Biarritz Ocean - Biarritz, France 

In previous years we had stayed at Hotel Tonic but there wasn't any room this year so we booked in to Biarritz Ocean. The staff were friendly, I was able to be fairly lazy as they all spoke perfect English (I suppose it's a good thing as my French is awful), the decor was OK, nothing special. The room was better than I had expected, we had a self contained appartment that had a nice balcony facing the evening sun (garden view). The only thing I would say is don't go for the continental breakfast, it's 16 euros for couple per day and you can walk just down the road to the boulangerie and get exactly the same, probably more, for about 5 euros. All in all a good hotel, great location and friendly staff.

The biggest question in my mind is how does this claim to be 4 Star accommodation, while at first glance there was a fresh coat of white paint making the apartment appear clean. After a couple of minutes in our apartment the following problems were obvious: no light in the windowless toilet, the curtain was falling off the bedroom window, the breakfast bar type thing was balanced on a thin upright (attached with sealant for sinks & baths) and see-sawed when touched, the remote control for the T.V. fell apart when it was picked up, soft furnishings were grubby, the kitchen had no kettle, toaster, or microwave (not designed for convenience) and the balcony is on a busy side-street and facing in a direction that never gets the sun. When we expressed concerns we were told in excellent English, what did we expect booking cheap on the internet! We have stayed in both hotel and self-catering accommodation in many other places and this wouldn’t even be up to 2 Star standard. The description also refers to restaurant facilities that were not on site and the patio is an area beside reception with a few of the cheapest white plastic tables & chairs. Having re-read other reviews I am left wondering were these people in the same place.