Best Western Royal Hotel Caen

I barely slept during our two nights here. The walls let through so much noise, and both nights there were big groups of kids in nearby rooms. Seeing earplugs on the bedside tables should have been a clue. There was A/C, but with the heatwave it never really cooled the room.

The orange juice at breakfast was fresh and genuinely nice. The rest was standard French hotel fare, bread, jam, eggs, and coffee that wasn't very good. My room was tiny, barely enough space to open a suitcase or get around the bed. The rules also made the stay feel rather unwelcoming: breakfast time had to be registered ahead, with a warning that service could otherwise be refused. Housekeeping would only clean the room if the “please make up my room” sign was on the doorknob by 11:00 a.m. sharp. The stay was fine in the basic sense, but the lack of warmth and flexibility left me underwhelmed.

Right in the middle of town, which made the location great. The staff were friendly and spoke good English, and there's an underground car park in the square. I hope to return.

Our room faced the square, and it got a little rowdy there once or twice at night, enough to wake us. Earplugs would have sorted it, so keep that in mind. The hotel itself was super clean, with wonderful staff and a delicious breakfast with lots of choice. We parked in the underground garage directly across the way, and restaurants, shops, and sights were all walkable. I'd absolutely recommend it to other travelers.