We enjoyed our stay at Les Bains. When I contacted Alex to make the reservations he was very accommodating. He speaks multiple languages and whenever I got tired of practicing my French with him I could switch to English or Creole.

We arrived very late (because American Airlines gets to the island very late) and had a taxi take us to the hotel. Alex was waiting at the front to give us our room key and offer us drinks. I had asked before hand through email that the room be prepared and ready for my toddler son to go to be right away. And when we got there we were able to go to our room right away. No paper work, nothing. It was perfect customer service.

Breakfast in the morning was good. There are some homemade marmalades that the hotel makes that are so yummy. It was a nice special touch. The beach is so close you go to sleep listening to crashing waves. Its a must to stay in one of the beach bungalows. There is a great stretch of beach that you can walk or run along and then jump into the ocean.

I would say that the hotel food was pricey but its convenient so at least eat there once for the dinner. There is also a little boulangerie right next to the hotel and market that you can pick up sandwiches or crackers & cheese for snacks.

Overall perfect for our needs. They provided a pack & play that was perfect. The room came with an extra bed that we did not need and promptly the next morning it was removed without us having to ask. Also Alex was able to provide an adaptor that we forgot to bring.

Quick note- the shower is tiny & tiled. In order to bathe our son & make sure he didn't slip we put a towel on the floor and made him sit down.

We didn't originally intend to stay at Diamant Les Bains, but upon our arrival in Martinique, we had a problem at our intended hotel. We called up after discovering the problem at the first hotel and spoke to Alex, who is the manager, and made a reservation over the phone for the following day. He promised us a room and said he didn't need our credit card to hold it.

When we arrived the following day, to be honest, the hotel is less than stunning from the outside. Let's be clear and say that it's not sleazy, but it looks like it had its heyday a while ago. But, Diamant is a nice enough place to stay and it is easy to get anywhere on the island from there if you have your rental car. There are also some low key restaurants to get to by foot from the hotel that are good.

The rooms in the double bungalows are purely basic and nothing fancy. But, there is a small balcony overlooking the garden, a three-channel TV, a phone (which didn't have any surcharges to use a calling card), a good hot water shower and a fridge. The rooms are really meant just for sleeping, which is okay on a beach vacation! The reason why I'm giving this property three stars is just this-- the rooms are really at a Motel 6 level, but they are clean and functional, but not great. (Side note: The neighbors of the hotel have a few barking dogs that awoke us every morning at 6 promptly...but you did hear the ocean to put you to sleep every night!)

The beach is really too rough to swim in at Diamant (and Alex, the manager, said it himself) and there is really no beach to speak of as far as sand to lay out on. But, you can dip your toes in at the beach and the view is fantastic of Diamant Rock.

The staff-- especially Alex-- are wonderfully friendly and polite. The staff really makes this place good enough to stay in.

Also, the breakfast that is included with the room is nothing interesting either (with the exception of the local jam made by the staff) but the dinners at the hotel restaurant were great. I'd recommend eating dinner there at least once and prices were comparable to the other restaurants in town.

All in all, a functional hotel with no big problems with a very nice staff.

There are a lot of good words told about Diamant les Bains and every word is true!!
We had a wonderfull honeymoon at Diamant les Bains thanks to the nice people (speaking English), the very nice view, the good bungalow and the wheater ofcourse. Diamant is also a good place (if you rent a car) to travel around the island.

Martinique and Constantijn (the Netherlands)

The bungalows at Diamant les Bains are a great place to stay if you're looking for a vacation on the beach. Our bungalow was about 30 feet from a very nice beach. This is not the Caribbean Sea, it's the Atlantic Ocean, so there is some surf and a bit of undertow. It's good for body surfing and not as rough as the beaches on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

The staff is friendly and most of them are fluent in English. You may not find that in many places in Martinique. If you want to get out and explore the country, at least learn a few basic French phrases.

The restaurant is excellent. You can pick your own langouste (spiny lobster) from the tank. The included continental breakfast consists of local fresh fruits, fresh fruit juice, bread and jam, cheese and cold cuts, and coffee, tea or hot chocolate. The restaurant is closed for lunch and dinner on Wednesday, so that's your chance to get out and try another restaurant.

The bungalows are rather small but, hey, you're right on the beach. You could probably find something a bit more upscale, but it would not be within walking distance of the town of Le Diamant, which means you would be insulated from the local culture. I suppose that's OK with some people, but not with us. You'll never find us at a Club Med or Sandals. The pool looks quite nice, but since the ocean was right outside our door, we never ventured into the pool. The grounds are a garden of tropical flowers.

Mike Martin and Carol Rogers