We've been to St Malo 6 times in the past, staying at a different hotel each time. Le Nautilus is definitely our favourite. It may not have the facilities of larger hotels, but if you like small, friendly establishments then you will love Le Nautilus. It is comfortable, spotlessly clean and good value for money. The staff are friendly and helpful and will recommend local places to eat if necessary. Although centrally located, we found it very quiet. It is within easy walking distance of the ferry terminal. We would thoroughly recommend it and hope to return in 2012.

We stayed at Le Nautilus for seven nights in July, having chosen it on the basis of previous Tripadvisor reviews and so went with high expectations. The staff were friendly and helpful, the hotel was spotlessly clean and ideally located within the old city walls and very close to the bus station, ideal for day trips – Dinan is highly recommended.

Any drawbacks to the hotel?

The bedroom we stayed in was basic, the en-suite bathroom included a very small shower, so perhaps avoid if you are tall or generously built.
Being in old town there is nightly street entertainment quite close and this can be audible until quite late at night, not loud enough to disturb but it could be mildly irritating.
There is a bar, but this closed along with the reception desk at about 8.00pm every night, should you lose your key I have no idea how you would get in.
We were unable to use the advertised free Wi-Fi, with either phone or laptop; apparently this is not an uncommon occurrence for British guests.

Would I recommend this hotel? Yes, but with the caveat that any preconceptions garnered from Tripadvisor MUST be tempered with a splash of realism, no matter how good the reviews this is still a two star hotel and therefore its facilities are limited.

Travel tip:
If you're going to St Malo (or indeed anywhere else) from Dinard Airport by taxi try to get through arrivals quickly as taxis can be scarce.

The Nautilus was exactly as described and a good experience. It is very convenient being in the old town and had a lovely ambience about it. The owners could not do enough to make your stay pleasant, their English was excellent and they were very welcoming and friendly. The room was simple but sufficient and very clean. Loved the feel of St Malo for a few days but very expensive. The best meal we had was at Diverscite, good value for money and the street life was very entertaining which was free. Would recommend this hotel.

A small but cozy hotel very well situated between the historic, narrow streets of St Malo. Efficiency and friendliness of staff and even the hotel owner, who is in charge of taking care of guests' needs and give tips on where to eat in town (he also got an adapter to recharge our camera). Great breakfast. Small room but clean. Fair price.