Hotel Mercure Pau Palais des Sports 4 estrelas

There is ample car parking space right in front of the hotel which is not far from the motorway. We were made welcome and the all the staff we met were accommodating and helpful. Although our room was smaller than expected it was clean and attractive and to compensate for size had a large TV screen. There was no writing table, but the bed was comfortable, and the bathroom was clean and bright. It is a peaceful location. There is an attractive swimming pool, but we did not use it. Dinner in the restaurant was extremely good, the food excellent and we enjoyed our stay. Dogs were allowed in the restaurant which might not please everyone. The hotel is well placed to visit Pau which is only ten minutes away by car.

Cramped rooms, narrow and hard beddings on which it is impossible to relax, not-so-fresh pillows, super thin towels, minimalist toiletries– just a gel fixed to the wall of the shower, we had to claim hand soap – we were used to a better treatment by Mercure hotels. The rooms here are more of a basic Ibis. The parking is not closed, which is not reassuring when you have to leave luggage in the car due to lack of space. Many customers weren't wearing masks - even in elevators - and we didn't see them asked to wear ones. In addition, the sanitary pass is not required for breakfast, a rule by the Accor group according to the receptionist. However, we stayed in another Accor hotel in September and customers without a sanitary pass had to have their breakfast in their room. On the other side the hotel is quiet and well located near the highway, dinner and breakfast were more than good. The staff are very kind and responsive. These positive points made our stay a little more comfortable.

Very much an average score. On the plus side - very nice design of public spaces, nice outdoor swimming pool (didn't use it though). Level of service left us question out choice of the hotel. Be very careful when ordering taxi thought the hotel, demand info about the pricing policy, especially when travelling during weekend and not familiar with the local regulations. When ordering at the hotel bar, be aware you might not understand the invoice when checking out, no signature required when asking to add the cost to your room.

Our short stay at the hotel was disastrous. The hotel lobby/restaurant area is fine & stylish, but we encountered real problems in the rooms. The first room we were shown to had hairs all over the shower walls, left by the previous guest. It looked like it had been wiped down with a dirty cloth. We stayed during the heart of France’s second COVID wave - you expect places to be spotless as a result & standards for be increased. We asked for a new room & were given the room next door. There was the same issue in room 2 - numerous old hairs on the shower walls & streaky looking marks. There were also sticky ring marks from where mugs/cups had been left on the bedside tables. We complained again & asked for another room. Room 3 had pubes on the toilet seat & by this point we were fed up & didn’t feel confident in the cleanliness standards at the hotel. It was a consistent problem. The housekeeping manager then barged into the room unannounced while my partner was getting changed & proceed to inspect the bathroom in room 3. Picked up the pube with her hand & proceeded to shrug, as if to say - “look it’s clean now”. We were offered free breakfast, but declined & asked for a refund. We ended up having to leave the hotel & find new accommodation. This is the only really terrible experience we’ve had in a hotel. I’ve certainly never had to leave a hotel I’ve booked. The refund was gained ok, but overall the cleanliness & response was shambolic.

We stayed in this Hotel last weekend and the highlight of the stay was how professional and friendly the staff were. The staff made sure that our stay was as enjoyable as possible. Everything is done with a smile on their face.