ibis Rennes Centre Gare Sud

We had around five hours between trains and needed somewhere to wait with all our luggage. The walk from the platform was quick and easy. The young man at reception was very nice and gave us a room by the lift, which made hauling our bags simpler. He also helped us get a taxi to central Rennes, about a 20 minute ride. We had dinner, came back by uber, and waited until it was time to leave. We’d booked the hotel for a day, but mostly needed a place to hang out. Our only room issue was that we couldn’t figure out how to turn up the heat.

We spent 5 nights here while travelling as a couple with Eurail Pass for 2 months. Being less than a minute on foot from Rennes Gare was a big plus. The room was quiet and crisply clean, with a well-designed layout, a long desk by the window, and a comfortable cushy seat. The shower had good pressure and a sealed door, the sink plug didn’t leak, and reception and breakfast staff were efficient, friendly, and professional. There are 2 lifts, which were indispensable during the morning rush of guests heading to breakfast or off to trains and business. The lobby and dining area were bright and cheerful. Breakfast was regularly replenished, with hot scrambled eggs and bacon, lots of cold options, fresh-made mini-crepes as a nod to Breton specialty, and Madeleine's, whether premix or not, both delicious. We also appreciated the 24/7 microwave in the dining area and hot boiled water on request, since we had our own mugs. An excellent stay. My one thought is that subtitles in other languages on TV channels might be useful.

The location right beside the train station was so convenient. Staff were friendly and helpful, and the room temperature was just right. A pleasant stay.

They did have a non-gluten, non-dairy option at breakfast, which I appreciated. The breakfast room setup was really disorganized, though, with things all over the place. Maybe it keeps people from clustering, but it felt surreal. The room was much too warm at 25 degC, and the bathroom air extraction was noisy. Even though we booked for 2 in advance, there weren’t enough towels, and there were no tissues. The bathroom had a paper cup, which felt cheap for 250 euros a night. I didn’t feel safe leaving the hotel and crossing the train station to get to a restaurant. That was because of the location and the route it made me take, nothing to do with Ibis itself.