Hôtel Mercure Macon Bord de Saône

A really good spot near the park and old town. Great hotel in a small historic French city.

The rooms are dated and had quite a smell, like the carpet needed a proper clean. It was okay after we aired ours out for a while. For such a good location, I'm surprised Mercure hasn't put a little money into this property. The riverside setting is excellent, and it's about a 20-minute walk along the river into town. Parking was very good, and the staff were friendly. The pool is in a garden, but plexiglass fencing closes it off tightly, so you can't get into the garden. It feels cramped and cheap-looking. The pool's setting is lovely, though the area could use a more charming update.

The location right on the Saône is excellent, and breakfast was delicious, especially the first-class croissants and other Vienoiseries. The hotel is extremely well managed, with every employee seeming to care about guests' comfort. Moving luggage upstairs was easy thanks to the way things are set up: there's an elevator and a trolley on the entrance level, plus a magnet to hold the door open while you bring things in.

I had a positive stay. The beds were comfortable, and the cold fruit drinks in the minibar were a nice surprise. The accommodations were pleasant, though there wasn't a proper workspace, just a small portable table. The carpets looked dirty, perhaps because of their material, and I'd suggest a darker, different fabric. The website was hard to navigate, and useful details like the breakfast price were difficult to find. I'm not sure whether my points were added to my account, since that wasn't made clear at check-in. A small play area for kids would also have been welcome, especially in winter or bad weather.