Villa Eden

The location was alright, but the sea-view rooms are deceptively far from the ocean compared with the hotels next door. The strangest part of our stay was checkout. The front desk had confirmed 11am, but at 10am the cleaning lady knocked impatiently and said it was time to leave. When I pointed out there was still an hour, she agreed, then said we needed time to pack. We don't need hotel staff micromanaging our departure. At 10:40 she banged on the door again, telling us to hurry. I said there were still 20 minutes, and she yelled "shut up" right to my face, or "tais-toi" in French. We went down to the desk at 10:55 and saw her there with the receptionist/manager. I guess we were the last room that day and she wanted to finish work early. I raised it with the manager, but he just shrugged as though there was nothing he could do. It was the weirdest, dumbest interaction I've ever had with hospitality workers.

Villa Eden is a peaceful choice if you want sea views from across the street and a small, welcoming staff who can help find local tours, trips, and activities. The staff are courteous and knowledgeable, and can start to feel like friends. The upper floors facing the Promenade have lovely sea views. It's an intimate historic boutique hotel, with architectural details that give it a nostalgic, old-time feel. Just know that it doesn't offer the full-service resort setup of a bellhop and elevator.

The room was dusty, and the bathroom was filthy and smelled like a public restroom or worse. We found things left by previous guests there, including a syringe and other medications. The property is very old and not maintained. When we asked for extra towels, we were treated badly and told we'd have to wait until 4:00 pm the next day for clean ones. We had to check out early in the morning, while it was still dark. The hallways didn't have enough light, which felt dangerous as we carried heavy luggage down the stairs. We were told to use the back door to leave, and walking alone in the dark with our bags to reach the main street felt scary. The staff weren't nice, and barely spoke English.

We spent two nights here and had first-class service. The surroundings were quiet, and having AC in the room was great. There's a patio garden where you can have breakfast or sit in the shade. Breakfast costs 8 euros and is a typically French spread: croissants, white bake-off baguettes, sweet jams, butter, and orange juice. They generously bring a whole pot of tea or coffee. If you want healthier or different bread with cheese or vegetables, you'll need to go elsewhere, though there are plenty of bakeries and cafes nearby. All in all, a great place to stay.