Simon Hotel

The aircon was a problem during our stay, and although staff brought us a fan quickly, it didn’t feel like good value for a 350e suite on this occasion. The staff were very friendly and accommodating, though, and the location was marvellous for a day before a cruise.

The service was very good, and I really loved the view from my room.

The rooms themselves were fine, but the receptionist had us switch rooms three times. In the end, we had to make the beds ourselves to get the two twin rooms we’d booked. The restaurant is okay, just very slow. They serve breakfast and dinner, with no lunch. The hotel is near a dangerous area with drug dealers.

Everything is within walking distance, and the port is beautiful, with polite and pleasant vendors. The hotel rooms are also lovely: very clean, modern, comfortable, with pleasant beds and pillows, spacious beautiful washrooms, ample closet space, a safe, a mini fridge, and tea and coffee in the rooms. The AC worked, so we slept well. We could only book a city view room, which looks toward the mountainside with its buildings and homes. If you can, request a higher floor, since the lower unit faces a parking lot and the view should be more pleasant above. Still, we left disappointed with the restaurant and bar and wouldn’t stay here again. The hotel is beautiful, clean, spacious, and in a great location, so at first we were glad we’d chosen it for our stay at FDF. But the experience at the Boli Bar Terrace left us feeling unwelcome. The website and room amenities booklet say guests can have drinks and Tapas there. We came shortly after dinner for dessert and drinks, but were refused seats on the terrace because, they said, it was ONLY for people eating dinner. They also said drinks and alcohol weren’t allowed there. We were sent to a living room style lounge with comfy enough sofa chairs but very low tables. Our group of four was seated at a table meant for one or maybe two. We accepted because we still wanted to try the menu. It took a while for anyone to take our order. Then we were told the liquor or drinks listed on the menu weren’t available, and that food or desserts couldn’t be ordered in the lounge because it was only for drinks. After some fuss, they let us order dessert, but said we could only pick one, even though we’d chosen two. When we asked why, they just said, "you can only have 1". Another group of four arrived, speaking French, and were welcomed onto the terrace for a bottle of Champagne. Our ONE dessert was a bowl of chopped fruit in sweet sauce, and it came without cutlery. When we asked for forks, they gave us one for the four of us. We ended the night quickly. It was such a downer at the start of our vacation. Maybe you’ll get a better welcome if you’re fully fluent in French, but that experience left a lasting impression that trying the advertised restaurant and bar wasn’t worth it. We’d planned to try their 25 euro per person breakfast the next morning, but decided to avoid the place altogether so our day wouldn’t start with that vibe.