Mercure Vichy Hotel

It was an easy walk from the hotel to the old town, opera house, and casino. Our room was spacious and comfortable, and the staff were friendly, courteous, and professional. Breakfast was an excellent continental-style spread, with hot food, baked goods, fruit, yogurt, and drinks.

The spa was closed in January, so we went shopping and looked around town instead. The hotel is centrally located, about a five-minute walk into town. It looked a bit run down outside, but the rooms were clean, the beds comfortable, and the staff friendly. The bathroom had a bath with a shower, and the WC was separate. The bar was well stocked. Breakfast was good. Hot choices included sausages, bacon, eggs, and baked beans. There were cereals, different breads and pastries including gluten-free bread, yogurt, compote, cheeses, and cold meats, too. Tea, coffee, and orange or apple juice were available. The only fruit was oranges or apple compote, which was a poorer choice than at other 4-star hotels we've stayed in, though January isn't a good month for fresh fruit.

I love this hôtel. It's five meters from Thermal "les dômes", directly linked to the Mercure. Nice, deluxe shopping and restaurants are five minutes away, and the casino is seven minutes away. Refurbishment is still underway, though there's no noise at present. Once it's finished and the new swimming pool is ready, it will be a dream.

We were there for the Ironman event, and the staff kindly let us keep our bike in the room. They also arranged breakfast around the race start time. The hotel is near the city centre and not too far from the Ironman start line. Our room was clean, large, quiet, and fairly recently refurbished.