Hȏtel Ibis Styles Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie Centre — A Great Location, but Disappointing Value for Money
My Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ (3/5)
- Location: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Cleanliness: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆
- Comfort: ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆
- Breakfast: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Value for Money: ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆
An Excellent Central Location
During our stay in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie in mid-August, we were looking for a centrally located hotel that would allow us to explore the town easily on foot. We chose the Ibis Styles Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie Centre from booking.com where we were only able to book a room with two single beds, including breakfast. Trip.com had similar offers.
The hotel’s location is undoubtedly one of its greatest strengths. Situated almost in the heart of town, it is ideally placed for discovering Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, with its shops, restaurants, market and lively summer atmosphere all within easy walking distance.
Parking: Limited at the Hotel
The hotel has a private car park, but it is relatively small, paid, and was fully booked throughout our week-long stay.
Fortunately, there is a Super U supermarket only around 100 metres from the hotel, where we were able to park free of charge without any difficulty. The parking area is well lit, and the nearby petrol station is also convenient.
Friendly and Professional Welcome
Check-in was quick and straightforward. The reception area was spotless, and the receptionist was extremely friendly, welcoming and professional.
The quality of the service at reception immediately created a very positive first impression and was one of the highlights of our stay.
The Room: Disappointing for the Price
Unfortunately, the room was the weakest part of our experience, particularly considering the high-season rate.
We were given a room in an annex separate from the main building. The annex has a ground floor and first floor but no lift, meaning guests have to carry their luggage upstairs themselves.
The room itself was quite small and basic, with two single beds and a connecting door to the neighbouring room. There were no amenities: no kettle, no coffee machine, no bottled water or hospitality tray, nothing. The room only had a television and individual air conditioning.
One unusual feature was that the toilet was separate from the bathroom. It was located within the bedroom itself, in its own enclosed space.
The bathroom was small, towels were provided, but there were no proper toiletries apart from soap and shampoo dispensers. The toilet was separated and had an unpleasant smell.
The free Wi-Fi was also extremely slow during our stay.
The air conditioning worked, but the unit was quite noisy. Interestingly, although our room faced the street, outside noise was not a problem at night, the street was very quiet. The main disturbance was the sound of the air conditioning itself.
Swimming Pool and Leisure Facilities
The hotel does have some very pleasant leisure facilities. The large swimming pool is available free of charge and is open from 6 a.m. until midnight, with towels provided.
There is also a small games room nearby, which is a nice additional facility, particularly for families or guests spending time at the hotel.
Breakfast: The Highlight of Our Stay
Breakfast was undoubtedly the highlight of our experience.
The restaurant is located in the main building, next to reception. Although we did not have dinner at the hotel, we thoroughly enjoyed the breakfast buffet.
The buffet is not enormous, but it is exceptionally generous and varied, with a good selection of fresh-looking products and several regional specialities.
There was an excellent choice of pastries, Vendée brioche, different types of bread, cold meats, cheese, vegetables, madeleines, Nutella, spreads and a wide selection of jams.
The drinks selection was equally impressive, with automatic coffee machines, fresh orange juice, soy milk, almond milk and numerous fruit juices, including apricot, apple, goyave, raisin, pina colada, strawberries, …
There was also an egg-boiling station and a pancake station with hot plates, allowing guests to prepare their own pancakes. These details made breakfast particularly enjoyable.
Overall Impression
Overall, we had a quiet and comfortable night’s sleep, and the hotel benefits from several important advantages: an excellent central location, friendly and professional staff, a good swimming pool and an outstanding breakfast.
However, the room did not meet the standard we expected for the price we paid during the high season. The limited space, lack of amenities, slow Wi-Fi, noisy air conditioning and the absence of a lift in the annex were disappointing.
The excellent breakfast and location certainly helped compensate for some of these shortcomings, but we did not feel that the hotel offered good value for money at the rate we paid.
Would We Stay Again?
Probably not. While the hotel has many positive qualities, we would expect a higher standard of accommodation and more facilities in the room for the price charged during the summer high season.
A good choice if location and breakfast are your priorities, but less convincing if you are looking for a modern, well-equipped room offering strong value for money.
Still not convinced? Check out the video!
Hȏtel ibis Styles Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie Centre, prices and availabilities:
Booking.com / Trip.com
