Hôtel Beauséjour les Palmiers

The property is lovely, and the little interaction I had with staff was very pleasant. The restaurant food was excellent when I had lunch a couple of days before my stay, though the service was a bit laid-back. They forgot my sparkling water twice. Near the end of service, we heard staff arguing, and I saw one wipe a knife with his fingers before putting it on the table while resetting. I also don’t think staff should be eating while guests are still there, as one person was casually eating bread. I came in with high hopes and left disappointed and frustrated that so many details were lacking for the price. The room had Provence-style charm, but I couldn’t open the shutters myself and had no view or natural light. Twice, someone tried to enter without knocking. One person spoke to me in French and seemed to be asking whether I wanted the room cleaned, though I hadn’t put the door sign requesting that on the handle. That’s not okay. Staff should always check rather than assume the guest is out. I needed a quiet place to work and rest, and this was annoying. The hotel could provide “do not disturb” signs. The door also didn’t lock properly, which made me feel unsafe. The kettle was odd and wouldn’t boil properly until I pressed it three times. There was no plug nearby, so I had to boil water on the floor. The bathroom sink took more than five minutes to produce hot water, and at one point the toilet kept flushing for at least half an hour. Worst of all was drilling right outside my room on New Year's Day, a public holiday. The workers were loud enough that I could hear their whole conversation, and I think it started before 10am. If work around the property is going to make noise, guests in affected rooms should be informed. I also don’t think this should have been happening on a public holiday, peak season or not. It massively disturbed my rest. The room instructions were in French only. I know that’s common in France, but in a touristy area I’d expect some English. I can understand a bit of French, luckily. The same applied to the check-in and check-out email. My first enquiry through the website was in English, so I expected a reply in English, but the first email was in French. I understood most of it, but had to check with a French friend. I like trying boutique hotels, but some lack attention to detail and a more refined approach. This one is too expensive for the restless stay I had, and I wouldn’t stay again. PS: I was in room 5 right next to reception, probably the least private room. Rooms off to the sides seemed more private and farther from the shared area and reception. I suggest requesting one of those instead.