Hôtel de Caen

The rooms were clean, and the staff were friendly and genuinely helpful. Breakfast had a broad selection, so it was easy to find something to start the day. WiFi is capped at three hours a day, which can be annoying, though it won’t matter much if you’re out all day. It’s a tidy hotel not far from the center, with a good balance of price and quality. I was very satisfied and would recommend it if you want an affordable place without many extras.

My one-star rating is more about the lack of care and attention to guests than the room itself. The hotel has no 24-hour reception, and my booking said it closed at 10 pm. I was due to arrive Saturday at 7 pm for two nights, but highway trouble delayed me until 10:15 pm. Reception was closed and nobody answered the phone, so I had to find another hotel in town and pay for whatever was available. I went back the next morning because my reservation was still for two nights. The receptionist didn’t speak any English, and I was fortunate that my daughter speaks French. He said the delay was my fault because I hadn’t notified him the night before, and that he had tried to phone me. I wondered why, in the 21st century, he’d call an international number when he couldn’t speak English. A text or WhatsApp message would have sorted it out. After checking in, I went sightseeing and returned Sunday around 5 pm. The booking also said reception would be closed from noon until 6 pm on Sundays. There was only one towel in the room for two of us, so I waited until 6 to ask for another, but reception still hadn’t opened. I ended up searching for clean towels in a storage room on another floor. When I left the next day, the same person who checked me in said I’d have to pay for both nights, even though I hadn’t used the first one. He only waived that day’s breakfast charge. I found the whole thing completely disrespectful to the customer.

The only thing keeping this from five stars for me is the lack of an elevator. Everything was very clean and well looked after. Our room, number 32, had a balcony, and the woman who checked us in was lovely and helpful.

A basic hotel at an okay price. The room was about what I expected, with enough space, and the bed and shower were fine for one night. Breakfast was pretty good for the price, and parking in front of the hotel was free.