Hotel De L'Ocean

( 3 stars , Biarritz , France )

Superb location in the centre of Biarritz and the upgraded ground floor public areas are stylish and very pleasant .Many rooms have a seaview, but balconies do not get evening /afternoon sun. We had a spacious room with a large bathroom and a nice view from a small balcony. Linens were new and good quality but the room was in need of redecoration and the bathroom in particular was in extremely poor condition, the bath was horrible-stained and dirty. Housekeeping standards were pretty terrible e.g had to ask for a loo roll (none left in room), no glasses in bathroom , dirty windows and thick fluff /dust everywhere which only got removed after a complaint to reception on our second day. The lift wasn't working and wasn't repaired during our stay- this looked to be a long term problem. Corridor lights were off for part of the stay. Carpets throughout were worn and stained. This hotel is being renovated at the moment and has the potential to be charming and very nice indeed, but although hotels in central Biarritz are expensive , the condition of the room we stayed in and appalling housekeeping, don't warrant the de l'Ocean's current tariffs. If you are considering staying here, recommend you check whether your room (and bathroom) has been renovated first.

As reviews are so important in chosing a hotel, I hope I can give an honest review of this hotel. I would have to say I agree with the last review - ! The hotel has the potential to be very nice when completed, It is very central, probably one of the most central hotels in Biarritz. I was glad I picked it from that aspect. It has lovely views of the sea and definitely the balcony is a must, although small, and close to the next one, you are better off paying the extra for it. I can only comment on the room we stayed in, and would also agree that whilst it was clean with lovely new bedlinen, and reasonably decorated, I feel the paintwork lets the room down, at least in ours it did, it was old and chipped, no doubt they will get around to doing things like this when the season quietens down. The toilet was to one side of the room, and the bath and sink to the other. The toilet was tiny, the door opened in but the toilet is up on a step, and the door hit the step and didn’t open fully, it was difficult to actually get into the toilet because you had to step up onto the toilet step to close the door and due to the positioning of the toiletroll holder, you can hit it if not careful. Its a bit dated in decor. The room opposite contained the bath and sink. There is a bath with a shower attachment. There is no shower curtain and so I`m not quite sure how it is possible to have a shower, I think you kinda take a half bath, half shower. Towels were fresh and plentiful and all new as was indeed was the bedlinen which incidentally was changed on both days we were there. We had a flatscreen TV with a few french channels. The heating unfortunately was not working the first night , but it might have been something to do with the workmen working in the bathrooms outside. The second night we could hear the water coming through, but it wasn’t heating the radiator in the bedroom completely, and the bathroom one remained cold. However I think this is simply an air blockage. As I didn’t complain to Reception about it, they may not have been aware of it, so fair is fair! All in all, if you want a centrally located hotel, and you are prepared to make allowances for the renovations, like the carpets etc. then it should be ok. Its not the most expensive place to stay in! We didn’t bother with the breakfast which is €10 pp as it is merely continental, and there are many places to get croissants and coffee. To sum up, very central location, looks promising, a small bit of extra attention in the bedrooms would make a difference, but to be fair they are doing their best under what must be difficult circumstances, It is after all an old historical hotel and they are certainly limited in what they can do to revamp it due to restrictions with the design of the hotel, the plumbing etc. I am sure by next Spring, things will be better.

Having found so many superb hotels during the last three years with the help of tripadvisor, this hotel was the first major disappointment. The rooms were pretty old. The main drawback of this hotel was that the window in our bathroom could not be closed due to rusted hinge-joints. By that, the wind was blowing into our room at night, so my wife and I got ill. Although the hotel is located on a superior site with a lovely view to the ocean, I cannot recommend this hotel at all.

We arrived in Biarritz just before a quite popular surfing event, so the double room was more expensive than usually. But it was definitely worth the price! The location of the hotel is great - in the middle of the city center and only a few steps away from the beach. Our room was spacious and had a balcony, from which we had a marvellous view over the ocean. The stuff was very friendly and helpful.

We spent 2 days and nights in Biarritz and discovering the Hotel de L'Ocean was a real treat with it's relaxed atmosphere, comfy sofas on the terrace, 30 second walk to the big surf beach and close proximity to fresh seafood in the Old Port. The town is great but the hotel really blew us away in terms of friendliness, the owners inparticular, went out of their way to make our stay very special. The delicious food and the promise of beautifully refurbished bedrooms will make sure that we go back to the Hotel de L'Ocean in the very near future. Do make sure you go for the rooms with the sea view.

This hotel is under new ownership and they are wonderful people! While they are doing a few renovations to the hotel, they couldn't do enough to make our stay pleasant. The renovations did not interfere with our stay in any way. The owners were always available and helpful. He said he will be doing more renovations this coming winter. I would love to go back to see what they've done. The location is right on the ocean in the town of Biarritz next to the church Eugenie and within walking distance to restaurants, shops, sights and the beach. We did not have a car, but parking is underground nearby if you drive. There are numerous one-way streets so get good directions before you drive. Actually, you really don't need a car in this town and trains/busses are available to see other areas. The rooms are ample size for European standards and clean. Ours had a very tall ceiling and a door opening to a balcony. There are no showers in a few rooms (just a tub with hand held shower), but I'm not sure if that is one of the upcoming renovations or not. The bedding and towels are all new however. The restaurant on site is very good. They have an excellent chef. We dined one night on a salt-crusted fish and it was wonderful. Outdoor dining is also available. One of my favorite things to do was go to the outdoor cafe and have a glass of wine while watching the ocean... how relaxing. I would highly recommend this hotel simply because the owners are so very kind and helpful, the hotel is in an excellent location and the area is beautiful.

When searching online for a hotel in Biarritz we came across so many scarily chintzy ones - thought we were going to have to stay in one until we happended upon the Hotel L'Ocean. The hotel looks good on the website but I was delighted with it when we arrived, even better than the website can demonstrate. Its a funky hotel with quality furnishings. The location is ideal for exploring the city, heading to the beach and the little fishing port. The public car park underneath the place in front of the hotel is very handy - but WARNING - go slowly on approach to the car park - as its all one way so if you miss it - it will take you ten mins (with sat nav) to get back to that point! Enjoy your stay - we did