Nuits Saint-Pierre in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon Hotel Review

Arriving by ferry to Saint-Pierre and Miquelon — a quirky French outport off the southern coast of Newfoundland — I was greeted by Michel Clément and whisked to the five-room boutique hotel he manages. It’s barely 240 metres to Nuits Saint-Pierre, but who doesn’t love a warm welcome and chance to grill a local about what to do and where to eat? This five-room boutique hotel is on the upper two levels of a restored heritage home above a Mediterranean bistro called Café de La Gare that makes pizza on the evenings that it’s open.

Value for Money

I stayed in the Molière Room (named for the French playwright/actor), which boasted a king bed, sofa bed, premium pillow-top mattresses, bedding and linen from a prestigious French linen manufacturer, a flat-screen TV and free WiFi. The other three rooms honour literary greats Marcel Proust, Alphonse de Lamartine and Pierre de Ronsard, while the junior suite is named for Victor Hugo. Special packages may be geared to honeymooners or lovers, but everyone can request charcuterie, cheese, olives, baguette, wine and beer. This is helpful in a small town where dinner reservations are needed because of limited restaurants. A light breakfast is included so expect to wake up to fresh baguettes and pastries from a local bakery. Shuttles from the airport or ferry terminal, as well as laundry, can be arranged.

Safety + Accessibility

While there’s no reception desk and the manager doesn’t stay overnight at this downtown hotel, he’s just a phone call away and his emergency contact is provided. You will have to navigate three steps from the street to the hotel entrance, and then more from inside to get to the second or third floor.

The Story

Nuits Saint-Pierre loves to share the history of its building. A devastating fire destroyed one-third of the town in 1939, including Joséphine and Georges Pannier’s house. They rebuilt using bricks instead of wood and devoted the first floor to a general store while saving the second and third floors for their family residence. Now the boutique hotel plays up its French connections. Decorated with gold and silver hues, the Proust Room was inspired by one of the most famous lines in French literature — “Longtemps, je me suis couché de bonne heure” (For a long time, I went to bed early). No matter what room you’re in, it’s a line that will likely resonate.