Mont St Michele

You might check Booking.com, inputting your budget. Without knowing that or anything else about what is important to you in lodging, it's hard to make a suggestion.

The search box top center here may show you some past posts discussing the plusses and minuses of spending the night at MSM, and the differences between staying ON the island, just beside the island on the mainland, and a B&B nearby with a rental car. There are also comments on room quality and food choice at night on the island.

We visited for a few hours in the daytime, then drove our rental car to our next stop.

Nothing compares to staying ON Mont St Michel. It is magical. So what if the hotel isn’t 5 Star, so what if the food isn’t Michelin Star. It’s Mont St Michel. No place else on earth like it. We love it.

Thank you, where did you stay?

We agree with Susan. It's really a special place. The island is full of passageways and staircases that are fun to explore, especially after the day trippers leave in late afternoon - even at night if you're feeling adventurous. Taking a tour of the Abbey adds another dimension, especially if the night time light show has started by the time you're there in May. We've stayed a bunch of times, always on the island.
Many people don't think it's worthwhile to stay on the island. I think it's a matter of romance. If you enjoy some emotion in your travels, even a bit of magic, I believe you will love staying on Mont St Michel.

We have stayed in several of the hotels. I can't say that any one stood out. They tend to have small, pricey rooms and you'll carry your own luggage up (possibly several flights) to your room.
If you want to splurge on top of the splurge, consider getting one of the rooms with a terrace, from La Vieille Auberge. You get to relax on your own terrace, high up on the Mont.
I've never heard anyone describe the food as exceptional, but you really don't go to this place for the food. I'll be glad to talk with you more if you want to message me.

Bob……….. 👍

Everything Sue and Bob said. I suspect all those who claim it isn't worth staying on the Mont itself have never really done it themselves.

Phil, I didn't advise against staying, I simply pointed out that there are plusses and minuses. Anything false about that?

Let's see, the hotel room stinks, the food stinks, but you get to pretend you are a medieval pilgrim? And, most important on this newsboard, you are there before the busses arrive with daytrippers. Plus, if you have a car, you can go to the Alligator Farm on the "strip" in Pontorson!

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/mont-st-michele-d6ceb46b-4995-4217-969b-02b1a767b56b

FWIW we had dinner at the hotel nearest the Abbey years ago; I greatly regret that we didn't stay on the Mont. The food was perfectly fine. Typical French 3 course menu; not a gourmet spectacular but perfectly fine. I had lamb; my husband had fish; it was fine.

I don't think the rooms stink. They tend to be small and pricey. But I have stayed in smaller rooms in France and definitely have stayed in less charming rooms.
I also don't think the food stinks. To say that I haven't heard it described as exceptional is not the same as saying it stinks. There is a lot of territory between not-exceptional and stinks. Janettravels is a widely experienced tourist and describes it as perfectly fine.
Thank heavens we have never crossed paths with anyone pretending to be a midieval pilgrim. Or maybe they just aren't there. Again, a lot of territory between enjoying emotion/romance/magic and pretending to be a pilgrim.
Personally, I like watching towns wake up. So before the day trippers arrive is a time I enjoy. But the best part of staying on the island is after the day trippers leave.

In a direct answer to your question:

We stayed at the Auberge Saint Pierre (3 stars) on the Grand Rue (the only Main Street in town.)
It was fine for one night.(and that's all the time you need to spend there, as the place is small.)
The best reason to stay overnight is so you can attend the prayer service with the monks and nuns early in the AM before the day tourists arrive and you get to walk around the town in the dusk after the day tourists leave. Plus touring the abbey when it first opens at 9:00 am avoids the crowd.

Tim, my post wasn't directed at you or your comments. But many previous posters and some very popular podcasters have recommended against staying on the island itself, or at least said the off-island experience is equivalent (after not staying on island themselves). I respectfully disagree.

I think this is a website for the local region, which has a section for accomodations.

https://www.ot-montsaintmichel.com/en/plan-your-stay/our-accomodations/accomodation-at-mont-saint-michel/

We stayed at Mouton Blanc, but checked in at Les Terasses Poulard (possibly they are owned by the same company). We arrived late afternoon, toured the Abbey starting about two hours before it closed (it was not crowded by then) and managed to get squeezed into a restaurant that was still open when we came out. (Back up plan would have been to take the shuttle across to the mainland for supper.) We greatly enjoyed walking around in the evening, as well as through the abbey.

My favorite part of visiting MSM was wandering around after the day visitors left. We had two rooms for our group at Les Terrasses Poulard in June 2022, one in the main hotel and one in the annex. If you consider that hotel, I would try to stay in the annex. There was a nice breeze and a view of the coast from that room. Our room in the main hotel was musty and the window opened on a ground level courtyard that made you feel uneasy with the window open. But the room became very stuffy with the window closed.

I’m curious how one drives around the Mont?

No one here has ignored how crowded Mont St Michel gets (roughly between 10:30-5:00, it’s been referenced, and why some people recommend spending the night there to enjoy it between 5pm and 11am the next day. And May will be better than mid-June to September.

Add Venice to the list of places that have just had the soul crushed out of them by too many tourists. I have visited MSM twice—once staying just off-island and going in for the day, and once staying on the island. I totally love this place, but probably and sadly will not visit it again unless I can stay on the island itself again. I will actually be driving from Saint-Malo to upper Normandy in June next year, so I'll practically be driving right by it. But it is not worth a stop mid-day in my book. YMMV.

BTW, I have visited Paris a dozen times and have never gone to Versailles for the same reason.

Phil, i’ve been to Versailles 30+ times and only once was the Palace crowded inside when i was there, it’s all about timing. I’ve been many times and practically had the place to myself. And the grounds, my favorite part, are never crowded. Just be sure to avoid “Fountain Days”. I think you’re usually in France in June, that does make it tougher to avoid crowds, but 1st week of June is better than the rest of June-Sept. And Wed, Thurs are best. We always rent bikes and ride all over, very fun.

Some great discussions here, and I'm going to show my naïveté. How far in advance do you realistically need to make a reservation on the island in March or April?