Booked with Island Getaways at short notice it was necessary to book a two hotel stay as they could not accommodate us for 12 nights in one place. They offered us a 4 star hotel for 5 nights with a move to a 2 star (the De Beauvoir) for 7 nights. On querying the standard of the 2 star hotel we were told it was a good family hotel with a good reputation. We decided to book and make the most of the facilities the better hotel had to offer and save our sightseeing for the second week using the Hotel De Beavoir as a base. Triple rooms were requested and we pointed out the age of our daughter (13 yrs) saying she needed a proper bed, not a child bed. This was booked for us, we checked if there was any reduction in cost for our daughter but we were told no, she would pay full price. The first hotel was faultless, our room consisted of a kingsize bed and a full size single bed and the facilities were what you would expect of a 4 star hotel. When we moved to the Hotel De Beauvoir we were fully aware that we were moving to a 2 star hotel however, first impressions were not good. The entrance was obviously used by smokers and cigarette ends were littered all over the floor. The foyer was dark and dingy and the decor was very dated and garish - bright green carpets and pink walls. We were allocated our room but when we got upstairs we discovered there were only two single beds. We returned to reception to be told by the man on duty that this was an error and the chambermaids should have made the room up as a three bed room. We were not impressed and said it was not big enough to accommodate three beds, we would be lined up with beds touching. We were told the hotel was full but he would see what could be done. Approximately 45 mins later we were allocated another room with a double bed and a folding bed. The room's furniture had seen better days and the carpet was none too clean, the dressing table stool was very badly stained. All the bedding was mismatched of various colours and it was paper thin. The room looked directly onto other windows which appeared to be staff accommodation, the curtains had to be kept drawn most of the time for privacy. The bathroom, once again, was dated and worn with mouldy tiles and a dirty shower curtain. Our first night's sleep was a sign of things to come. The mattress on the double bed was so thin the springs could be felt, it was extremely uncomfortable. My daughter's bed was just as bad, it was squashed against the radiator so every time she moved it was noisy. The fan in the bathroom was activated by the light, it was unbearably loud and it continued for about 2-3 minutes after switching off. The one next door was also the same so we could hear the fan from the next room throughout the night. After two sleepless nights we queried why my dauaghter was paying full price but was sleeping on a z-bed; we were told this was a mistake and it would be changed later that day, it was but this resulted in even less space in the room. The landing areas seemed to be in constant use by the chambermaids for preparing bedding, an ironing board and sheets were permanent fixtures. Although the weather was not warm enough to use the outdoor pool, temperatures of 30 degrees plus would not have enticed me to use it. The area was neglected and the water in the pool looked very cloudy. The staff who served breakfast were pleasant and friendly but the food was exactly the same every day. Juice, tinned grapefruit, cereals, fried breakfast. Tea/Coffee were brought to the table as was toast, one sachet of jam was at each table setting. As I do not eat fried breakfast and no continental option was available it became very boring. The area where the food was served became messy very quickly with spilled milk and cereal etc. The place was so depressing and uncomfortable we contacted Island Getaways, they said all the hotels they used were fully booked. We felt so strongly that we decided to return home early and asked them to change our ferry booking. They were unhelpful initially saying that the ferry could not be changed, however, if we so wished we could contact Condor ourselves to change the booking and pay for a return crossing. After much complaint they agreed to contact Condor on our behalf and change the ferry at no extra cost. In order for them to do this we had to sign an agreement to say we woud not claim for the unspent nights in the hotel - even our daughter had to sign. Whether such a paper would stand up in the event of a legal complaint I do not know however, we signed to this effect and returned home having put it down to experience. We used a number of hotels to dine at during our stay, some 2 and some 3 star. They were all far superior to the De Beauvoir which in my mind does not meet a rating standard. Needless to say we will not be recommending either Island Getaways or the Hotel De Beavoir to anyone.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
