Altess Hotel Biarritz

( 3 stars , Biarritz , France )

The hotel is well located, very clean, walk to main beach in a location with restaurants and good fashion shopping. We unfortunately booked the last room available, so landed in a corner room which was unfortunately small. However, as it was a good experience overall, I would try again and avoid a corner room. Staff were very freindly and helpful. It wasa high season, so a little expensive. I would recommend this hotel to others. Parking is also available at the hotel at a reasonable price which is great considering how difficult it is to park in Biarritz

Just returned from a 10 day stay at the Altess. Really nice little hotel. Very central location, and staff were the frendliest and most helpful that I have encountered on the Continent. At 10 euro extra for continental breakfast, it wasn't huge but adequate. You won't get much for "a tenner" in Barritz. Only blip is that police found an explosive dump belonging to ETA in the basement during our stay, but can't blame hotel for this. No hesitation in reccomending this hotel to anyone. Maurice O'Sullivan Co Kerry, Ireland

i got a goodish deal on the net and was pleased at first with the location ,the room and the small balcony.The problems started quickly wit load hammering and drilling noises coming from all over the floor i was staying on and above me too.other guests told me this went on all day and ,as i was to discover, up to nine o'clock in the evening.Then the hits kept coming:no shower curtain, pillows on which no human head could rest, a flashing neon sign just outside my window and a poor matress.Aswell as all this I returned to my room in the evening to find that it had been entered by persons unknown and a snotty note had been left admonishing me for smoking in their non-smoking hotel(the first i had heard of the rule) using my cigerette butt as a paperwight..Bizarre. Plus the parking and breakfasts are a 10 euro rip off each. Avoid this hotel as you would ----.

The location of this hotel is outstanding, but pretty much everything else is lacking. The room is tired and rundown, with unframed posters on the walls. The carpets are dirty and everything is tattered. There's no proper shower, just a tub with a sprayer. (This is not uncommon in European hotels, but many hotels have made some accommodation for shower-takers.) Our room, #210, has a bright neon sign just outside that flashes at night like a 1940's noir film. I'm sure that at least four rooms are thus affected. On the bright side, standard continental breakfast is included, the room has air conditioning, and the location is fantastic, just a few blocks from the beach. I booked this hotel from Venere, and it gets a great review there. Perhaps those folks got better rooms. Or maybe the price of hotels in Biarritz is so expensive that anything around 100 euros that's not a total dump is seen as a great value.

The lobby area of this hotel seemed to give a false impression of the quality of the hotel. Whilst the lobby, bar and dining rooms were all very pleasant, the room itself was more akin to a rented flat in an English seaside town. Our room was a split-level studio loft room - furnishings were uninspiring and the decor quite scruffy. The room had air conditioning, but unfortunately it had been installed in the lower level of the room which meant that the upper level received no benefit from it and remained roasting hot. The bathroom reminded me of my old student digs. I did not get to see any rooms on other floors and as we were staying for only one night it was adequate. The hotel has a secure underground parking garage (for a fee) and the staff were reasonably friendly and helpful.

The staff were exceptionally helpfully and friendly. My room needed refurbishment, the bathroom tiles and fixtures were unplesant, no desire to have soak in a bubble bath here. It was high season and I feel at eur 150 incl. car parking, this hotel was overpriced for the accommodation but excellent value for the warm service.

The hotel looks impressive but at 150 euros per room it was grossly overpriced for the limited facilities. The room was very small. There was no shower, only a small bath you could not lie down in. The air conditioning did not work but they gave you a fan!