueil Marie St. Frai, is located a short distance outside the sanctuary; it is similar in design and atmosphere to the Accueil Notre Dame. Criticism Modern Lourdes contains many souvenir shops. Some visitors may dislike the commercialism of parts of Lourdes, with neon-emblazoned shops overflowing with what Malcolm Muggeridge, a supporter of the shrine, called "tawdry relics, the bric-a-brac of piety". Lourdes has been called the "Disneyland of the Catholic Church". Critics argue that the Lourdes phenomenon is nothing more than a significant money-spinner for the town and the region, which therefore has a strong vested interest in keeping the pilgrims coming. The church, however, distances itself from commercialisation. The many trinket stalls are privately owned, and hawkers are strictly forbidden inside the sanctuary. See also Roman Catholic Marian churches Shrines to the Virgin Mary Sacred waters Faith healing References External links Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes – Official website The Grotto of the Apparitions – Online transmissions The cures at Lourdes recognised as miraculous by the Church Our Lady of Lourdes Shrines to the Virgin Mary Supernatural healing Churches in Hautes-Pyrénées Tourist attractions in Hautes-Pyrénées Roman Catholic shrines in France Roman Catholic national shrines Christian processions