Hotel de la Plage

We only spent one night, but I would have happily stayed a couple more. I really liked the area, though I don't speak much French and may have missed some of what was going on. It seemed like a holiday spot for locals, with an interesting mix of Mediterranean and North African life, from the cafés and promenades to people socializing in the street. There were lots of French people of North African origin. Our room was small but looked out over a lagoon, and the receptionist was friendly and helpful. The hotel is simple and in what struck me as a poor, not affluent area. A café right next door served coffee and croissants early in the morning; we watched locals chat while holidaymakers stopped to buy baguettes and head off.

After a 10-hour drive from Germany, we ended up needing to find somewhere else to stay in the middle of the night. We finally found an airport hotel an hour and a half from Montpellier. Thanks again for your help, Tarek at booking.com. We had expected traffic on the Autobahn during French holiday season, so when booking I said we would arrive between 20:00 and 21:00. At 7 pm, the hotel called to say reception closed at 9 and would not stay open a minute longer, and suggested we cancel. We asked them to hold the booking and keep reception open until 9:30, because our navigation said we'd get there around 9 or 9:15. The woman on the phone agreed. Luckily traffic eased and we arrived at 9, while reception was still open. A friendly woman welcomed us and knew about the reservation, but the owner had overruled her and told her not to check us in. About 10 minutes before we arrived, booking.com had called to say the owner wanted to cancel. We explained the earlier call, and the booking.com representative was shocked and tried to persuade the owner on the phone. Once we got there, the owner took my phone and argued with that service representative for about 30 minutes without even looking at us. In the end, our reservation was rejected. This was the worst hotel experience I've ever had, on holiday or otherwise. Be aware of the owner and the hotel.

We’ll definitely come back. The welcome was warm, and the sandy beach is just a minute’s walk away. A sea-view balcony room is absolutely worth getting. The room was a nice size, and so were the bathroom and shower. Breakfast costs extra, but if you fancy a lie-in, there’s a sandwich shop to the right with fresh baguettes and croissants. There’s also a shop about 15 minutes’ walk to the left, or the town is to the right with lovely shops and restaurants.

The location is great, and the rooms are simple. The safe is very small, and parking in the garage costs an extra 10 €. It’s tricky to maneuver in there, especially with a large car. WiFi is free, though you have to log back in regularly to keep using it.