Florella Achard

The staff let us use their office phones each day to call home after the break-in, and they changed the locks. Still, they seemed remarkably unsurprised and unconcerned when we reported what had happened, which made us wonder if this is a common occurrence. Knocks at the door around 11 PM during the last two nights made things worse. The owners called it security, though we hadn't seen anyone on the first two nights, and checks that late felt uncomfortable and unprofessional. We chose the apartment for its location, five minutes on foot from the train station and 15 from the beach. That was accurate, but the town beyond the station felt unsafe to us. There was rubbish along the streets and groups of people on corners. We often felt followed on the walk back, and people were sometimes gathered by the entrance, which only had a key code. During our first night someone entered the apartment and took our phones, money, bags, and nearly all our valuables. We were left with our clothes. It was the most traumatic holiday we could have imagined. The building's fire safety was very poor. Bars and wooden shutters covered the windows, so they couldn't be used to escape, and there was no second way out if the single staircase was blocked. There were no fire doors. Although there was a smoke alarm, we never saw it flash to show it was working. The corridor was dark and smelled damp, with just one spiral staircase serving the rooms. Room No. 311 looked cared for at first, but closer inspection showed it hadn't been cleaned thoroughly. That's especially poor given the 35 EUR cleaning fee on top of the booking cost. We only learned after arriving that we had to clean the kitchen ourselves before leaving, which may explain the state of the kitchenware. The kitchen also lacked basics like baking trays and measuring jugs, and there were no oven gloves. The hob and oven looked modern but took a long time to cook anything. The microwave had no instructions and was so complicated it was almost unusable. The safe in the room came without instructions. We had been shown how to use the key safe outside, but not the one indoors. By the time we realised, we couldn't get in touch with Florella, so we couldn't use it on the first night when we really needed it. The bathroom itself met expectations, but the water pressure throughout the building was so weak that a warm shower meant a trickle, and getting hot washing-up water took a lot of patience. The boiler in our bathroom made loud noises repeatedly through the night. The beds could apparently be arranged as a double or two singles, but there was only a double mattress and one duvet, so separate beds weren't actually possible. The one clear positive inside the apartment was the effective air conditioning. We were disappointed by the whole stay and wouldn't want anyone else to go through a week like ours. If you're booking, we'd suggest looking on the beach side of the train station. It might cost more, but we found it much safer and more comfortable.

The apartment kept us cool after long, hot days outside, thanks to the air conditioning, which was the best part. We were three adults and had two floors, plus a terrace with a table and chairs. Inside there was an open kitchen with appliances, Wi-Fi, a TV with French channels only, a dining table, one double bed, and a large sofa bed in the living area. It's close to Cannes' popular spots and about a five-minute walk from the famous French Riviera beach, la croisette. Getting upstairs was a drawback, as there was no lift and the circular staircase was heavy to climb. The WC area was small, though the shower was large. Our upper floor had a wooden staircase that didn't feel safe for young children, or for anyone who wasn't watching their step. I don't know whether the other apartments have the same stairs. All in all, thumbs up.

Handy spot for getting around, with the beach, local restaurants, and both the bus and train stations close by.

Okay.