Mercure Caen Cote de Nacre Herouville Saint Clair

Dinner was the best value I’d had all week, and the quality was excellent. We had two delicious, original courses for €25, plus three glasses of wine between us, and the total came to €70. After a few happy-hour pints and a wander around the city, it made for a lovely end to the evening. I’d have stayed longer and toured the Normandy coast if I’d had a few more days. I was on the main highway within a minute the next morning, and reached Utah beach Museum in no time. A great end to my first holiday in France since 1982. The hotel sits on the north edge of the city and was easy to reach from the N13. The outside has a two-storey, bunker-like look, maybe fitting for Normandy, but inside the bar, restaurant, and reception were lovely and open-plan. The room had clean, modern furnishings and a big walk-in shower. I only missed having a fridge. It was a one-night stop on the ferry route. The tram stops right outside, as do McDonald's and Carrefour. A €1.80 pass for an hour got us into the city centre in 20 minutes, and we stayed out well beyond the pass because it was so nice to walk around.

There was hair all through the inside of our pillows. The person who welcomed us seemed bored and was unfriendly. Breakfast had a decent variety, but some of the food wasn’t fresh.

A nice hotel with friendly staff and good service. The Asian guy at reception was especially cute and gave very good service.

We picked this hotel as a stop on the way to Brittany because of where it was, but the stay itself is why I’d definitely use it again. Everyone on the team was welcoming and lovely about my poor French. We had a great evening meal and breakfast, and the room, food, and service were all very good value for the quality.