Hotel Le Dauphin

The location is good and Arcachon is beautiful, but the hotel was very disappointing. When we mentioned that the balcony door wouldn't lock properly, the shower head had to be held, and the curtains were hard to close, reception didn't seem very interested or helpful. We left at 5am and there was no outside light, so we had to feel our way down the stairs in the dark.

I stayed here while on tour, and there was plenty of parking. It's dog-friendly too. The staff were really nice and helpful. The rooms were clean, though a little small and old-fashioned, and there are quite a lot of stairs. Breakfast was okay, with nice pastries, but I would've liked more fresh food options.

We booked for two adults but were given a tiny room meant for one. There was no refrigerator, and the air conditioning didn't work. On arrival we asked about using the pool, only to be told it was closed that day and the receptionist didn't know when it would reopen. That was a nasty surprise in 30-degree heat. The women at reception were unpleasant and unwilling to help, and could barely speak a little English, even though reception said they spoke English and Spanish. Booking on the hotel's website was deliberately more expensive than on Booking, leaving no cancellation option while they kept some money. We had problems with everything and were really disappointed. This hotel is a SCAM, and I clearly wouldn't recommend it.

The rooms were quiet and tidy, and the staff were quick to answer our questions about Arcachon. I liked the old-fashioned elegance, especially the marble floors and high ceilings.