Résidence Le Virginia by Popinns

This is really apartments rather than a hotel, so don’t expect daily room service, towel changes, fresh sheets, or cleaning. Guests are responsible for cleaning. You need to buy dish soap, sponges, toilet paper, and napkins. If you run out of toilet paper, getting more isn’t easy, and you may have to pay for it. A hoover is provided free, and towels and sheets are changed weekly. The rooms are standard. For two people there’s a double bed with two mattresses, a bathroom, closet, fully equipped kitchen, and balcony. The four-person room has two single beds, a couch, a folding bed, kitchen, toilet, bathroom, and balcony. Views vary by room location. Each room has a working hair dryer and TV. The tub has only a half-length glass panel, so water can easily splash onto the floor. The building’s walls are very thin, and things are quiet after 8pm, so it’s not suited to noisy guests. There are lots of mosquitoes by the main entrance, so I wouldn’t linger there. The pool is on level -1, clean, and has umbrellas and chaises-longues. There’s also a lavatory room for 10€. The provided detergent doesn’t dissolve well, and the dryer isn’t very effective, though every balcony has a drying loft. Breakfast is mostly sweet food, such as croissants, nutella, madeleines, and flavoured yogurts, so it may not suit healthy eaters. There are alternatives like apples, cereal and milk, bread, butter, and jam, plus coffee, milk, and different teas. I was part of a group of 16 staying at Le Virginia. One day, half of us needed a later breakfast, and the reception was told the day before so it could be rearranged. The first group, including me, ate without a problem. The second group was refused food and had their cups and drinks taken away because staff said they’d already exceeded their allotted amount, even though they hadn’t eaten. Our group had paid breakfast for 20 people, so there should have been enough. It didn’t happen again after serious complaints were made to reception. The room keys are cards, and tenants get two in a metal box meant to protect them from radiation near phones and similar devices. The cards work poorly. They only seem to work if you insert them and remove them slowly while tilting them towards you. That shouldn’t be necessary, but that’s how it is. The accommodation sits quite low in Grasse. To get up to the centre, you can walk uphill or catch one of the many buses from the stop nearby. In general, it’s okay for a few days, but I wouldn’t recommend it for a long stay.

TRAVELERS BEWARE OF THEFT I brought a palm-sized laser hair remover worth $500 US dollars, and it was gone when I packed to leave. I searched and they searched. I’d been there for a month, in rooms #302 and #303. When I emailed to follow up, I got no response. On the phone, April said she wasn’t surprised I’d lost it because my room was left in a mess. Really? I cleaned the kitchen in both rooms and paid 50 euros to have the rest of both apartments cleaned when I left. Cyril the director inspected both rooms, and I got my 250.00 euro cleaning deposit back. Don’t expect a warm greeting. I paid the 6 euros the night before, said hello and introduced myself as Angela, and April gave me a disgusted look. I then said in French that my name was Angela and I’d ordered breakfast, but there wasn’t any for me. April ridiculed me over an alleged non-payment, which was just a misdirected lie. This is an isolated hilltop rat maze that even locals can’t find, and I had to go out of my way to avoid being singled out at the front desk. I don’t think they like Americans. They don’t mention when selling you the room that people smoke tobacco and weed in and around the rooms 25/7. There are so many rules here, and God help you if you break one. I have no legal recourse for the theft, and didn’t report it to police because I hoped the laser would turn up. After hearing April B's unprofessional, uncalled-for, nasty attitude, I can only say: know what you’re getting into.

Stay somewhere else if you can.

A lovely room in a beautiful place.