RELAIS THALASSO Hendaye Hôtel Serge Blanco

The staff were excellent, and the location is incredible. The room was OK, but for this price I expected more. The Thalasso is old, quite small, and unfortunately pretty dirty, with rust, ceiling stains, dust on the ventilation system and pipes, and a very dirty hamam floor. I counted about five recliner chairs for the whole centre. Parking in the hotel car park costs 16€ per day. All in all, just OK, and I expected more.

We spent a few relaxing hours at the marine spa, with saltwater pools, a jacuzzi, and sauna, plus a beautiful view. It was affordable, and on a cold, rainy day it was perfect. The vestiaires were clean, with private stalls. Recommend!

The fire alarm went off repeatedly between 3 and 6 am, and things were chaotic until we found out it was a sensor fault. At checkout, they first said we'd get 15% off the night. When the receptionist saw we'd booked online and already had some kind of 15% discount, we were given 10€ off instead. I would have preferred a little courtesy, like a brief apology or a longer breakfast time. We stayed one night and were disappointed for several reasons. The hotel seems to have had no restoration or maintenance spending for 25 years, though it may once have deserved a 4-star rating. Our room on the third floor was clean, but had lots of scratches and dents, and damaged furniture. We mainly booked for the spa and the sauna. The two saunas are separated for women and men, which isn't very helpful if you want to spend time there with your partner, though most people seemed to ignore that. The sauna itself is a small room with wooden furniture already brown from sweat, and it doesn't get very warm, though preferences may differ. You need a bathing cap for the swimming area for hygiene reasons, even though people sit in swimsuits in the sauna. You can buy one there for 2,50€ if you don't bring your own. We left with the feeling the hotel is being run in cash-out mode.

We had a really nice weekend! The staff were so welcoming, and the restaurant was wonderful, with delicious food at both dinner and breakfast. Thanks to the whole team.