Grand Hôtel Richelieu

The breakfast was excellent, with freshly squeezed juice, a good selection of fruit, and eggs made however you like. The young man serving it was wonderful, always smiling and providing excellent service, which made mornings a real pleasure. The sea view was beautiful too. But the hotel itself is very old and poorly maintained. Our room was extremely small, with furniture and fixtures falling apart. The outdated air conditioning rattled constantly and was so noisy I couldn't sleep. The mattress was old and sagging, and the bed had only two thin sheets, no proper duvet. I found a blanket tucked in the wardrobe, but it didn't feel clean or welcoming. The bathroom was tiny and very dated, with barely enough room to move. Despite the view and kind breakfast staff, the room's condition makes the hotel hard to recommend. I wouldn't stay here again.

We paid for a nonrefundable Booking.com stay from July 25 to 27, but we were coming from Lebanon and had to move our trip to September because of the uncertain situation in the Middle East and cancelled flights. We weren't asking for our money back. We asked to shift the dates and were happy to pay the same July rate. Booking.com customer service said it was fine with them if the hotel agreed. We sent three requests and called twice, including speaking with the receptionist, but the hotel turned us down each time, very rudely. I've never dealt with such an inflexible, intolerant response. We paid for the room and only wanted to change when we used it. It feels like they're keeping our money without any willingness to help.

Being able to walk everywhere was the best part of our stay. The hotel is at the end of Arcachon's busiest street and only seconds from the beach, and the staff were friendly and helpful. They lent us beach towels and umbrellas, and let us leave our bags at reception before we left. The room itself was less satisfying: the carpet felt unhygienic after the tiny shower soaked the bathroom floor, and we found a huge insect in the bathroom. There was no ventilation in either the bathroom or toilet, and cleaning could have been better. We were still happy with our stay, though the price felt a little high for the bathroom size and cleanliness.

We had a lovely ocean view, a nice bed, and very helpful service. The breakfast was great too, especially the croissants and omelettes. It's a charming, slightly old house with character, close to the beach. The only drawback for us was the small toilet.