Hôtel Mercure Castres l'Occitan

This was a suprisingly pleasant stay. The room was excellent, the staff was really nice, the food (both breakfast and dinners) wonderful ! We stayed avec plaisir !

Perhaps the authorities tote up a range perks and facilities to give a hotel a rating. From a much traveled customer's point of view, this is a 3 star hotel trying to be a 4. In some ways, that is a good thing. The staff is very nice. The dining room puts out some very fine food, although I wouldn't say the same about breakfast that was quite pedestrian. They have the right color for the orange juice, but it and the pastries are very underwhelming. Nice hallway carpeting, clean rooms, thick towels, but you can't hide that the plant is pretty utilitarian '70s or '80s design. The only thing "privileged" about our upgraded room is that it was in the back near the parking lot and the not yet opened pool. The location is convenient, away from the congested downtown and relatively quiet. We have stayed in many Mercure and Accor facilities. This one is working hard to meet the standard. In some ways, they succeed. But they aren't quite there.