Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco is at the less unusual end of the unusual accommodation spectrum, but it’s a charming red brick complex built in the style of English terrace houses. The Grand Mercure isn’t in Nelson, but in the suburb of Monaco, it’s five minutes drive from the airport and about 15 minutes drive to Nelson city centre.

Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco

The Grand Mercure has a mix of hotel rooms, one bedroom studios and one and two bedroom cottages.

We’re members of the Accor Plus programme and last year I wrote about some of the advantages to membership. One of those advantages was that we used points we’d accumulated to stay at the Grand Mercure for four nights (plus paid $62). We booked a hotel room (the cheapest option) but on arrival were upgraded to a one bedroom studio so the Accor Plus card provided excellent value for our four night stay.

Our one bedroom studio was furnished in a classic style and had floral touches in the bedroom and living area in keeping with the English theme.

One bedroom studio at Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco

The bathroom looked to be newly tiled and was modern. The kitchenette was well equipped and included a washer/dryer combo hidden behind closed doors.

Kitchenette in a one bedroom studio at Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco

The large complex is a mix of guest accommodation, privately owned units, and a few small businesses – jeweler, hair and beauty salon, and bridal studio.

Also onsite is The Monaco Kitchen, it’s built in the same English style but the interior is more modern. The restaurant isn’t that big so if you want to have dinner there I recommend making a reservation.

The Monaco Kitchen, Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco

The menu at The Monaco Kitchen is built for sharing and includes small and large plates, and feasts. We’re not the sort of people to turn down the chance of a feast so we ordered a dhal curry served with wholemeal roti, onion and parsnip pakora, raita, rice and tamarind chutney. It was a lovely meal and at $40 was also great value for two.

Dhal curry feast at The Monaco Kitchen

We’d happily stay at Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco again. While the hotel isn’t in Nelson, it’s a convenient place to stay if you’re heading out to Mapua or the Golden Bay, and it’s 4km from the World of WearableArt & Classic Cars Museum and 5km from the airport.

The Monaco Kitchen at Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco

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