No hesitation in recommending this hotel. The only negatives are that the hotel and the rooms are small (particularly in terms of storage) and there is no lift but, as a family of 4 staying on the top floor, neither was really an issue.

It was booked last minute and directly with the owner after a trawl of the usual booking.com, expedia and hotel.com proved fruitless. It was recommended by a friend from Paris. The booking process was easy. The rate represented good value for money and I suspect we got a discount as we did not go through a booking agency. We stayed 7 nights.

We got two adjoining rooms with an interconnecting door. The kids stayed in one with bunk beds and we were in the other with a double bed. Each room had its own tiny bathroom. The rooms are clean, modern, tidy and functional. The rooms are equipped with TVs (one at the end of each kids’ bunk) and iPod docks. There is wired and wifi internet in the rooms which is really fast – good enough for VoIP calls. The rooms have a digital safe that is well positioned, easy to use and big enough to accommodate my netbook sized laptop. I got great sleep – the beds are comfortable and there is practically no exterior noise audible in the room. Both rooms had modern, clean, controllable, effective air conditioning which was an absolute essential for Cannes in August!

Access to the rooms is via Ving cards with the holes in them. We clipped then onto Lanyards and went swimming with them without problems.

Location is superb. Everywhere that you want to go in Cannes can be measured in minutes - The main beach and Croisette is about 3-4 minutes, Midi beach is 10 minutes, The town centre is 2 minutes, The Palais is 2 minutes, The train station is 2 minutes, The bus stops for Nice, Nice Airport, Grasse etc are less than a minute away. Restaurants are minutes away. There’s even MonoPrix and Carrefour supermarkets within a minute’s walk.

Even car parking isn’t that big a problem – You can park free on the other side of the police station. Overnight parking and lunchtime parking is free in the metered spaces closeby. During the chargeable period it is E1.60 per hour. The hotel can also sell passes for the secure car parks. Be aware that you can’t park directly outside the hotel as the buses need the space to make their turn.

Reception is operated from 8am to 9pm. The girls were friendly, unobtrusive and helpful when asked. Rooms are cleaned every day. We never managed to make it to breakfast so can’t comment on their culinary skills.

There is a little kitchen area available downstairs that has teas, a coffee machine and a microwave that can be used for making snacks. (There is a good supermarket about 100 metres away) A shared balcony is available during the day and early evening with seats and a couple of tables. There is a trust based mini bar in the kitchen area. One other nice touch is that they have parasols and beachmats available in the entrance hall.

It’s a family owned hotel and is run as such. There’s a book in reception that documents the progress of the renovation work which includes pictures of the owners, their children, the builder and the workers. That book encapsulates the investment and dedication they have made in the hotel. Thankyou for an enjoyable stay in Cannes and good luck for the future.