Hotel L'Imperatrice

The meal itself was an adventure. I found Le Impératrice after being turned away from two other places, where they wouldn't serve one person and wouldn't take dollars or credit. At Le Impératrice, the woman said yes to my questions about dining alone and paying by card or dollars. I was relieved. She brought me a caffè latte, then I somehow sent sugar all over the floor when the lid flew off the shaker. I was so embarrassed I wanted to disappear under the colonial tiles. The restaurant is cool and calm, with a colonial feel, and the unusual smell of the wood made me imagine being back in 1935, with ladies in hats and men reading newspapers. I was there with my hungry modern stomach, a translator app, and sugar on my shoes. From my seat I could see the little restaurant that had refused me. If only they'd known I'm a great tipper! Still, as Romans 8:28 says, things can work out for good, even spilled sugar and rejected lunches. Earlier, my husband had gone back to the ship because he wasn't hungry, while I was ready for food and wanted to find something local. I walked along Rue de la Liberté, looking into shops and restaurants, but all the menus were in French and I was struggling to understand them. At two places, they looked at me and then turned away, perhaps because I was alone. I felt like the lonely sheep from Luke 15 wandering through Martinique. Thank God for technology: I used ChatGPT to translate, tried my brave French, and got refused at the first place. Andrew, our tour guide, had mentioned Le Impératrice, so I walked in with ChatGPT in hand and asked if they served one person and took dollars and credit cards. Yes, yes, and yes! I nearly quoted Psalm 23 about a table being prepared for me, especially since there was air-conditioning. I wanted to share a taste of local life, and this is as local as I can get for now. I haven't met many English speakers here, just the waiter at this hotel, but that makes the adventure sweeter. I'll try another local delicacy on my next walk. This experience adds to my trip, it doesn't take away from it. Now I've got a story seasoned with humor, faith, and hopefully a very good dessert.

I don't speak French, but they have menus in English, and the food is divine. Everyone was super friendly and professional. I'd recommend this place 100%.

The location is perfect, though definitely not for a good night's sleep. There's noise around the clock, from the bars and restaurants across the street as well as the cleaners and the person getting breakfast ready at 5.30 am. The rooms are clean but a bit dated, the bathroom worked but looked like an amateur had built it, and the internet and a/c were good. Breakfast was tasty and didn't disappoint, and the staff were friendly. I had trouble with the pre-arranged airport transfer, and reviews suggest I wasn't the only one. The hotel charges 35,- for it, but it didn't go as planned. After waiting 45 minutes and trying to call the hotel, I ended up taking a taxi anyway. There are plenty available, so I'd take one straight away. I also had trouble reaching the hotel at the number on its website.

The corner rooms with a large balcony are the ones to hope for. From there, you can watch the bustle in the street. This hotel feels like a time capsule, with its architecture, furniture, and style taking you back to the late fifties, when it opened as international tourism was just getting started.