Grand Arden Mercure Monaco Resort

The Honest Lawyer across the road was the one bright spot. The bed was uncomfortable, made from two singles pushed together, and its springs left me with back pain. The shower head was loose, and because the shower room is open, water splashed everywhere and kept the floor wet throughout our trip. The toilet seat was loose or broken, and I couldn’t get an extra towel because nobody was on site to help. To top it off, there was just one teaspoon, none in the hallway with the cups and plates, and no service until after checkout. Useless, and not worth the money.

The place has a lovely old-world feel. I gave one star for service because we arrived after hours at 6:30 pm and the attached eatery had stopped serving food, saying it was a public holiday. It was January 2nd, so hmmm. The staff across the road at the Honest Lawyer were friendly and accommodating, and the food there was exceptional.

It looks lovely from outside, but that was about the only good part of the stay. The mattress was lumpy and uncomfortable, the pillows felt cheap, and the towels were worn and old. Reception is open only from 9 AM to 5 PM, which is inconvenient. There were cobwebs in the room, and the carpet had obvious dirt and stains.

The building and grounds are beautiful, but that’s all we liked. For the price, this is basically just a room with a bed and ensuite, not really a hotel. We asked to have the room made up while we were out and came back to a very poor attempt at making the bed. Hotel guests can’t use the pool, and there’s no room service or restaurant on site. Extremely overpriced for what you get.