Hotel le Ceinturon

We tried the appetizer sampler for two and especially liked the little fried fish, followed by veal T-bones with Forestiere sauce. The menu is simple and appealing, with daily specials, and Friday is known for its aioli. Ceituron hotel restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating, and it's a quiet, relaxing spot beneath the umbrella pines. It's on the main boulevard in l'Ayguade, a small beach town, just a short block from the beach. The walls throughout the building display artwork by local artist Christian Gamba, which is also worth a look.

I want to warn anyone considering this hotel, because my deposit still hasn't been returned. I booked in January for a July stay and paid a deposit of a couple of hundred euros. A few days later, my travel plans changed, so I cancelled. Under the hotel's own policy, a cancellation made that far ahead should have meant a full refund. I've emailed four or five times asking for the money back and received no reply. I've also called four or five times. They acknowledged the cancellation and said the refund should be made, but on my last three calls I was told it would happen “next week.” Several of those weeks have passed, and nothing has been paid. This has been going on from January to May, four months now. I've filed a police report, so maybe that will move things along. Be aware that you could end up in the same situation I did.

It's a place that feels stuck in time, but the meal was decent for the price. We ate in a pleasant garden, though there were mosquitoes in summer.

Really great 👍