Motel Le Fleuron

The private beach was really nice. We sat in the water with the beach chairs, but the owner spoke to us rudely and warned us to be careful as if we were children. The suite we rented for two nights at the beginning of last summer, in 2020, had a bedroom and kitchenette. The place was kind of old but clean. There was no air conditioning, the blinds were old and broken, and the balcony was falling apart. We were a little late checking out at 11am, and the owners were waiting for us to leave, even though hardly anyone else was staying there. We’d wanted to return, but changed our minds after the owner stared at us like we were from Mars when we arrived in the parking lot and told us we had to leave. We wanted to stay again, but unfortunately he lost a customer.

We left and lost our money, but at least we kept our dignity. The owner said I was too poor to pay for my child, who would have cost an extra $70. When I asked why it was so expensive, he said the child would use the toilet. He then said he was speaking English to us and didn’t have to, and that we should be speaking French. He flipped off both me and my mother. It was insulting and rude. I’ve stayed at plenty of hotels and motels, and these people take the prize for the worst customer service. I understand they have a business to run, but the prices and rules are ridiculous. Don’t go unless you’re stranded.

A friend told me they had possibly the worst hotel experience ever here. You’d expect a hotel owner to care most about the guest experience, but they felt they were there to serve the hotelier and meet his ridiculous standards. The owner was just plain rude. Unless there’s a hotel armageddon, find somewhere else to stay. The 10am checkout and 3pm check-in times have absolutely no flexibility. If rooms can’t be turned around in a couple of hours, what are they doing in the business? Why do they need five hours at such a small hotel with so few guests? There’s plenty more to say, but not much time. The owner has time to respond negatively to reviews, but doesn’t actually listen to or address clients’ concerns. That seems common across the reviews here, and I believe it shows his attitude toward his “guests.”

My best experience here was the nice waterfront and quaint downtown, which was within walking distance. The service and amenities should have been better for the price. I’ve stayed in many Quebec hotels in this price range and had much better customer service, including at budget hotels around Quebec. The room had no fan or air conditioning. That might be fine in spring or fall, but it could get hot in summer. I visited in June and didn’t need a fan. The driveway and parking area had humps and potholes. The host blamed the harsh winter weather, as though that were new in Canada. The curtains came unhooked and fell when touched. There were two small pillows for the two of us, and no extras. There was one soap bar for two people over two days. When I asked for another, the owner gave me one but reminded me she only provides one. There was a small garbage bin in the bathroom but none in the room, so we had to go to the bathroom whenever we needed to throw anything away. There was a coffee maker in the room, but coffee cost $2.00-$2.50. Offering a complimentary cup would have been an easy way to make guests happy. I’ve never had to buy coffee from the hosts to brew it in the coffee maker they provided. The host said there were six electrical sockets, but we couldn’t find even one free plug to charge my phone. There was one outlet for the coffee maker, microwave, and fridge, so we had to unplug one to use another. Each of these drawbacks may seem small on its own, but together they add up. On hotel booking review sites, the host keeps badmouthing people who write honest reviews, apparently thinking offensive replies prove the host is right and reviewers are wrong. People leave negative reviews because they’re unhappy with the service. The host should accept the shortcomings and make an honest effort to improve. In response to the property owner's comment below, reviews are for consumers to give honest feedback about service providers, and there’s no time limit. I can write whenever I feel like it, whether I stayed two months ago or two years ago. I don’t need help writing a review. The owners could use some help learning about consumer rights in Canada and proper customer service. I paid for the service, and if I’m unhappy with what was provided, I have every right to complain and write a review. These reviews are here to help people know the reality before they make a choice, not to make the owner happy. From other guests’ reviews and my own experience, it’s clear whether guests are happy. The owner shouldn’t mislead people with ignorant replies or tell guests what to write and when. Fix your own problems and stop complaining about guest reviews.