Residence Nemea Le Domaine des Mauriers

A shocking place to stay. It was dirty when we arrived, yet we were expected to clean it ourselves. You pay for sheets and have to make your own bed, and there were no towels or bath mat.

The excuses about wanting guests to be independent don't make up for this place. They charged a lot for WiFi that was unusually slow, and we weren't given any explanation about outdoor furniture. The pool hadn't been cleaned for days, and the windows looked as if they hadn't been cleaned for weeks. Inside, there were three faulty doors, four broken lamps, very dirty walls with marks that wouldn't come off, and a restroom lock that didn't work. The dishes were filthy and needed 10 Minutes of soaking before they could be cleaned. It felt like they wanted maximum profit with the least effort. I couldn't upload photos to show just how bad it was. Stay away.

The kids liked the pool, and my husband used the gym without any complaints. Beyond that, there wasn't much to do. We were a family of 7, so my in-laws booked the largest, three-bedroom apartment, with the children in a bunk-bed room, us in a room with two single beds, and the grandparents in a double room. It was cheap, so you have to keep expectations in check, but bring your own cleaning supplies and toilet paper, buy towels, make your own beds, and pay extra for very slow wifi. My mother-in-law had limited mobility after a stroke a few months earlier, and with only one toilet for all 7 of us on the ground floor, getting to it was a struggle. I can see this being a poor fit for people with disabilities. The apartment wasn't very clean to start with, and we paid for end-of-stay cleaning to avoid a hassle. There's little counter space in the rooms and bathrooms. Some nearby streets have no sidewalks, though the area is somewhat walkable. It didn't feel like a holiday to me. If you only need very basic accommodation, the price is okay.

We've stayed three times and liked it enough to come back again. The apartments are modern, clean and well equipped, and at such a low price they're very good value. I do wish they had an oven instead of the dishwasher. With just two of us, our apartment felt spacious, though I can see one sofa being inadequate for a larger group. You'll need a car, since it's 3-4 miles from St Malo center and the coast. There's one nearby restaurant and no other nightlife. The pools are good, but close around 7pm. Wifi and TV cost quite a lot, so we didn't use them. We chose to clean the apartment ourselves to save money, which took about an hour, and there was no argument about returning our deposit. They're not perfect, but the quiet setting and price make them well suited to families with young children or older couples on a budget. I'll definitely return.