La Grande Terrasse Hôtel & Spa la Rochelle - MGallery

The place is really nice on the beach but some kilometers from La Rochelle. Rooms are small and lack charm. The breakfast is very varied and good. The restaurant is very expensive for what it is, they even struggled to serve decent pasta. Overrated.

Firstly, it must be said that this very nice hotel is not actually IN La Rochelle. It is about a twenty minute drive away, which could be a nuisance if you don't have a car. However, the location is lovely. Set on a wide beach in a quiet residential area, it is perfect for anyone who does not want to be in a bustling city. There is a large restaurant and bar as well as ample off-road parking. The staff are extremely helpful too. Our room was nice although the bathroom was a little small for two adults but was clean and functional.

Overall good. Pleasant arrival, helpful and friendly staff. Sadly we had a noisy room and the male member of reception staff was a little rude about and argumentative, which is a shame. Small gym and very little equipment, mostly cardio. Tea and coffee provided in the room but no milk not even small UHT sachets. I asked for a small amount to make a drink and was informed I’d need to pay €4 for it. I’ve never experienced this in a hotel before and was a little shocked - does seem a little stingy given the price of the rooms here. No cup of tea for this English person today! Oh well. Nice pool area. Overall though, good. Stayed at better, stayed at worse.

Overall this is a lovely hotel - I’m still here - but it’s definitely not suitable for children and there are some serious communication issues outside of any language barriers. On the plus side, reading previous reviews I have found my room to be a good size and very clean. I did ask for a pretty view and was told they’d do their best to accommodate this, but I have no view (see below) I don’t really mind about this, but I would have expected them to let me know, and I do mind about the following issues: Once you have booked and are very close to leaving you receive a mail saying kids can’t use much of the pool - only a very small part without water jets. They can use the pool over the road but only between 18hrs and 19:30 hrs. I thought this would be fine as I expected to be swimming in the sea during the day. I wrote and asked if we could easily walk to the beach to swim or if I should hire a car? Also if there were places to eat and drink within walking distance. I wrote three times but never had a reply. Unfortunately, even though you can walk to the beach you can’t really swim in the day because of the tides. You can swim early in the morning or late in the evening - just when kids can use the pool here! I brought this up and was asked if I expected them to send the timetable of the tides to all their customers? because they don’t do that! No, I don’t expect that, but I do expect a reply having sent three emails, and perhaps some local knowledge here. I’ve been told no one has ever had this problem before - it’s the first time someone has been surprised they can’t swim in the sea in the day! (Not quite true, reading the reviews) Previous reviews have mentioned issues with the restaurant, and indeed, it’s very expensive! A croque Monsieur is €21! Now that’s ok for a really good hotel, but the rest of the service and customer care doesn’t match up to this. The restaurant is completely closed at 2pm - I’m sure I should’ve known this, but I didn’t and I had a treatment which then meant it was too late for anything at the restaurant. I’m fine with that but not my little girl! She was quite hungry and not a happy bunny by the time we walked to a restaurant on the beach! I should mention we were offered smoked fish or pâté and got a bit of a judgy look when I confessed she didn’t like that! The hotel over the road is an Ibis and they tell you slightly different things - you’re only allowed in the outdoor pool if you’re a customer there for example, but I was told by this (Accor hotel) I could go there. Staff in the restaurant there again really lovely but very young! Served me a glass of totally flat champagne and I had to get my own cutlery! All this aside, the spa is lovely and I had a really good facial, the staff are really nice and helpful, and I’d return with another adult for the fabulous treatments and a much shorter stay. This is the perfect place for a short stay with adults to enjoy the thalasso therapies. It’s just n

Room is small

The best thing about this hotel is the reception staff. They are all equally friendly and welcoming. Especially Betty deserves praise. As does the concierge who greeted us when we arrived and left (I don't know his name). Aside from a brilliant reception team however, the other staff is not at all friendly or professional. I could sum up a list of incidents that left me speechless during my 6 night stay but in summary I can state that they say 'non' before you ask your question and if they do happen to say they'll do something, they simply don't follow through. Like promising to come open the umbrella in the garden when it was 35°C and my 80 year old mum wanted some shade but never showing up. Or telling us we were on the waiting list for the restaurant and then forgetting about us for 1.5hrs. I could go on. But let's move on to the hotel itself. The rooms are very small. They are comfortable in that they have all the facilities you need and a brilliant shower I should add. Housekeeping could do a better job (we are back to staff...) as I had a nosebleed and so some drops of blood were leaked on the bedsheets but they were never replaced. Anyway, the rooms are small but well appointed. The hotel is not on the beach. It's a 5 min drive from the lovely beach on Châtelaillon-plage where we rented loungers most days. In the garden of the hotel there are loungers too but they are placed in gravel, not sand. The garden is not on the beach or the sea. The garden is beautiful and very well maintained. As is the pool area. There is ample parking and it is free of charge. We had a nice stay, relaxing and comfortable. As a diamond accor member I am used to being treated like a VIP but this hotel did nothing to make me feel special. Apart from the upgrade Betty arranged. Back to Betty, she is the reason I would return to the hotel. There are also lots of reasons why I wouldn't