Urban Style Biarritz Hôtel du Relais

For a budget stay that's friendly and central, this hotel fits the bill. The staff helped however they could, even printing documents and arranging a taxi to the airport for our red-eye home. There's a small shop nearby, and the beach is a 10-minute walk away.

The hotel was nice and clean, and the staff were friendly. Finding it was a bit difficult because the website doesn't work very well. The WiFi connection wasn't good either, and I think the continental breakfast could have more options.

If I could give zero stars, I would. We booked through TripAdvisor, but when we arrived, the manager said they had no record of it and blamed the platform. We called TripAdvisor and Amoma for an explanation. They said they had contacted the hotel, which told them we never showed up for check-in, even though the hotel had already charged us. I called the hotel myself, and the manager's response was, “Figure it out on your own, that's not my problem. If you want, you can press charges.” I've worked in hospitality, and I've never seen such unprofessional behavior. It makes me wonder if they pretend bookings haven't come through so they can sell the room for more. The hotel has rewritten its reply to me in English so everyone can understand it, so I feel I have the same right to respond. There's a huge difference between us, though: I don't need Google Translate to translate my comments.

The courtyard outside my room is in the photo. This excellent boutique hotel is well placed for both the beach and town center. The staff couldn't have been more helpful, and Jean-Yves is a delight who'll do anything for his guests.