Residence Des Catalans

We had a lovely stay and would definitely return. Our room was very clean, spacious, and set up for cooking, with a balcony facing Notre Dame de la Garde and a very comfortable bed. Everything went smoothly during our two nights. The cleaning lady was so kind. We don’t speak French well, and when we called her, she came right away. The only downside was that reception was never staffed, so we had to call whenever we needed someone. That was difficult with our limited French, though she still arrived quickly. Everything is close by, including a market less than 300 meters away.

This was the worst stay I’ve ever had. The sheets and pillows were dirty, and there were cockroaches and bedbugs. The listing promised a basic sea view, but there wasn’t even a view of the sea between the buildings. There were blood stains, too. The TV didn’t work at all, and the AC had no remote. A nursery across the street meant children woke me up in the morning, so I couldn’t sleep properly.

We left early and lost our money. We travel a lot and have never stayed somewhere like this. Most of the staff were awful, except the woman on the morning shift. The young woman in the afternoon was unpleasant and condescending and wouldn’t help. In the evening, the man sat slumped watching movies. I understand the shift can be long, but it was still awful. The street on our side was noisy, and we had to get up at 6 a.m. every day. The room was on the sixth floor with no elevator, had no Wi-Fi, and the TV was missing some digital terrestrial channels. It was cramped: the fourth bed was a pull-out that had to stay folded away, or there wasn’t enough room to pass between the double and single beds. The bed hadn’t been made when we arrived, the first time I’ve ever had to make a hotel bed myself. Locks on both the bathroom and front door were broken. There was no ventilation in the bathroom or kitchen, and they smelled terrible. The shower door wouldn’t close, so water flooded the floor each time and never dried, even in midsummer. The towels stayed wet too. There was no bin in either the room or kitchen, no washing-up liquid, and not even a broom or dustpan. Kitchen supplies were just a frying pan and a small multipurpose pot. Two plates, a bowl, cutlery, and napkins were missing when we arrived. When I asked, they said there were no bowls left and gave me dessert plates instead. Fingerprints covered the walls, the wardrobe had just one hanger, and there were only two chairs for four people, so two of us ate on the bed. The kettle was filthy and unusable, covered in limescale, and there was more limescale and grime around the sink.

The price is great for what you get. Being close to the beach, old port, and Notre Dame de la Garde is a real advantage. The receptionist is very attentive. We’ll definitely come back next summer ;)