83 Hotel

Really pleased we didn’t read the negative reviews before booking but then really pleased we did read them before arriving. So, expectations were low and we were pleasantly surprised. iI you’re not bothered about the newness of bathroom and decor then it’s great! Everything was thoroughly clean - bathroom tired and dated but clean and perfectly functional with decent shower power. Spotless crisp white bedding. Aircon a godsend. There’s a safe and a fridge in the room and a balcony. (No hairdryer but maybe if Id asked.) The pools and gardens are lovely and the view is fabulous. A stone’s throw from the beach and a 10 min walk from beach restaurants and 20-25 min walk (5 min drive) to main marina tourist area with bars, restaurants, stalls and a club or two etc. The staff at the hotel are so lovely and so warmly welcoming. Haven’t had food so can’t comment. We came by touring motorbike so it was great to have good parking facilities. Loved Le Lavandou and loved the secluded feel of this friendly hotel. As well as overlooking the bay, the hotel therefore also overlooks the main road so there’s some road noise but we didn’t find it a problem. To be able to lie on a modern sunbed in pretty gardened decked area overlooking both the pool and the beach - brilliant! And probably due to some of the reviews on here, the price was good for what is an expensive area of France and there’s no problem getting a sunbed!

If you have been fooled by a birds-eye view of the hotel with a swimming pool and a tennis court by the sea like us, you need to stop just there to prevent the biggest disappointment of your holidays. Unless you want to strengthen your sense of humour and come to realise that "well at least for the next decade, we'll have a benchmark for the worst hotel we have ever stayed in". In fact, if the Eagles had to write a revamped version of Hotel California, they could call it "Le 83 hotel". So "last thing I remember, I was running for the door" and the director made us pay the extortionate €220 for the second night we decided to cancel when we realised their standard would not even meet the one of a truck driver motel in a middle of a long deserted highway. At the entrance the dying fountain and concrete wall from the 70s we're enough to make us realise we checked in to depression land; only when we entered the room with failing curtains, old school carpets and barely functioning bathroom we decided to cancel this hotel on the spot. Given it was late, we had to suffer the night of hearing the traffic from the road next door which luckily kept us awake to look for our next hotel as soon as possible. Yes I know, I should have read the reviews, and hence this one ! Now that said the receptionist were nice, and the staff tried very hard to make us feel welcome. But here is the reality of the Cote d'Azur: to get paradise you need to pay the price, otherwise you'll end up in an overly expensive disenchantment.

So the best thing about this hotel was the receptionist who was very friendly on arrival and very sweet. All the staff were in fact lovely - I don’t know how they can remain smiling and so cheerful given their working conditions however. The hotel is what one would expect in a developing nation which had just undergoneU a major period of civil unrest. The shower was kept from dripping by a rubber band. The tiles had black mould in the bathroom and the cold water tap wouldn’t work in the sink. There was no kettle or basically any extras provided in the room. The cost is incredibly high given what is on offer ...though much cheaper than the standard for the area (with good reason). This place needs to be shut down ...it clearly is on the brink and in all honesty feels like a scam. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to spend more than 1 minute in the place. Heed this advice and AVOID if you don’t want to ruin your holiday.