This was our second visit to this small-sized resort in St. François, Guadeloupe. We loved the place four years ago and were longing to go back. The evening prior to our arrival we placed a call to ensure that our room would be ready for check-in at noon the next day. The operator checked her computer and said it would be all set, since the previous customer was scheduled to leave around 10AM.
So off we went the next morning to St François, getting there around 12:20 PM. We had to wait some time at the reception desk as a group of Russian people was also checking in, but they had credit card problems and trouble getting in touch with their travel agent. We also noticed they were advised that their room was not ready yet and would not be until 3 PM.
Our turn came and we were greeted by Isabelle, the (very pretty) Reservations Manager, we had met before. However she also told us that our room would not be ready before 3PM due to the late departure of the customer. We handed over our Starwood card, but Isabelle still prefers the Meridien one, apparently. She said that her team has not received any instructions or training yet.
After some minutes spent trying to calm down husband’s anger we went to the wonderful shell-shaped swimming-pool. It was apparent that we were the only ones using it at this time of the day. We enjoyed some “ti-punch” (white rum, lime and sugar) and had lunch. (Note: most of the suites are located around the pool and gardens. The Beach suites are on the lateral sides of the resort.)
Finally, our room was ready. Our luggage had already been put in the room and we unpacked. Each suite at this hotel (ca 75 sq. meters) is composed of a separate lounge room with a plasma TV screen, a sofa bed (suitable for a child or an adult), a small entrance hall, a separate shower + WC. The master bedroom has its own private bathroom (with a huge round-shaped bath). Overall, the room could have used some refurbishment. There were stains on walls and scratches on furniture. As we had requested a ground-level Beach Suite, there were two small terraces in front of each room, each with a table and chairs. As welcome gift, the hotel provided some tropical flowers and a bottle of white rum.
Our room was located right on the hotel’s small beach. There was a huge number of sun chairs on this small piece of sand. Fortunately, the hotel was not full. I wonder how crowded it might get if all suites were occupied! There is another series of suites letting out on a beach on the other side, but this is not the hotel’s beach.
The first big problem: I immediately realized that there were at least 10 or 15 mosquitoes in the room! I started the “killing action”, asked for more fly-tox, was given this, but the product did not seem to be very useful. I wonder how the customer was able to sleep the night before! It appeared, to us anyway, that this room had not been occupied for a while.
Minor problems occurred with the daily room cleaning as the staff apparently ran short of toiletries, but the ladies always managed to find a solution.
One excellent point in this resort is service. All of the staff smiles and is helpful, which is not always the case in the French Carribean. Although things are now improving, whether you stay in a luxury resort or in a small B&B, this principle seems to hold.
The other asset of the St. François, is their restaurant: excellent quality, very refined food fusing together French and Creole influences at reasonable prices. The wine list was not that extensive, but of a good quality. We enjoyed our drinks at the bar by the pool and the atmosphere was magic in the evening when all the frogs and other critters began their night song.
Our last night there came quicker than we expected, but obtaining a later check-out at 3PM was not a problem at all. During the stay we had many discussions with our fellow guests and discovered that many of them (mostly French) come back regularly. There were a lot of Italian customers and a few British.
All in all we did not regret our coming back to this place. The hotel has been taken in charge by new management a few months ago, and some renovation work is needed. Although it was the high season during the stay, the place was only half full, but prices stayed high at La Cocoteraie (between 400 and 600 Euros per night on a BB basis at this time of the year). Certainly a bit over-rated.
Review submitted by joelle bonnet
Posted at February 14, 2006 10:15 PM