50/51 Quai Malakoff, 44000 Nantes

Mercure Nantes Centre Gare

Name: Mercure Nantes Centre Gare
Address: 50/51 Quai Malakoff, Nantes, 44000, FR
Price range: 95 EUR
Rating: 4.2

Hotel-restaurant 4-star in Nantes

Presentation

Mercure Nantes Centre Gare. The name says it all: step off the TGV, cross the south station forecourt, and in one minute on foot you are at the door, on the banks of the Saint-Félix canal, facing the Cité des Congrès.

On the ground floor, the lobby does not really look like what one imagines from a business hotel. A bookcase runs along one wall, a fireplace occupies the center of the lounge, and the bar already welcomes, in the late afternoon, a few guests bent over their computers. It is a pleasant place to stop before heading back to your room or going out again for a walk to the historic center.

The rooms come in seven categories, spread across the floors. The standard rooms, around 18 square meters, remain compact; this is more of an efficient-room concept than a generous suite. But from the next category up, the Nespresso machine and a larger bathroom change the experience, and the Privilege rooms with canal views add a few extra square meters and a real sitting area. On the sixth floor, some attic-style rooms have that special charm of rooms under the eaves, with a ceiling that slopes just enough to give the impression of being somewhere other than next to a station.

Those worried about train noise can be reassured: several guests report soundproofing that lives up to its promise, even a few meters from the tracks, with the windows closed. For a truly quiet night, it is still better to ask for a room facing the canal rather than the station.

Breakfast starts at 6:30 a.m., with a generous buffet featuring pancakes, crepes, cereals, and a gluten-free option, enough to reassure early risers who need to catch a train before 7 a.m. In the evening, La Brasserie serves rather home-style cooking, with local products and a selection of Mercure wines, in an air-conditioned dining room open every day for lunch and dinner.

The immediate neighborhood, meanwhile, remains shaped by the station and the Euronantes business district: you are not yet in the Nantes of the passageways and the Castle of the Dukes. But the green line painted on the ground, which crosses the whole city over twelve kilometers, starts just a few steps from the hotel and makes it possible to reach the historic center and Les Machines de l'Île with a short walk.

On the practical side, the hotel carries the Green Key label, offers private parking, outdoor or underground, at an additional cost, and knows how to adapt to unusual schedules: early arrival or late departure on request, luggage storage available between trains. Family rooms accommodate up to four people, with breakfast free for children under twelve.

One last tip: if you arrive in the late afternoon, settle in at the bar before going up to your room; the light falling on the canal at that time is well worth the five-minute wait for your key.

Summary of a few positive reviews read on the Web

My mother had to catch the 5:59 a.m. train, the hotel is one minute on foot from the station, no stress at all for arrival.
Nicolas at reception handled our late check-in without any problem, simple and efficient welcome.
Generous breakfast buffet, pancakes, crepes, gluten-free option, enough to satisfy the whole family.
Room almost above the tracks, with the windows closed you cannot hear a thing, the soundproofing is good.
Dinner at La Brasserie with local products, good value for money for a last-minute meal.