We chose the Pierre et Vacances because I had this thing about wanting to experience something different from the typical full-service hotel vacation. Our stay at P&V started off auspiciously enough (once we found the place; we kept stopping at fuel stations because we thought we'd overshot it, only to find out we had yet to reach the hotel). The front desk was welcoming and seemed totally competent. And the first night, we were offered complimentary Punch Planteur at the bar after our swim, which was nice.

The best part of hotel is the pool (and the view from the far end of the bungalows, which brings a refreshing breeze). The pool is huge and has two parts, separated by a narrowing over which there is a footbridge. I think the hotel needs to lay hands on more sunshades, though, as the sun is strong in summer and if you don't get to the pool by 9am, you won't be able to find any shade.

The main problems were with the room. They weren't severe enough that I was inclined to complain, but were sort of low-grade problems that incline one to grumble. For a start, the air conditioning was weak and capricious. We stayed at the P&V for 4 nights and not until the final evening did we get it to cool the room appreciably. The rooms smell musty (granted, it is the rainy season in June, but Grand-Terre also is the dry side of the island), and in the bathroom I noticed black mold on the ceiling in places, which no doubt contributed to the smell. The television in the room made a bizarre humming noise, which worsened the longer you left it on; also, the remote control didn't work, which meant you had to operate the TV manually, and all the TV's buttons had been removed except the power switch and the button to change channels upward. The refrigerator, which is located outdoors, has to compete both with the hot outdoor temperatures and the fact that it is housed in a cabinet that probably makes it difficult to vent the heat the refrigerator generates, so nothing seemed terribly cold and I spent the entire time worrying that our pâté and ham were spoiling. I wasn't crazy about the fact that there was no dish soap, scrubber, or toilet paper (unless you paid), and the little toaster oven had no rack, so we were resigned to using the top broiler.

We only took breakfast in our rooms, choosing to eat at the on-site restaurant the other nights (although the restaurant is closed on Sundays and was struck by power outage on Saturday). The first night went well enough, with a delicious entrecôte and dorade, and tasty (if somewhat oily) accras. The second night, we were the first to be seated and to have our order taken, but were not served for over an hour. My entrecôte sat under a heat lamp and passed from à point to bien cuit. Good thing we had wine, at least.

Bizarrely enough, we experienced two power outages while on the island. The one at P&V was the first; the one at the Habitation Grande Anse in Deshaies was the second (I posted a review there as well). The HGA in Deshaies handled it splendidly, with a backup generator that powered the entire hotel immediately. The P&V, not so much. A backup generator powered the main lobby and bar area, and the outdoor lights on our balcony, but not the refrigerator or anything inside the rooms. Fortunately, we were able to get a takeaway pizza from the pizza stand near the pool - a passable pizza, although it could have been baked longer and been less cheesy.

Anyway, our overall experience was decent enough but the P&V seems to have become kind of ramshackle and in need of some basic maintenance/sprucing up. There are some service inconsistencies that leave you wondering - we were a little confused by signs everywhere that noted that bracelets were required; we saw many guests wearing the green bracelets, but we never received any (nor did we receive a parking permit until Day 3, when the security guard at the gate inquired why we didn't have one). We also weren't crazy about having to buy some of the necessities (like toilet paper). As long as you're not high maintenance, though, and your French is adequate, you can have a good time at the P&V by spending less time in the room and bringing a little extra cash.