Auberge de la Vieille Tour

Nicholas M4 years ago

Booking: with Expedia. I emailed the hotel the day before travelling, to check that my reservation had been received, but the hotel only replied two days later, meaning I got the acknowledgement after I had checked-in. This really isn't good enough customer service.||Getting there: Gatwick to Paris, Charles de Gaulle, with easyJet. Airport transfer by Ligne 3 bus. Overnight stop at Orly. Orly to Point-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe with Air France. Transfer to hotel with airport shuttle bus (reviewed separately).||Check-in: efficient.||Room: I was given room 81 in the quiet, single-storey Habitation Vanille. The room was very good and had an ocean view. If you wish to enjoy the ocean view from your bath you should be aware that people might walk past!||Food: finw. The breakfast buffet was good although the hot choices weren't quite to the liking of this Brit, who sought salace in the quiche. I enjoyed eating out on the balcony. The three-course ;meno of the day' dinner, at E45, was only E2 cheaper than the three cheapest courses on the a la carte menu. I was disappointed by this meal. Better value, at E35, was a three-course lunch; each course was tasty, substantial and presented well.||Drinks: expensive. In the bar, a glass of house wine can be had for E7. Bottled beer - not sure if 25cl or 33cl - was E6.50. This compares with E6/0.5l at a nearby beach bar, or E3.60/0.5l at a decent restaurant out in the sticks. Had prices been more reasonable I would have used the bar more, and the hotel might have made more profit from me. ||Beach: immediately adjacent. This is about 30m long and about 10m wide. A bar backs onto the beach and positions much of its furniture on the sand. The beach is a quiet location and offers safe bathing,||Sargassum: nil - despite my visit being at the end of the Sarassum season (March-December). Even if Sargassum was to make it here, the size and nature of the beach is such that a clean-up would be very easy.||Pool: I used this in the mornings, when most of the hotel's sun-seekers would favour the beach. The pool was, therefore, uncrowded. Water temperature was just perfect. ||ATM: about 5 mins away at La Banque Postale. This has all the major logos on it.||Car-hire: I counted three rental operations in the immediate vicinity. Guadeloupe is, I think, one of those destinations where hiring a car makes sense.||Getting to the airport: Not wishing to use an expensive shuttle service again, I caught the bus. Leaving the hotel, turn left and walk about 300 metres down the hill, to catch bus no AE3. The trip to the airport is direct, takes about 35 minutes and costs a paltry E1.20. But check the time-tablle! I was disappointed that the hotel's Reception team met my query about the bus option with incredulity. They really should have information about this option at their fingertips - especially as what I saved on a taxi-fare paid for my lunch at the hotel!!!||Would I stay here again? I am unlikely to visit Guadeloupe again. If I were to holiday here again I would choose St Anne over Gosier. But if I had business in Point-a-Pitre, this hotel would be my first choice.