Where to stay in Nantes? Best districts+ Hotels -

Looking for the best place to stay in Nantes?

Follow the guide, we’ve tested, listed and detailed for you the best areas to stay in Nantes as well as the best accommodation in this city we love.

⏰ Don’t have time to read everything?

Here are the best areas to stay in Nantes with hotels ranging from luxury to cheap. They all have excellent reviews and are very well located!

🚨 Note : These hotels are among the most popular so don’t delay booking. Plus, they offer free cancellation, so don’t worry if you change your mind

🛎️ Best upmarket hotel: Radisson Blu Nantes
❤️ Best value for money: Maisons du monde
💸 Best budget hotel: Résidence la chantrerie
👪Best family hotel: Hotel Voltaire Opera
🚄Best hotel near the station: Mercure Nantes Gare

🌃Find other accommodation at the best price

Table des matières

The city centre, the best place to stay in Nantes

The city centre of Nantes is also the historic centre, and this is where most of the city’s tourist attractions are concentrated. In this area, your first stop is likely to be the Place du Commerce, a lively and pleasant place where you’ll find plenty of restaurants.

You’ll also find a number of establishments where you can sample the local cuisine, as well as markets where you can buy quality produce. When it comes to sightseeing, we obviously recommend the Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul. Built in the 15th century, it was not really completed until 1893. You can see the tomb of François II, the last Duke of Brittany. The crypts are also well worth a visit. Here you can discover the cathedral treasure and a permanent exhibition tracing the cathedral’s history.

Here are our favourite hotels in this part of Nantes

Upscale

Radisson Blu Nantes: The Radisson BLU Hotel, Nantes is located in the city centre, 1 km from the Loire River. Rooms are uniquely designed with furniture by Jean-Philippe Nuel. They feature a private bathroom, flat-screen TV and free Wi-Fi internet access. Breakfast is served every morning and can be served in your room. The restaurant serves traditional cuisine with a modern touch. The bar is open every day. See availability and prices on Booking.com.

Best value for money

❤️ Maisons du monde: Located in the city centre of Nantes, the Maisons du Monde Hotel & Suites – Nantes is next to the TGV train station. It offers beautiful soundproofed rooms equipped with all the necessary amenities. The hotel is within walking distance of the city’s main attractions, including the Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul cathedral and the Château des Ducs de Bretagne. See availability and prices on Booking.com.

Cheap hotel

City residence Nantes la chantrerie: Located on the outskirts of Nantes, this residence hotel is 750 metres from the Erdre river and 3 km from the Château de l’Epinay. Guests have free access to the on-site gym. The modern flats feature en suite facilities with a multi-jet shower and heated towel rail. You can prepare homemade meals in the kitchen using the cooker, microwave and fridge. A pre-packed breakfast is available at an additional cost. See availability and prices on Booking.com

5 things to do and see in the city centre

La Psalette
Crêperie Au Vieux Quimper
Cathédrale Saint-Pierre
POKAWA Poké bowls
Natural History Museum

Rezé, the best tourist area to visit Nantes

Would you like to discover Nantes and the surrounding area? Located in the south of the city, Rezé is well worth a visit. You can get there by river, by river shuttle or by tramway lines 2 or 3. There’s no shortage of ideas for local visits. In particular, you can visit a fine example of contemporary art, the Pendulum. This work by Roman Signer is seven metres long.

We also recommend a visit to the Chronographe. Located on the Saint-Lupien archaeological site, it’s just a stone’s throw from the old Gallo-Roman port district and will allow you to retrace the history of the ancient city of Ratiatum, discovered during archaeological digs in Rezé. Numerous digital and interactive tools make the visit both instructive and fun.

Built in 1955, the Maison Radieuse is also well worth a visit. The second house designed by Le Corbusier, it enabled him to redevelop his particular building system, a revolutionary principle at the time of its appearance. Finally, why not spend a few hours in the former fishing village of Trentemoult? Now a marina, it’s ideal for a pleasant break by the river. You’re sure to love its charming little streets, colourful houses and warm atmosphere.

Here are our favourite hotels in this part of Nantes

Upscale

Best value for money

Cheap hotel

5 things to see and do in Havenwijk-Noord

The Pendulum
The Chronograph
Sint-Pietersplein
La Maison Radieuse Le Corbusier
Hubertine-Auclerc Garden

The station and the botanical garden, a very practical neighbourhood

The Nantes Botanic Garden is one of the largest botanic gardens in France. It covers an area of 7,328 hectares. It is structured in the English style, with several bodies of water as well as bridges, numerous sculptures and pavilions. It’s great all year round, but if you want to take full advantage of all its beauty, we obviously recommend a visit in spring.

The site is home to over 10,000 species of plant, including an excellent collection of camellias that has made it famous the world over. There are no major tourist sites in the station area, but it does have the advantage of being close to many of Nantes’ points of interest, which will make your visits easier.

These include, of course, the Musée des Arts de Nantes, where you can admire fine collections of ancient art, as well as works from the 19th century. There are also important collections of modern and contemporary art. We can also recommend a visit to the Porte Saint-Pierre. This is considered to be one of the best-preserved remains of Nantes’ old city walls. It dates from the 15th century and was surrounded by two towers.

Here are our favourite hotels in this part of Nantes

Upscale

Best value for money

Cheap hotel

5 things to see and do at the train station and botanical garden

Botanical garden
Nantes Museum of Art
Porte Saint-Pierre
The Café de l’Orangerie
Dépodépo

The Ile de Nantes, a dynamic, young district

The Ile de Nantes is a must-see. It must be said that the district has everything going for it: situated between the two arms of the Loire, it is vast, green and one of the most pleasant areas in which to live. Once highly industrial, it is now home to many innovative and young companies, making it a very dynamic place to be.

On the Ile de Nantes, you can also see the famous Machines de l’île. These mechanical creatures, taken from the novels of Jules Verne, the famous classical author born in Nantes, are highly poetic and impressive. A veritable bestiary awaits you. You can also take advantage of your visit to see the Buren rings. There are 18 of them, set up along the river and the Quai des Platanes. At night, they are illuminated by coloured lights.

In terms of green spaces, you can take a break in the heart of Beaulieu park, or in the Fonderie garden. These former covered market halls, transformed into an exotic garden, are home to no fewer than 100 species that have acclimatised to the climate of Nantes.

Here are our favourite hotels in this part of Nantes

Top of the range

Best value for money

Cheap hotel

5 things to do and see on the Ile de Nantes

The Machines de L’Ile
Buren rings
Parc Beaulieu
Jardin de la fonderie
Barnabé – Boulangerie Pâtisserie

Hauts Pavés Saint Félix, ideal for nightlife

Bordered by the banks of the River Erdre, the Hauts Pavés Saint Félix district is a green area. It offers an excellent environment for its residents, but also appeals to visitors passing through the town. It’s also a great place for events and entertainment. For example, there are no fewer than five concert halls.

The historic Place Viarme and the Talensac market are also well worth a visit. Of course, we also recommend a visit to the Ile de Versailles. This artificial island was created in 1831 and has been linked to the mainland since 1845. In the past, it was occupied by fishermen, tanners, carpenters… In 1986, the town council bought it and created a magnificent Japanese garden!

Here are our favourite hotels in this part of Nantes

Upscale

Best value for money

Cheap hotel

5 things to see and do in Hauts Pavés Saint Félix

Place Viarme
Miséricorde Cemetery
Parc des Capucins
Talensac market
Emma Pâtisserie Bakery

Dervallières-Zola, a quiet residential district

Situated just a stone’s throw from the Loire and the beautiful River Chézine, this is the city’s second most densely populated district. It is very residential and therefore quieter, especially as it is home to a number of parks and promenades along the river. Among these, we particularly recommend a visit to the Parc de Procé. Designed in 1866 by landscape architect Dominique Noisette, it covers an area of 12 hectares and is remarkable for its great romanticism. Nearby, you’ll find the Chézine viaduct and the Jules Caesar bridge.

5 things to see and do at Dervallières-Zola

The Loire
River Chézin
Parc Procé
Fournilière vegetable garden
Petit Breton velodrome stadium

Saint-Pasquier, the best district for going out

Saint-Félix is a charming area close to the centre of Nantes. Its proximity to Nantes’ public transport network gives it easy access to the city centre. What’s more, this district, which is close to the Faculté des Sciences campus, is mainly populated by young students.

Not far from the banks of the River Erdre, this area offers a green environment where pedestrians, runners, mountain bikers and sports enthusiasts can all enjoy outdoor activities. The Ile Versailles park is also a great place to recharge your batteries.

5 things to do and see in Saint-Pasquier

The 23
National Choreographic Center De Nantes
Stade de Procé
Stade Nantais
SNUC Tennis

As a bonus, here’s another hotel we love in Nantes, especially if you’ve come to visit as a family with children:

Okko Hotels Nantes Château: Located in Nantes city centre, just 900 metres from the train station and exhibition centre, the Okko Hotels Nantes Château offers a 24-hour reception and free Wi-Fi. The hotel has 12 private parking spaces, subject to availability and charges. Please contact the hotel to check availability.

Neighbourhoods to avoid in Nantes

Bellevue: To the west of Nantes, the Bellevue district is home to a concentration of social housing in housing estates where blocks of flats are the only decorative features… This district has been classified as a priority since 2012, and has recently seen an increase in the number of national police officers.

Malakoff: This district lies at the heart of the city of Nantes. It is a multi-faceted district, with an ideal location close to the centre, between the Loire valley and the Erdre valley, near the Musée des Arts, the Jardin des Plantes and the railway station. Schools, gymnasium, shops… This district has just benefited from an urban renewal plan. However, insecurity is still rife and growing. In fact, this neighbourhood, which has been classified as a priority security zone, has been the focus of a deployment of everyday security police as part of the drive to regain the republican identity of its neighbourhoods.