Mercure Pau Palais Sports

We don't speak French and don't visit often. The server we had, Adaline, did a great job, but her colleagues weren't as good. I asked if they spoke English to make things easier, and one replied, "oh yes," then walked away to chat with another colleague. They looked over and laughed. Quite frankly, it was very rude. We tried to speak as best we could and didn't want someone taking the Mickey out of us. If you're English and don't speak French, don't go.

We used the hotel for five nights in July as a base for motorbike trips into the Pyrenees and to the coast, and the location worked perfectly. The hotel was modern and clean, with a lovely restaurant serving good-quality food that was well presented. The pool area was clean and relaxing, and there was plenty of parking. Our standard room had enough space for us, though a few more hooks for coats would have helped. There was also a little wear and tear on the board outside the shower. At breakfast, bowls were often missing and we had to ask staff for them. The bar and restaurant team were especially friendly and helpful. Trecy, Manon and Adalaine deserve a special mention for making the stay more enjoyable.

The staff were very kind and listened to my requests. I was here for work, and the room and services were what you'd expect from a Mercure, though the room was a bit small. I had dinner at the restaurant, but one dish came with an ingredient that wasn't clearly described on the menu and that I really dislike. It was full of garlic, so I left it on the table. The waitress noticed straight away and, with the head waiter, tried to sort it out by offering another option. I politely declined, and appreciated that they didn't charge me for the dish. Five stars for the service, four stars for the hotel overall.

Pauline at the morning desk was the one bright spot. She was very nice and helpful. The evening desk person, who had no name badge, was awful. We were asked whether we wanted a high or low floor, with the warning that the higher one would be hot. While we were discussing that we preferred to be cooler but my husband, who isn't young, would have to carry our large suitcases up several stairs, the desk clerk never offered to help. We chose upstairs so we could use the elevator, but the only option was the fourth floor, and it was stifling all night. It was already May and 25 degrees outside, so why wasn't the air conditioning available? The room itself had cheap, tacky decor and fittings. The safe was broken, the fridge didn't cool, and the toilet flush was broken. The towels were thin and poor, and there were no toiletries or amenities. There was only one bedside table despite room for two. They also put a E100 hold on my credit card. No other Mercure has done that to me, and days later the bank still hadn't released the money. We weren't using the restaurant, there was nothing in the fridge, and they already had our card on file as a guarantee. What was the hold for? From the window, the pool looked filthy and moldy. I assume it wasn't open, but then it should have been covered. It was disgusting to look at and made me wonder about the hotel's general hygiene. The breakfast buffet was very mediocre, with stale bread and old pastries. This was nowhere near a four-star hotel or Mercure standard. It should be downgraded to a Novotel or Ibis. Worst Mercure I've ever experienced.