Hôtel de la Marine

The bill was too high, so check it carefully. We came as four for drinks, then decided to stay for dinner because of an offer for cooked mussels with dessert. One of us had to leave feeling unwell just after ordering. The mussels were the smallest we'd ever seen, and the fries had clearly been fried at least twice. A poor meal and a bad experience.

The sea view room overlooking the fishing harbor was a lovely treat, though a little pricey. The location is a top pick for Omaha Beach and most of the British and Canadian beaches, although the furthest eastern end takes a bit more driving. Port-en-Bessin is charming and feels like a French village without the D-Day theme becoming overwhelming, as it can in Arromanches-les-Bains. An old Army buddy and I stayed here during a recent D-Day tour, not with a group. Staff at check in and out and in the restaurant were very pleasant and helpful. The hotel is older, but the rooms were remodeled in the last decade or two and are well appointed. There's no elevator, though staff can help with bags. There is no air conditioning, which can be hard in the hottest summer weather, but the coastal breezes cooled the room nicely at night. Breakfast was typical for Europe, with a few American items like scrambled eggs and sausage.

The food was just ok, as you'd expect when it's prepared in quantity for a tour group. What bothered me was the man serving us: he had a sneer on his face and kept flicking the forks off our plates in disgust as he collected the starter dishes. I believe authentic French restaurants give you separate forks rather than expecting you to reuse one for everything, but what do I know? We ate here with a tour group, and I agree with the other reviewers about the staff being rude.

The waitress was the worst I've ever experienced. We sat outside and ordered 2 beers, then he suddenly rolled in a shelter 2 min later, leaving us in the rain without telling us. The breakfast was the worst ever and cost 15 euros each. He seemed to hate foreign tourists. When I told him what I thought, he got very angry and said he had too much work.