We needed a stopover on the drive back from near the Spanish border and settled on the Mercure in Orleans partly to give us the opportunity of seeing an unfamiliar French town. We have stayed at hotels from several levels of the Accor chain and have generally been satisfied even by the eyewateringly expensive Sofitel in New York where we had fewer problems than M Strauss-Kahn. The Mercure brand is their mid-range offering; for that you get reasonably spacious accommodation and a relatively sophisticated bathroom. The latter was excellent with a really effective shower and plenty of space. The bedroom was roomy and functional in a slightly stark scandinavian style. The bed was comfortable and although the room was close to the road double glazing worked effectively - or at least it did on a Sunday evening followed by a Monday public holiday.

The hotel's location overlooking the River Loire is striking but unfortunately our room was on the side of the hotel which meant we only had a neck-craning, oblique, view of the river. There is a small swimming pool which we didn't patronise on a terrace overlooking the Loire. In fact we made no use of any hotel services other than the bedroom and the secure parking. That didn't indicate a lack of confidence in the facilities and services so much as our intention to spend the stopover taking in Orleans. Previous experience of the chain suggests they offer modest but acceptable eating and drinking. What was a positive was the extremely helpful reception which cheerfully and efficiently offred advice on where to eat in the city centre; invaluable in urban France in August when many [probably most] restaurants take a holiday.

Unless you get a special offer this isn't a particularly cheap stopover. We paid around £100 for the room alone and you can certainly stay more cheaply in Orleans or in out of town logis. However for us after two days of driving, overnight stops in charming but slightly whimsical country hotels and a full-on self-catering fortnight with the extended family there was something comforting and relaxing about the slightly spartan, functional calmness of the Mercure. As booking on the Accor website [includes Ibis, Novotel, Sofitel and Pullman] is straightforward and what you get is predictable we are very likely to use the Mercure chain [or its siblings] again and I would certainly recommend it as worth thinking about for either a stopover or possibly a weekend. Orleans is a fine old city and convenient for travel along the Loire; this would make a good base for that kind of tourism.