5 Allée Duquesne - Cours Des 50 Otages, 44000 Nantes

Hotel Le Petit Duquesne

Name: Hotel Le Petit Duquesne
Address: 5 Allée Duquesne - Cours Des 50 Otages, Nantes, 44000, FR
Price range: 48 EUR
Rating: 4

Hotel 1-star in Nantes

Presentation

The Hôtel Le Petit Duquesne occupies a building on the Cours des 50 Otages in Nantes, known to local residents for a long time under another name. Until the mid-1980s, the ground floor housed the Cars Drouin ticket offices, and the Hôtel du Tourisme occupied the upper floors. The ground floor has changed since then, but the 1950s never really left the building.

As soon as you push open the door, your eye is first drawn to the staircase. Its original cement mosaic tiles feature geometric patterns that have crossed seven decades without losing their brilliance. You go up on foot: the hotel is spread over two separate buildings, with no elevator, which takes a bit of effort with suitcases but offers, at each landing, a new pattern to admire.

The 19 rooms in the main building and the 13 studios in the neighboring building were extensively renovated in 2017. It was at that time that each room finally got its own bathroom. The decor remains simple, focused on the essentials: a comfortable bed, a flat-screen TV, Wi-Fi that works from the basement to the attic. In the family studios, a sink and a microwave make it possible to improvise a meal without going out.

The reception desk, however, keeps limited hours: open from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and then from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Outside these times, head to the Duquesne hotel, fifty meters away, where another team takes over with the same care. A detail to know before booking a late flight.

In the morning, the buffet is set up from 7:15 a.m. on weekdays: fresh bread, pastries, jams, fruit juice. We like lingering by the window overlooking the Cours des 50 Otages, the avenue some Nantes residents nickname the city’s Champs-Élysées. The tram stops right outside, line 2, Place du Cirque stop, making it easy to reach the Château des Ducs de Bretagne, the Passage Pommeraye, or the Théâtre Graslin in just a few minutes, on foot or by tram.

Pets are allowed for an additional fee of 5 euros per night. As for parking, the hotel does not have private parking: the public Bretagne parking lot, just across the street on Rue de l’Abreuvoir, will do for vehicles under 1.80 meters high.

One last tip for early risers: arrive at the buffet right when it opens, at 7:15 a.m. sharp, to enjoy the still-warm pastries before they disappear.

Summary of some positive reviews read on the web

Warm welcome at reception, the staff member took the time to recommend places to go for the evening.
Studio more spacious than expected for the price, with truly comfortable bedding.
Generous breakfast, buffet with fresh bread and jams, enough to keep you going until lunch.
The tram stop is literally right outside the door, convenient for reaching the center in two minutes.
The studio had a sink and a microwave, useful for preparing a quick meal in the evening.
Spotless room on arrival, changed bedding and impeccable bathroom.