Hôtel Au Tapis De Sable

The staff were amazing, so friendly and welcoming. I loved having the private beach area, where our things felt safe and we could relax while the public beach got very crowded in summer. You can have breakfast looking out at the beach, and the hotel is close to restaurants, grocery stores, and more. I’d highly recommend it.

Our second night was comfortable, but the first was a disaster. The room was very small and needed repainting. We arrived late and left our bags packed. The next morning, there was a bad egg smell, and when we got up to shower, the bedroom was under 5 cm of sewage. Our clothes, suitcases, handbag, and shoes were soaked and smelled awful. I called reception and someone came within minutes. We changed rooms and dragged all our wet things upstairs. The manageress gave me a tiny sponge and cleaning spray for the suitcases, bags, and shoes. I rinsed the clothes in the hand basin and hung them up to dry. There was nowhere to eat in the village, so we drove 25 minutes to find an open restaurant. At checkout the next morning, we expected a price reduction. Instead, I was told, “I can’t do that, I already upgraded you to a room with a balcony,” even though that wasn’t our choice. We cancelled our third night through booking.com. That’s why I’m leaving a bad review. I didn’t take photos of the damage.

It was definitely the right choice for a relaxing seaside stay, even with a couple of drawbacks. Our sea-facing room was quite small and didn’t have the terrace or balcony that was available at a higher price, so drying towels was difficult. It was a bit expensive for us, but the location and facilities made up for a lot. On the map of hotels in St.Cyr-Sur-Mer, this one has a big advantage: it’s right by the beach, with its own enclosed sandy terrace, sunbeds, and parasols just a few metres from the sea. The hotel is a two-storey house rather than a huge building, and there’s free enclosed private parking. Photos around the hotel show its long history. It started just after WW II, and despite several rebuilds, it’s still on the same site.

Just as advertised, with the beach right out front and welcoming staff. There are nice restaurants a short drive away.