Les Gardians (ARE202)

The park itself wasn't much to look at, with lots of old, unclean houses, but the apartment was very good for the price. It was small, though it had what we needed to cook dinner, clean up with the little dishwasher, and keep food and drinks in a large fridge with a small freezer. It was clean, the bed was fine, and we could sit on the balcony in the evening. The pools were quite large and very quiet when we visited in September. Wi-Fi worked steadily, though it wasn't fast. Getting to Arles is easier by bike, so consider renting or bringing one. Parking is difficult because it gets busy, while the ride takes about 20 minutes.

The pool hours made no sense to me, 10 am to 7 pm, even with the sun out. We had a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit, but both bathrooms were inside bedrooms, so the man on the sofa had to go through his aunt's room. The toilet room was unbelievably tiny, and the bedrooms and kitchen weren't much better. You also have to make the beds yourself, then bring all the linens to the office when you leave or they charge you. I wish I could give this place zero stars.

Unfortunately, there's no way to reach the hotel by email.

The grounds, with their little lake, were lovely, and the location worked really well for seeing the area's best-known places. It's close to central Arles and shops. We were there as a couple in April, when it was quiet. We didn't use the pool, and the spa and hammam were closed. Our apartment was modern, very clean, air-conditioned, and had a terrace. The bathroom and toilet were spacious and had a window, useful since there was no ventilation system in the apartment. For a place listed for three, storage and kitchen space were lacking. There was just one tiny wardrobe, though room for another, and no free cupboard space for food because all the cabinets held dishes. We could reach the pots and pans on the top shelves because we're tall. The capsule coffee machine was the George Clooney kind. The apartment felt small for three: the double bed was in the living area, about a metre from the kitchen and dining table, which was very small for three.