There is no shortage of Accor hotel options in Nantes, which is fortunate as it means that the pricing is relatively favourable even during July. This particular hotel was centrally located and reasonably priced, although it appeared to attract rather more negative reviews than several nearby properties carrying the same corporate branding. This suggested either a hidden catastrophe or, more probably, rooms that were slightly smaller than some reviewers felt entitled to receive in the middle of a major French city.
I arrived an hour before the standard check-in time as I hadn’t had any sleep and needed a little nap before more city exploration. The helpful receptionist said that they couldn’t do an early check-in, but this was no obstacle to me, there were tables and free water and the receptionist said I was welcome to wait. I then discovered that there was no phone signal and I couldn’t access the wi-fi until I checked in, as I needed the room number.
Whilst debating whether I had the energy to get up and see if I could get that room number, the receptionist came over and asked for my name. Fortunately, I have stayed in enough Accor hotels to get free early check-in and she then said that she had checked with the cleaners and a room was available. To be fair, they probably didn’t want me cluttering up reception but, either way, my nap had moved considerably closer, making it a positive outcome for everyone involved.
The stairs to the room were entirely sub-optimal as they had all manner of stuff stored on the steps and it required some effort to get around it. I decided that I’d take the lift for the rest of my stay just to be on the safe side.
The room design was the oddest I’ve seen for some time and although it’s not evident from this photo, the shower is positioned just to the right of the photo facing straight towards the bed. That means that if the shower is turned on then there’s the risk of covering the bed, and the electrics, in a flood of water.
The security catch on the window was broken, which meant that I could open it fully and introduce some desperately needed air into the room. Given the temperature outside, this was welcome, although it did reinforce the impression that the hotel was not allowing excessive health and safety paperwork to inhibit its creative freedom. Between the obstructed staircase, unrestricted window and shower aimed towards the electrics, the building offered a pleasingly relaxed relationship with risk assessment.
The room itself was also small, which is something that seems to be behind many of the hotel’s poor reviews, and there was no desk of note, just a small circular table and chair. However, this was a keenly priced hotel in the middle of a city, so I can cope without having acres of space. I also liked the seating area near reception, so I could have moved there had I needed to.
I was surprised and delighted by the hotel’s beer offering for my welcome drink and the receptionist was enthused at showing me what they had. There was a range of mostly local beers and some national options, it was one of the best selections that I’ve had for some time in an Accor hotel and it was especially decent given that it was a relatively small hotel.
The breakfast was included in the room rate and there was plenty of space, although I did go down quite early on. When there’s a free breakfast, I don’t want to faff about.
This was some of the selection and that cheese was delicious and it took quite a hit. The ham was awful, although Accor hotels, especially at the cheaper end, rarely get that right.
I had a lot of bread and cheese, croissants and pastries, alongside fresh orange juice and coffees. This is the sort of breakfast of champions that is a positive start to the day, although I had to have a little post-breakfast rest so I might have overdone it. This is what happens when there is no responsible adult present to impose sensible limits on my access to bread and cheese. Continental breakfast freedom carries responsibilities, and I had plainly failed to exercise them.
There was quite a lot technically wrong with the hotel in terms of presentation, room design and its somewhat free-spirited approach to safety, but none of it particularly bothered me. The room was clean, the staff were friendly and there were no significant noise problems, either inside or outside. I had been allocated a room at the end of a corridor, which helped, as some rooms appeared to be positioned close enough to the noisy lift for guests to participate emotionally in every journey it made.
Overall, I rather liked the hotel. It was inexpensive, central and comfortable enough, the breakfast was excellent and the beer selection was far better than it had any need to be. I’d happily stay here again, but I can see that the lack of space in some rooms might not be ideal for some guests.