Finding affordable accommodation in Saint-Malo does not mean sacrificing comfort, location, or the unique charm of this historic Breton port. While the walled city—known locally as Intra-Muros—is famous for its upscale hotels and sweeping sea views, the surrounding neighborhoods offer a wealth of budget-friendly options that keep you close to the action without emptying your wallet.
Savvy travelers know that staying just outside the ramparts, in areas like the train station district, Paramé, or Courtoisville, often provides better value. These locations offer quieter nights, easier parking, and quick access to the beaches and ferry terminals. With a little local knowledge, you can find a clean, comfortable room and spend your savings on fresh oysters and crêpes instead.
The key to finding a cheap hotel in Saint-Malo is understanding the seasonal pricing. Rates fluctuate dramatically between the bustling summer months and the peaceful off-season. Booking a midweek stay in spring or autumn can unlock significant discounts, even at properties that command premium prices in August.
This guide focuses on two-star and budget three-star establishments that consistently deliver excellent value. We have evaluated options based on cleanliness, guest reviews, location, and the authenticity of the experience they provide. You do not need to compromise on the quality of your trip to stay within a reasonable budget.
Whether you are passing through on a Brittany road trip, catching an early ferry to the Channel Islands, or planning a weekend exploring the corsair city, there is a budget bed waiting for you. From family-run guesthouses to modern budget chains, the selection below balances practicality with Breton character.
Here are the most reliable cheap hotels in Saint-Malo that offer a great night’s sleep, friendly service, and a prime location for exploring the Emerald Coast.
hotelF1 Saint Malo
| Address | 28 Rue de la Grassinais, 35400 Saint-Malo |
|---|---|
| Maps | Click here |
| Website | Click here |
| Opening Hours | — |
| Phone | 0 891 70 53 85 |
The hotel is a clean simple place to stay the night. It‘s like a hostel or campground with shared WC & showers. The staff members are great … friendly, helpful & keep the hotel neat & clean. The small breakfast: coffee, bread, cereal, applesauce, juice & variety of jams was good & made it easy to start the day. The location is convenient to the Brittany Ferry Terminal. Our only suggestion to the hotel is to add fans for room ventilation and hand soap for washing hands after using the WC.
super clean, super friendly first contact employee at front desk, gave recommendations for places to eat late on a sunday- did see a lot of kids in hallways - maybe there is a hostel or shared bathroom? My room was immaculately clean; great job…also was designed very retro! (see pics). NO air conditioning made it unbearable to sleep in the summer heat :). I would 100% come back! housekeeping needs to be congratulated; the room is truly superbly clean! thank you!
What you need to know: this hotel is on a commercial estate, easy to get to the port from here, there's plenty of free parking, it's a bit noisy at night, the bathrooms / toilets are shared (sink in room), breakfast is basic but passable, there was a receptionist (unlike Premiere Classe), no air con, only one plug socket, the place (indoors and out) smelled of cigarette smoke. Basic really does mean basic. Very cheap though
We stayed here the night before our ferry crossing. It was handy for the port, only a few miles away.
The rooms were adequate - you get what you pay for. But the hallways smelt like smoke which crept into the room.
Budget friendly hotel. Good location. With room vending machine, for when reception is closed.Most rooms en-suite, bathrooms and shower rooms available in every floor.
B&B HOTEL Saint-Malo Centre
| Address | 76 Av. du Général de Gaulle, 35400 Saint-Malo |
|---|---|
| Maps | Click here |
| Website | Click here |
| Opening Hours | — |
| Phone | 0 892 78 80 95 |
Hotel amenities themselves were great: the room was perfect, clean, likewise the bathroom, matched my expectations perfectly. Only downside was the location on a highway with doors to the rooms, especially ground floor (where my room was located) accessible from the street directly with zero visible safety measures, making it feel rather unsafe for a solo female traveler. Likewise, the window was hard to completely close, and the mechanism for the door lock was unclear, and there was no mechanical latch or bolt. I was informed by the reception in the morning that there is 24h videosurveillance and a 24h security guard dressed as a civilian, things that would have made me feel safer if I knew them the night before. All in all: great budget option, but rather far from transportation if you do not have a car, and for solo travelers: don't hesitate to ask for a room upstairs when booking!
Do not stay here..
booked 2 rooms as a family.. room 1. Stank of cigarette smoke. Called on intercom, was told someone would come to sort, no one turned up. Beds were dirty and uncomfortable, shower tray didn’t drain..
room 2. Dirty room and bedding, guest slept in there clothes and wouldn’t use shower.. couldn’t wait to leave…
Worse hotel we have ever had the misfortune to stay at as a family… My advice, avoid this hotel and look elsewhere…
I managed to book it in last minute, for 3 persons it was double level room, 1 big and 2 small beds. For 1 night it was 120 euros, and I 've took a breakfast(20 for 2 persons). The guy on reception discrubed everything, and suggest free breakfast for my son, which was very nice! All the rooms you can reach from ouside the building, there is also elevator. Big parking space around the hotel, a lot of places were empty. About 1 hour walk from old city, but about 15-20 min by bus. I would recommend to stay here
Friendly staff. We had a clean room. The hotel is a 10-minute drive from the historic center! It’s worth the trip. Keep that in mind if you’re traveling without a car.
Not a very nice hotel even though I knew it was budget. Didn't feel safe as there were lots of drunk people hanging around. Ridiculous check in procedures. Very small room in dire need of modernisation. No air conditioning. Won't be back.
ibis budget Saint-Malo Centre
| Address | Bd des Talards 138-140, 35400 Saint-Malo |
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| Maps | Click here |
| Website | Click here |
| Opening Hours | — |
| Phone | 0 892 68 08 32 |
Don't ever go any close to that hotel! Incompetent and unhelpful staff! I also just received an obviously "auto" answer in French to my complaints raised directly to the hotel. Great that they're not even able or willing to consider that I don't speak French. I assume my English writing was confusing for them!
UPDATE after getting the same message from the hotel here as before in an email: we did not ask for or expect a refund. We asked for your flexibility to move our 1 night booking and before doing that, we even checked your availability to know if that might be feasible which you didn't even do for us, but declined our request right away. So I of course do understand that you are not responsible for any ferry cancelation but the way you handled the situation was still absolutely unprofessional. We did manage the same situation with all other hotels (2 more) and found a solution. But thanks again for posting the same message here that I already received earlier.
Overall, a very convenient place to stay, especially if you’ve just arrived from Jersey and need somewhere overnight. The staff were friendly, the parking felt secure in the garage, and the rooms were quiet and comfortable. A good and practical option for a short stay.
Perfect for catching a boat from the port. Parking is very very limited. You will most likely need to park on the street which is free.
The Ibis budget in Saint Malo is very nice. The room is small but I knew that at booking and it was a very reasonable rate and it has a garage across the road for parking the motorcycle securely. The parking is very reasonable and the staff are very helpful particularly the Manageress and all in all I think it's an excellent place to stay and it's a 25-minute walk to the old town which is pretty good. Location great, service great, rooms small but efficient use of space. Drinks and snacks available in reception and good breakfast. I would definitely stay here again.
The room was basic and comfortable with good hard beds. The room was clean. Breakfast was too basic. You can park your car for free in the carpark in front of the hotel or the streets around the hotel. The hotel is within walking distance of the city centre. A dog friendly hotel, but the dog was not allowed in the breakfast area unfortunately.
Hôtel Terminus Saint Malo - Gare
| Address | 8 Bd des Talards, 35400 Saint-Malo |
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| Maps | Click here |
| Website | Click here |
| Opening Hours | Monday: 9:30 AM – 9:30 PM Tuesday: 9:30 AM – 9:30 PM Wednesday: 9:30 AM – 9:30 PM Thursday: 9:30 AM – 9:30 PM Friday: 9:30 AM – 9:30 PM Saturday: 9:30 AM – 6:30 PM Sunday: 9:30 AM – 9:30 PM |
| Phone | 02 99 56 14 38 |
The hotel is within walking distance from the Intra Muros town; it is nice and clean, rooms are spacious. Windows perfectly insulate the outside noise. Warmly recommend it.
Good location
The New owner of the Hotel is very nice and helpful! The rooms are perfect for the price and the hotel is well situated right next to the train station but still in walking distance to the old town (15min walk). I will hopefully come again for the Route Du Rhum!
The Person Running the hotel was super helpfull and nice would definitively come back 🙂
Just the best hotel owner ever. So friendly and ready to help with whatever need you have. Would and will come again 🙂
La Rotonde
| Address | 1 Bd Chateaubriand, 35400 Saint-Malo |
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| Maps | Click here |
| Website | Click here |
| Opening Hours | Monday: 8:00 AM – 12:00 AM Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 12:00 AM Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 12:00 AM Thursday: 8:00 AM – 12:00 AM Friday: 8:00 AM – 12:00 AM Saturday: 8:00 AM – 12:00 AM Sunday: 8:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Phone | 02 23 15 73 80 |
We've been coming back to La Rotonde during our vacation for the past three years, and it never disappoints. It has become a staple because the food is consistantly good — whether we order the local mussels, a pasta dish, or one of their pizzas. And they have a signature dessert which is absolutely delicious - and often too much to handle. You must go to discover it for yourself.
The staff is very friendly, warm, and genuinely accommodating - even during busy summer evenings. It's the kind of place that makes you feel like a regular from your very first visit. -
Bearing in mind this is a two star hotel. We were in an accessible room on the ground floor. It was a reasonable size with a large wet room. Room was clean and serviced daily. The restaurant offered an adequate continental breakfast and a typical menu based around pizza and mussels. Parking is on side streets but free. Three stars for location due to nothing to do within walking distance apart from the sea 200 yds away. Would certainly suit people travelling on the St Malo ferry giving them somewhere to sleep the night before.
Excellent meal. Looks like a takeaway pizza place from the street but it's a lovely restaurant, pizza, pasta, meat, fish and fabulous desserts. Great service and great food in a pretty and comfortable setting. The kids menu looked like good value too.
Bear in mind im always chasing the high of the shrimp cocktail in Vietnam. Amd finally i found one in europe to match it's greatness! Meet Pizza Joy! All in all great place to eat friendly staff excellent pizza and pasta beer etc
I didnt stay here - but an apartment nearby & this place was open on a Sunday evening when I was looking for a take-away pizza. I had the Gourmande - really nicely made. Good service & no complaints here.
B&B HOTEL Saint-Malo Sud
| Address | 1 Av. du Commerce, 35430 Saint-Jouan-des-Guérets |
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| Maps | Click here |
| Website | Click here |
| Opening Hours | — |
| Phone | 0 892 70 22 17 |
This was a fantastic stay in a wonderful hotel close to the ferry port. We booked 3 rooms and Regine was so helpful in sharing the details in advance so that we had no problems. She provided a kettle and milk for us so we could make tea (we are English so this was very important to us) and she helped me with anything I needed for my small children. Thank you Regine for the warm welcome. The room was spacious and comfortable and the free car park was very appreciated. We enjoyed the dinner the Italian restaurant opposite with the 10 percent discount and also liked that it was a short walk to a boulangerie and patisserie. We enjoyed the varied breakfast and found everything really great. Thank you all!
Very clean hotel. Very comfortable beds and lovely sheets. Polite staff. Secure car park. Breakfast very good and as much as you can eat. Only snag for us is no tea and coffee facilities in the room and the pay machine in reception was broken the whole time we were there. Other downside was no safe in the room. The couple of downsides would not put us off staying at the hotel in the future.
My wife and I stayed for 2 days/nights. Rooms were good and clean. Air-con amazing. Staff were very helpful throughout. The breakfasts were excellent, with a large variety of options! My only adverse comment would be that it is a little isolated on an industrial estate (Which to be fair a lot of B & B's are). There was a MacDonalds very close and always open and there was an Italian restaurant across the road which we never found open. So a car drive for a decent meal was a necessity!
Good, clean, basic accommodation, perfectly suited to our overnight stop needs. Comfortable, good sized bed, cotton sheets, comfortable pillows, extra provided on request. Suitable shower, serviceable towels. Receptionist was lovely. Within easy walk of the centre ville, which has a good cafe and boulangerie. Would definitely stay here again.
Best B&B experience. No wonder why the hotel is so highly rated! We’ve stayed two nights. Room is very clean, quiet at night and quite sound proof. Very helpful receptionist. Reception opens throughout the day, not like other B&B that close in the middle of the day - so that’s really good!
Free parking, dog friendly, close to Saint Malo
La Marinière Hôtel Restaurant
| Address | 2 Bd des Talards, 35400 Saint-Malo |
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| Maps | Click here |
| Website | Click here |
| Opening Hours | — |
| Phone | 02 23 18 24 87 |
My daughter and I had a wonderful stay at this Hotel. We were welcomed with friendly and professional service. Location was excellent and close to all amenities. 10-15 walk to the City. Bike rental is around the corner from the hotel which gave us the opportunity to explore some of the nearby parks. I would like to extend a special thanks to Maud who is an attentive and quick Waitress - she also helped with suggestions in the area. The room itself was perfect (two single beds) with LOTS of room! We would definitely stay here again and highly recommend this hotel & Restaurant to anyone looking for comfort, cleanliness, and outstanding hospitality. Thank you La Mariniere Hotel & Restaurant for making our trip so enjoyable.
Photos do not reflect the hotel, the lift was that small, we could not get both my dogs in , I had to take one and my wife had to wait to take the other, then I had to go back down to get our bags. The room was very small, no hot water in the shower, light fitting hanging off the wall, air-conditioning not working even though it was a new unit. The food in the restaurant was a poor standard and the service in the morning was very poor which matched the breakfast. Maybe a toaster would be a good addition . Good location but thats about it. We will not be returning
excellent location right next to the train station of St. Malo, from there you can catch the coach bus called Keolis Armor going directly to Le Mont Saint Michel. Highly recommend doing this beautiful day trip. Absolutely loved it!
(https://keolis-armor.com/en/r2Y-Going-to-Mont-Saint-Michel.html)
so that was also our main reason for choosing La Marinière Hôtel. the hotel is very clean, modern, small but very lovely rooms with a nice view. the staff was very nice and helpful at all times. We would recommend this hotel to anyone we know. 🙂
Merci beaucoup ❤️
It must be some 30 years since I last stayed in this hotel. It has changed considerably! For the better I hasten to add!
I very much enjoyed my stay. A friendly welcome, clean room, comfortable bed and a good breakfast.
Great budget room in an excellent location. Walls are quite thin but the rest of the room was clean and modern
Résidence Ty Mat Pierre & Vacances
| Address | 33 Rue George V, 35400 Saint-Malo |
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| Maps | Click here |
| Website | Click here |
| Opening Hours | — |
| Phone | 02 99 82 29 40 |
Excellent accomodations for families on holiday. In each room, all necessary things are available, you can think that you are living in your own home. All household services are available in this studio apartments like rooms. Recommended.
Well what a GEM. so we ( bike trip ) arrive from Guernsey late due to the fantastic time table currently implemented by the ferry company and no doubt St Malo Tourism, so a port stay is required. We normally stat just in front of this hotel in the Ibis Styles but it was fully booked. Not wanting to go too far we picked this hotel.
It is a self catering style room with kitchenette and bathroom, my room was a double bed in the main area and bunk beds in the entrance hallway with a door between the two. My room was less than 70 euro which is a bargain, great place to stay, basic but perfect for an overnight or a couple of nights.
20 minute walk from the walls. Good size room. Able to park earlier than check in which was helpful.
Not too sure about this one. Staff wasn’t really friendly and my bed was a sofa bed. Location was outside city centre but had nice village vibe to it.
Not much open on Sundays/Mondays. Prob better if you have a car
Basic, overall ok - The room was quite old and not perfectly cleaned. Similarly for the building structure, old and not “warm” or nice at all.
Beds were not made and there are a lot of extra “potential” charges if you (e.g.) don’t clean the kitchen yourself or take out the trash. Parking is also extra and needs to be booked in advance apparently.
Staff at the entrance was ok, helpful but very cold. Fine but expensive for what it is.
Première Classe Saint Malo - Saint Jouan Des Guérets
| Address | 3 Av. du Commerce, 35430 Saint-Jouan-des-Guérets |
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| Maps | Click here |
| Website | Click here |
| Opening Hours | — |
| Phone | 02 99 81 01 28 |
Great service, very clean, well situated.
Reception lady was wonderful and very helpful.
Yes, rooms are small, but ergonomic and very clean.
Clean rooms, very basic but comfy and nicely designed. Good price and location.
This is a motel rather than a hotel, the double bed almost fills the room and the ensuite is almost identical to those you find on cross channel ferries. If you just want a place to sleep on the cheap then it's ok, totally no frills accommodation. The photos were deceptive. All that said, the staff were extremely helpful and attentive.
It looks much better than other Premier Class hotels, the bathroom is clean and has shower gel, the linen looks good, the furniture is not very damaged. The only inconvenience was that the room smelled of cigarettes and the air conditioning did not work.
It's a cheap hotel 15 minutes away from st Malo ferry docks the rooms are very basic but clean and the staff are very friendly it's a good value for money choice if your going to st Malo
SEZAM appart'hôtel Saint-Malo
| Address | 44 Bd de la République, 35400 Saint-Malo |
|---|---|
| Maps | Click here |
| Website | Click here |
| Opening Hours | — |
| Phone | 02 30 88 01 99 |
Group of 12, stayed 3 nights, studio per couple.
Passcodes and room numbers were given to us 1 week before. We arrived late (10:30 pm). All but one code worked; there was an emergency number to call if any problems arose. We used the emergency number to sort out the room, and the English-speaking staff sorted out the problem straight away.
There was communication from the hotel checking we had arrived and again after leaving.
Studios very clean, welcome pack tea, 2 coffee capsules, 2 small biscuits. Washing up liquid, tea towel, bin with bin bag.
Soft clean towels, hand soap and shower gel. 2 toilet rolls.
Nice size under counter fridge no freezer compartment. Kettle and Nespresso machine. Electric fan and good hairdryer.
Front rooms are noisy from the road, back rooms quiet. After 2 nights, the studios' sheets and towels changed, more shower gel and the kitchen bin emptied.
15 to 20 minute walk to centre Intra Muros, or bus stop 2 minutes (Securite Sociale) Ave Aristide Briand. Train station 5 mins walk. Hippodrome 10 - 15mins walk.
Cafes and restaurant in the area, Boulangeries too. Casino supermarket across the road, Lidl about 10 minute walk.
Used Allo taxi's very efficient and very reliable.
Very good experience.
I’m extremely disappointed with how this hotel handled our reservation.
My partner booked an apartment through Booking.com on 18 January for a stay from 3–6 April (Easter long weekend) for my Birthday, and the stay was paid in full at the time of booking. We received confirmation that the reservation was complete.
About 6 weeks later the hotel contacted us saying there had been a “system pricing error” and that the price for our stay now will have to almost double. We were told we would either have to accept the higher rate or cancel the booking.
We explained that we would not cancel a reservation that had already been confirmed and fully paid. The hotel also refused to cancel the booking from their side.
Only after Booking.com became involved did the hotel eventually cancel the reservation themselves and confirm that a refund would be issued.
Unfortunately this meant we had to completely change our plans because prices for that weekend had already increased elsewhere.
In all the years I’ve been booking hotels, I have never had a property come back weeks later and refuse to honour a reservation that was already confirmed and fully paid. This situation was entirely caused by the hotel, yet we were repeatedly asked to cancel the booking ourselves.
While looking into this situation I also noticed two other reviews on Google from around 11 months ago describing a very similar experience involving a “pricing error.”
Based on our experience, a confirmed and fully paid booking here did not guarantee that our stay would actually be honoured. If you are booking well in advance for an important trip or special occasion, I would keep this experience in mind.
Be careful! SEZAM appart'hôtel Saint-Malo doubled their price 6 weeks after I had payed for my reservation and one month before our booking would take place. They told use we either had to pay the extra fees or needed to cancel and find another place. They claim that due to a technical error that we initially received the wrong price, however when reading through reviews you can see that this practice happens quite regularly.
A great apart hôtel. Perfectly located, ideally clean and beautifully decorated. One of the nicest places I've stayed in.
Good location and nicely decorated but we had a room facing a very busy road. As there was no air conditioning (only a small fan) it was impossible to sleep- even with the windows closed as they are poorly insulated. Price was high due to summer peak season (€250/night). There is no service as it’s all operated based on self service which works fine. Cleaning limited to the end of the stay only after check out.
Hôtel Kyriad Saint Malo Plage Vue Mer
| Address | 49 Chau. du Sillon, 35400 Saint-Malo |
|---|---|
| Maps | Click here |
| Website | Click here |
| Opening Hours | Monday: Open 24 hours Tuesday: Open 24 hours Wednesday: Open 24 hours Thursday: Open 24 hours Friday: Open 24 hours Saturday: Open 24 hours Sunday: Open 24 hours |
| Phone | 02 99 56 09 26 |
We had a good experience overall. The hotel was next to the beach and there are good restaurants next door and across the street. Professional and kind staff members. Keep up with the good work. Thank you !
My family of 3 plus a dog stayed 1 night at this hotel when we decided to extend our stay in the area. We came from a 4 star hotel in Dinard and I must say, we enjoyed this hotel better! I booked the family duplex and it had the best ocean view of our entire trip. The room was updated mostly (the bathroom was a bit outdated) and it was so wonderful to just open the door and walk out to the sea past the boardwalk. I also had a lovely time sitting on the patio bar and reading a book, the service was amazing! Highly recommend this hotel for this room specifically.
We as a family were here in the 3rd week of June. We were allowed to check in 5 hours early!!! We are thankful to the kind receptionist for that.
The room was clean, cozy and spacious. The Linen and towels were also clean. The kettle and varieties of tea/coffee sachets were a real comfort. The balcony door opens to the ocean and it was such an enchanting view!!!! It was a great experience to watch the tides go down.in the noon and come back full by evening... The breakfast was great and was also beach-front. The water filter in the common place was also a blessing. The guests have access to the beach from hotel. I would like to visit here again...
We reserved the "quadruple" room with a view for 3 to 4 adults. The view was great but the room felt like a closet. Even when the sofa bed was closed, it was challenging to navigate around our luggage and each other, and the sofa was very uncomfortable. Front desk staff was friendly and helpful and got us a separate room for one night, but there were no other vacancies. The person running the terrace bar, supposed to be open till 1 a.m., closed the terrace around 10, just as as we were enjoying the sunset and told us to leave.
We loved our stay here! The location is wonderful, very close to restaurants and the intra-muros area, and right on the beach. The pillows on the beds were amazing (I would have bought one from the hotel if I didn't have to fly it home). I was worried about noise, as our room was right between the bar and a common toilet, but I couldn't hear any disturbances. Can't wait to come back!
Manoir 1685 Saint Malo
| Address | 15 Rue Guillaume Onfroy, 35400 Saint-Malo |
|---|---|
| Maps | Click here |
| Website | Click here |
| Opening Hours | Monday: 5:00 – 8:00 PM Tuesday: 5:00 – 8:00 PM Wednesday: 5:00 – 8:00 PM Thursday: 5:00 – 8:00 PM Friday: 5:00 – 8:00 PM Saturday: 5:00 – 8:00 PM Sunday: 5:00 – 8:00 PM |
| Phone | 06 67 84 47 43 |
The room is ideal for a family of four. Beds were comfy and bathroom clean.
I would have liked to see a shower curtain and the socket by the kettle was not working.
All in all a lovely place.
Traditional French hotel in a quiet location close to St Malo. Large rooms, well equipped and very clean.
key in a box, code in advance. Nice room well equiped and decorated...ni breakfast fascilities.
The living room area is definitely the highlight of this accommodation. It’s well-furnished and includes everything you might need for a comfortable short-term stay. The space feels inviting and functional, with a good setup for relaxing or working.
However, there are several downsides that affected my overall experience:
Ceiling Height & Space: If you're tall, be prepared to bump your head quite a bit. The ceiling in the bedroom is very low, and both the bedroom and bathroom feel like they were designed for much shorter individuals—more suited for "minions" than average-sized adults.
Safety & Layout Issues: There’s a metallic rod on the floor right between the bedroom and the bathroom door, which I found to be a safety hazard. It’s easy to trip over, especially at night.
Ventilation & Temperature: There's no air conditioning in the bedroom, and even with outside temperatures around 20°C, the room gets extremely hot and uncomfortable.
Security Concerns: There is no proper door to the unit. You access it through a sliding garden door, which made me feel quite unsafe, especially at night.
Room was quite nice and did the job for one night that we stayed. Reception was hard to find, walked around, called and finally had to knock a living room looking door and someone came out. The owner was not friendly. She did the bare minimum, excluding a smile unfortunately.
Tips for Booking a Cheap Hotel in Saint-Malo
Securing a great rate in Saint-Malo requires a bit of strategy. The city is one of the most popular destinations on the French Atlantic coast, and prices reflect that demand. However, by adjusting your timing and knowing where to look, you can save a significant amount of money without ending up in a subpar room.
Travel in the shoulder season. The absolute best way to save money is to avoid July and August. Rates in May, June, September, and early October are often 30% to 50% lower. The weather is usually still pleasant enough for coastal walks, and the restaurants are less crowded, allowing for a more relaxed experience.
Book far in advance for summer, but last minute for winter. If you must travel in high season, book three to six months ahead to lock in the lowest rate before prices surge. Conversely, if you are visiting in the low season (November to March), you can often find excellent last-minute deals as hotels try to fill empty rooms.
Consider the train station district. Hotels near the Gare de Saint-Malo are often significantly cheaper than those inside the walls. The historic center is only a 15-minute walk away, or a very short bus ride. This area is ideal for travelers arriving by TGV or those who want easy access to public transport.
Look for breakfast exclusions. Many budget hotels offer a room-only rate and charge a premium for breakfast. While convenient, hotel breakfasts can cost €10–€15 per person. Instead, walk to a local boulangerie and grab a fresh croissant and coffee for a fraction of the price. This is a classic local habit and saves you money daily.
Check for ferry packages. If you are catching a morning ferry to Jersey, Guernsey, or Portsmouth, some budget hotels offer "ferry packages" that include parking and an early breakfast. These deals are not always advertised on large booking platforms, so it is worth calling the hotel directly or checking the ferry operator’s website.
Choosing a budget hotel in Saint-Malo leaves you with more resources to enjoy what truly matters: walking the ramparts at sunset, tasting the local seafood, and exploring the wild beauty of the Emerald Coast. A smart traveler knows that a hotel is just a place to rest your head; the real magic of Saint-Malo is found outside your door.
