Pierre & Vacances Residence La Pinede

The beach was clean and sandy, with a lovely sea view, and it's very easy to get there from the property. The complex has pleasant greenery and shaded areas, and the pool stays partly shaded all day. There are sun loungers, umbrellas and showers near the beach, too. The rooms were small and poorly maintained. With no AC, the top floor gets very hot, over 30 degrees at 10 pm, and there's no tree cover to provide shade. The windows have no mosquito nets either. Nearby bars can be very loud, with bass-heavy music sometimes playing until 2 am. This could be a five-star stay if the owners put more care into room upkeep and guest comfort.

The peninsula is lovely, and this is a handy base for visiting its beautiful beaches and coves. The pine trees also keep the area cool on very hot days, and the staff were nice. Those were the main positives for us. The rooms, though, are incredibly small. We know pierre et vacances from other exchanges, and this seems to be how they are everywhere. A unit listed for four feels suitable for two, and is cramped even then. Our four-person place had a bunk bed tucked into a little corner by the entrance, almost like a prison cell, plus two sofas in the main room that we used as beds. There was no space for a bedside table and only two power sockets in the whole apartment. Since there were just two of us with few clothes, we made do with the tiny wardrobe, where the clothes hangers shared space with the vacuum and brooms. We put the sofa covers and other things on the unused bunk beds. With three or four people and all their bags, luggage and duvets, I can't see how it would work. The kitchen was well equipped, but several pans were scratched and some items hadn't been cleaned properly over time. Even though guests are meant to clean, staff should check whether things need cleaning or replacing. The general cleaning felt careless: there was hair on the shower wall, food under the fridge, and the fridge door was filthy. The fridge itself was old, very noisy at night, and had a broken temperature knob. The fan was dusty. We had a ground-floor unit with an outdoor table and beach chairs beside the garden entrance. Nothing outside was clean: the chairs were stained and had little snail and insect droppings, and wiping the table left our napkin black. During our stay, people above dropped a peach pit, cherry tomatoes and nails into our space. One evening, a man on the second floor trimmed his toenails with his feet hanging over his balcony above our outdoor area. There was no umbrella or shade curtain, so the area just beyond the table was at the mercy of whatever neighbours were above. Don't leave clothes or towels on the hanger outside the covered area. We also noticed a strong smell of cigarette ash. The pool itself is nice, but with no rules or staff present it felt like total anarchy. Kids and families jumped in, shouted, played with balls and frisbees, and took over the whole space. It wasn't relaxing. Given how many adults and older people spend time there, staff should set aside a couple of hours a day without ball games or jumping, so people can swim and relax quietly. It's nice to have sea access, but we preferred the more beautiful beaches in the natural park. We enjoyed the stay because it was an exchange and we didn't pay the full rental price. We also planned to spend most of our time out exploring and visiting beaches. At the regular price, we would have been really disappointed. If we'd been more than two, we definitely would have asked for another arrangement. We had enough exchange points for a six-person unit, but it wasn't available, so we lost points on this one. There's a facade of a luxury resort, but a lot of care is missing inside. Check the room photos before booking, and arrive early enough to ask staff for extra cleaning or replacement pans. If you can live with a tiny space, it's a strategic spot for wonderful beaches.

The location is nice, and our apartment worked well for four, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It's a shame there's no restaurant, snack bar or bar on site. You have to go elsewhere for food, and the options aren't great.

The gardens are lovely, there's a big pool, and the beach is close enough for a quick walk. The sea is surprisingly warm and very shallow, which is great. The rooms are a little small, and my children don't like sleeping in the living room, but I still recommend the place.