Hôtel Belles Rives

I stayed at the beautiful Belles Rives for an extended stay prior to my son’s wedding held at the hotel. My stay and the wedding that followed were absolutely magical! The history of the gorgeous hotel, the breathtaking view, delightful climate, delicious food, outstanding service, and everything about the wedding and reception were spectacular! And it all wrapped-up with fireworks over the water! I highly recommend this hotel for a special event or just for R&R!

. Lied to re check in time . The breakfast was included but you had to pay €12 for an omelette. A beach towel is €8 and chairs €75 for guests not just the public. The chairs are packed so tight you are on top of each other. The hotel is trading on its past glory

i really wanted to like it as I’m a huge Fitzgerald fan and I’ve wanted to go for years. Unfortunately it’s way overpriced and so you’re not getting enough for how much you’re paying. The hotel is pretty and nicely perfumed and the staff are very well meaning. However, the rooms are adequate but smaller than at many hotel chains. The one elevator is shared with the service staff so it takes forever and so you end up not even using it. There are a ton of people who buy day passes for the "beach" and that's really the better value. As a hotel guest, you pay almost the same price ~55-60+ euros + they charge you 8 euro / towel / day. (By contrast, I stayed at a hotel in a different town that rented it's guests beach towels for 3 euros for however long the stay was). Then you're paying for food at the beach and the minimum entree is ~35 euros. In your hotel room, there is a sign next to the minibar forbidding you from putting anything in, allegedly for hygenic reasons. I've never seen that at a hotel in my life and it just makes you feel like this is another way they're forcing you to pay for overpriced food. Turndown service was inconsistent and service was slow at the bar. Not a big deal, if you're paying reasonable prices but for what the rooms cost, unfortunately it's just not worth it.

First the good: Concierge team was superb from months before our arrival through the day of our departure. Absolutely top notch. (Special shout out to Luca for delightful assistance). Also, our room view was as nice as on the website. The Bad: The day of our arrival we were told the front terrace (basically front and center of hotel) was closed for a wedding. OK. Wedding blared music until midnight - the sort of thump thump thump retro music that literally vibrates the room (and bathroom) - and we were on the top floor. Impossible to sleep. Hard start. I asked the desk guy the next morning what they were telling unhappy guests like me and he responded “it was a wedding”. He didn’t quite smirk or wink, but that was when I understood the chump factor. I knew they had me and he knew I knew they had me. That was really bad ($2200 a night is a lot for me) but the killer is the “private beach” - it isn’t private. They admit the public for money. But - hotel guests get “priority” and a deal on towels (only $8E per towel (to use, not buy)). Private beach and deck area are jam packed and you compete with everyone else (non-hotel guests) for very poor service. That is inexcusable and bumps right up against deception relative to the website. Lesson is that you can’t buy your way into 2020s or 1920s glamour on the Riviera for $2200/night - you can do it with enough money and it may be worth it for at least a short stay, but you have to bite the bullet and go up market. They get three stars because I came to the nuisance and the concierge team was top notch. Next time I’ll save up and go up-market.