Lencouacq Vacations from $1,223

Misleading and disappointing I booked this hotel for the “ocean view of white sand beaches” and instead found that it was a view of the concrete canal, that connected to the marina. The white sand beaches were 500 m down and around the corner. The check in instructions were also incorrect, as the desk was not attended and you had to call the number to get someone to open the door for you. The Wi-Fi was very spotty, and rarely worked in my room. The terrace was marked Prive during my visit. The breakfast was good, not great, with the selection of food. However many of the dishes and silverware were not clean, with bits of food stuck on them. On the plus side, the A/C worked very well. There was private parking available for cars and bikes. And the utilitarian bathroom had a towel warmer that was handy for drying clothes. The morning attendant was very helpful and friendly.

This hotel is genuinely quite exquisite. One of the most beautiful I have visited in over thirty years of world travel. The actual setting, experienced amidst the Autumn hues, is genuinely stunning. The walk around the lake was a moment of peaceful heaven each morning and evening, the grounds are immaculate, and there are incredible views from all areas of the restaurant and bar, and the rooms are very pretty, with spacious bathrooms, some with small gardens and others even floating out in the lake with access by boat. Wonderful, attentive staff, a personal favourite was the Concierge, I believe his name was Sylvain? His assistance in helping me navigate the local area via public transport was much appreciated. Small details like names of stops and information regarding places to visit were invaluable, and his bright, friendly company was also such a pleasant addition to the day. A very accomplished restaurant serving excellent meals all throughout the day and the breakfast was quite superb. As you can tell, I very much enjoyed my stay here and would love to return in the Springtime. Easy access to local beaches, Bayonne, Biarritz and St Jean de Luz also.

Be aware that the hotel has two buildings on opposite sides of the street. The main building with reception looks much better than the second one, where my room was located. My room was shabby, very outdated, and did not resemble the photos at all. The bathroom was particularly dated and appeared not to have been renovated in decades. That said, breakfast was good and the staff were genuinely helpful and pleasant.

Fantastic accommodation and great hosts, highly recommended