Portbail Coast Cheap Holidays

When we arrived at this hotel, it was very unclear where we were meant to go or park, there seems to be two entrances, one to main reception and one to the car park, but it is not well lit and we drove round for a bit trying to work out what to do so I went in to reception, where I then waited for ten minutes as there was no one around, at about 6pm, so not exactly late. A lady finally arrived, and checked us in. We asked about parking and were told we could use the public car park out the back, which is on the seafront, or use there private gated car park which she gave us a code for. So we drove back up the road to their car park, got in and parked up, to find that there isn’t a pedestrian exit! It was drizzly, very dark, and we had to push past a wet bush to exit. The room was ok, nothing special, and the ‘beach front’ is the other side of a large car park. The cleaners only flick the hoover round, no refill of tea/coffee etc and the breakfast option was extremely expensive so we didn’t bother. The Thalasso Spa was lovely, with plenty of options to keep you busy for an hour or so, but everyone walks through the hotel dripping wet so lifts and floors are slippery, and there were a lot of kids, and a lot of people not wearing caps if no staff were around, so it was a bit of a free for all! We stay in many hotels in France every year, this one is just expensive for what it is, will not return. Needs new carpets and modernising.

Of our multiple trips to Normandy and other spots in France, the Mercure stands out as the very best experience we have had. The main reason? The SUPERB team taking care of guest relations. We had a number of special requests (holding luggage on both ends of the trip, borrowing extra towels, using plates/wine glasses, etc.) and they handled every single one gracefully. Beyond that, they were unfailingly friendly and kind. To be blunt, we are not accustomed to this kind of service in France — what we received was more in line with a 5-star American hotel. In our experience, this only happens when there is both excellent recruiting, a great training approach, and good treatment of staff members. Congrats on this great result — in short, what a team! We will be back — both to Granville and to the Mercure. In fact, during the years ahead, we hope both will become regular places to spend time several times per year. That is a reflection of how special the team made our visit, and we are extremely grateful for the care. À bientôt !