The Originals City, Hôtel Artyster, Le Mans Centre

We stopped here during a journey in August '24, without knowing the brand, and came away pleasantly surprised. The design and decor are refreshingly different, with lots of thoughtful details, right down to the toilet door handles, ceramic tiles, and colour schemes. It's amazing value, and both check-in and check-out were excellent. For the rates, the comfort is about as good as you could expect. A great example of how to do budget accommodation well.

The breakfast was delicious, and it's excellent value. The rooms are a little small, and the bed isn't especially comfortable, though it's all right. The design is great. Highly recommend this hotel!

The dinner setup was confusing, especially the cancellation messages, though it was eventually sorted out. The set menu was the same on both nights, with an appetizer, main course, and dessert. None of it had much flavor, the dessert was overly sweet, and service was chaotic with a long wait. I wouldn't want to eat the same food for many days. Breakfast choices were quite limited, mostly chocolate pastries, croissants, fruit, ham, and cheese. The staff were warm and attentive, which made it a good meal despite the options. The hotel is in the city centre and easy to reach from the station, either with a 15-minute walk or two tram stops and another five-minute walk. The room was small, as the listing and photos showed, but some advertised amenities weren't there. I requested a bathtub and was ignored. The fitness room had plenty of space but not much equipment, so a few more pieces would help guests who want to keep fit.

The restaurant was surprisingly quiet, which is a shame because the food and service are very good. The servers were attentive and helpful. We ordered dorade, pork mignon, and salad, all tasty and nicely presented. Desserts weren't quite as good as the main plates, but they were still good. I think the place could use more or better publicity.