Hotel Mercure Kourou Ariatel

Since decades we travel a lot (we have been to more than 120 countries) and write also many hotel reviews (mostly very positive) and I cannot I remember when was the last time I gave a "one star" rating on tripadvisor. Well, this time I have no choice but to do so regarding our stay at the Mercure Kourou Ariatel: 1) when arriving at around 7.30 p.m. the reception was deserted and only after a while a girl decided to attend us 2) we were aware of the high price when reserving our room (over 300 Euro!) and expected something special, but after the attention-less person of the reception our hopes were diminishing; we had a feeling the girl did not want to share much information or was just not telling the truth about the room type, internet and the access route to the room. 3) the shock settled in, when we saw our room and its dirt - unbelievable for a hotel of the Mercure brand; the floor and the walls were dirty; there was a dead (and bloody) cock roach on the kitchen floor (see picture); the sink of the bathroom was full of hairs - disgusting 4) one plus point: the aircon was working 5) the internet was not working at all 6) there is a veranda, but no seats or a table to sit there - what a pity 7) checkout was slow, therefore we had time to look around the reception and could see at daylight how dirty it was too; the ceiling full of dust and spiderwebs 8) Breakfast was okay As a resume this hotel is worth maximum 80 Euro, but not outrageous 300 Euro. This is a ripoff. With such a dirty place and nothing is being done about it, the hotel manager should look for another job.

Problems started when I arrived at 9pm and was given a room that had not been cleaned (bed slept in, towels and trash on bathroom floor, food and dishes on counter). Went back to desk and got a second room -- no soap or shampoo in bathroom so punted and went to sleep. Next day-- asked housekeeping for soap and shampoo while back for lunch -- got nothing. Went to front desk when returned from work in evening -- was brusquely asked if I needed it tonight or if it could wait till morning -- I blew up and finally got my soap and shampoo. Upside -- other than front desk, staff was very friendly and helpful. Breakfast buffet and lunch were very good. Pool and gym were very nice. Expect bugs in room as they leave the sliding glass doors wide open to clean the room. A/C worked well which is mandatory for a good nights sleep given temperature and humidity in May.

Great food, service good. Friendly helpful staff is lovely setting. The pool is great for all year round use and there is plenty to do locally, The chalets are bungalow types with airco, limited speed internet but a kitchen with fridge and kettle. Also a BBQ area,

Hotel staff is accommodating and pleasant. The main complaint I have is the lack of clothes washing facilities. As a hotel that caters to a strong business clientele, they should have better clothes washing facilities. There is only one washer and dryer that is shared with the house keeping staff, frequently having maintenance issues and cannot be used. The business customers spend weeks, sometimes months here working at the space center and need better washing facilities as there is not always an abundance of off time to go into town to a laundromat.

We were very happy with the rooms in this hotel. Amenities were plentiful and a microwave and refrigerator are included along with a relaxing front porch. we had 2 tv's and a cute kitchenette in our room.