Royal Barriere

By coming to the Royal, you know that you will find an old style to which one can very well adapt if all the criteria of a 5* hotel are met. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and it seems to be a recurring issue, especially regarding the cleaning and, therefore, the nonexistent inspection by the housekeeper. We actually found a dirty towel behind a door, marks on the glass of the coffee table, and the carpet poorly vacuumed, not to mention the hard-to-reach but very dirty windows. The double bed, actually 2 beds including an uncomfortable mattress that needs replacing, as well as the sink and the bathroom fixtures (with a showerhead so scaled up that the water barely flowed). While the provided Guerlain products are of high quality, that is not enough for a 5-star hotel. I have found in other establishments that towels are changed (if needed) and the bed is turned down before night, but not at the Royal. On the other hand, the reception staff is exceptionally kind and efficient, seeking to please you, especially when the room, even if poorly cleaned, is not available at the scheduled time! The bar staff is also professional and pleasant. And for breakfast, we were not disappointed with a large selection of products and fresh bakery items.

The place is old school. That's part of the charm. The service is very good (except for the breakfast buffet where it's just decent). The front desk service is outstanding. The bar is pretty good as was the club sandwich that I ate there. But the place is old. Most of the rooms lack air conditioning so you'll need to think twice about that if you're visiting in summer. Their sister hotel, The Normandy, was renovated a few years ago and has air conditioning in all rooms. (It's also located right on a rather touristy square; some will find that location preferable. I preferred the Royal's.) Overall, we had a great visit, great people in a charming old hotel that does need a major renovation in the next few years. But once they do that, the prices will probably double!

Just perfect! And a view of the beach and the sea that is just magnificent (we were on the 5th floor)