Hôtel Cathédrale, Lisieux

Location

It’s a bit tired on the interior

Location was great. Breakfast was OK, not spectacular but acceptable. Surprisingly quiet at night, given that tourists are everywhere. Check-out was not complicated; just drop off room key at front desk and leave.

Hotel was squished between other merchants; it was initially hard to find the building. Door was locked upon arrival, and the guest needed to be buzzed in. When arrived at receptionist desk, no staff was immediately present.

Location and very clean

Staff are not available at night, and it will be very good to station a vending machine inside the hotel to buy either drinks, biscuits, or chocolates. I actually run out of drinking water in the middle of the night, and staff are not available for assistance.

Two and a half years ago we had booked a stay at this hotel, but unfortunately we had to cancel because we both caught COVID. Although the hotel had every right to charge the full stay according to the booking conditions, through the mediation of Booking.com they kindly decided not to apply any penalty. We really appreciated this gesture of fairness and understanding, and for that reason we chose to book here again. The location is truly fantastic, right next to the Lisieux Cathedral, and the hotel acted very correctly in that earlier situation.

Unfortunately, during this stay we noticed several issues. Cleanliness should be improved and the service was lacking: during our stay the beds were not made and the trash bins were not emptied. In addition, the hotel is starting to show its age. A recent coat of paint is not enough, as some of the furniture is worn and in some cases even damaged. This is a pity because the location is excellent and the hotel clearly has potential. However, in order to maintain a three-star standard, it would be necessary to invest more in maintenance and in the quality of service.