Hotel Zenith Caen

The rooms are on the compact side, but clean, with really comfortable beds. For tea or coffee in your room, you’ll want to borrow cups from the restaurant because the paper ones provided are espresso-sized. There’s free parking, which is handy, though you do need to cross a two-way cycle lane to get to the hotel. We spent two nights here at the start of a three-week holiday. On arrival we had a minor car accident that ended the trip, and Marie-Irene (the Manager?) spoke with the recovery people for us and gave clear advice in excellent English. I can’t praise the staff enough. They were kind and helpful the whole time. Everyone was friendly and did their best, even though their English varied. We ate at the hotel restaurant both evenings and were very pleased with the food and service. I hope we can return soon, and we’ll definitely stay here again.

We had to leave at 06:30, but there was no early checkout option. We were told to leave the key in the room. The rooms were clean and tidy, and the hotel was generally well presented. It advertised high speed WiFi, but it didn’t work on our floor. When I told reception, the receptionist kept repeating the password. I tried to explain that the password wasn’t the problem, but they didn’t take it in. Nothing got fixed, so I had to go to a local McDonalds to do my work.

The hotel is in a convenient spot, and the staff were really friendly and helpful with our questions. They also accommodated our late checkout breakfast meal. The rooms are a little small, but that didn’t bother us. It was warm and cozy, with a lovely clean bathroom and very comfortable beds. The restaurant inside the hotel was amazing. We had dinner there, and the appetizers and risotto were delicious. The staff were friendly and knew what they were talking about when I asked about my gluten allergy. I appreciated having a few options to choose from. The Creme Brûlée was fantastic too. I’d highly recommend it!

We used the hotel as a base for exploring the region. The rooms are basic, and the wooden floors carry a lot of noise when people walk. We had no hand soap for the first few days, even after asking, and the service was so-so. There’s free parking, plus an option to charge your car, but charging costs extra and is far too expensive. It’s a short drive to Caen city center.