Hôtel Mercure Rochefort la Corderie Royale

Would have given 5* but on arrival we discovered that the aircon was faulty and it was 33°C+. After a long drive through Brittany and the Loire Valley, we were hot and exhausted and very unamused to be told of the issue. The reception could have displayed more sympathy, and offering to move us to a budget hotel in their chain around the corner was not really a sensible option for a long stay customer. This was not just an overnight stop and I had booked a 4*! In the end, however, it transpired that the aircon in our room came on in the evening and we were able to sleep very well. For the following days, it was switched off during the day whilst the engineers worked on the system but back on late afternoon which was absolutely fine. The reception needed better information about which rooms were affected by the serious system fault and which weren’t! The staff are all very welcoming and helpful. The restaurant menu is limited, presumably they don’t expect longer stay customers (we are staying 6 nights) but well prepared and tasty. The wine menu is reasonably priced per bottle. The room is comfortable but has a slightly freaky large portrait of a famous admiral overlooking the bed and what appears to be a colonial era plantation view behind the bed (inappropriate now??). The lighting in the room needs to be brighter as we can hardly see in the wardrobe area. The only real criticism is that the toilet is separate from the bathroom in a tiny space akin to a public toilet. There’s little room to get in and close the door behind you (ours doesn’t actually lock but not a major issue). Overall, we would thoroughly recommend - the ambience is restful and classy. The breakfast choice is amazing with lovely staff. The town is pretty with lots of history. Worth a visit.