How Discerning Are You?

This was originally going to be a post about a hotel that I have always wanted to stay in, however whilst doing research for the post I happened upon trip advisor and to be honest there were far too many genuinely negative reviews for me to possibly write about it on this blog, granted, the hotel in question also had many positive reviews but the amount of negatives for the cost, starting price for a room per night £300 rising to £620 per night and that is with no extras had me aghast.  What really shocked me was the owner/management response to the complaints on trip advisor, they said it all really, customers had already complained about the arrogant and defensive manner in which the owners/management had dealt with complaints sadly this was backed up by their responses to the complaints on trip advisor and I read all of them!

What really rankles is the fact that whoever the guest; the discerning, well travelled or someone who has scrimped and saved for an extra special treat, the hospitality in a hotel who's starting price is £300 should be second to none.  I am not naive there will always be complainers and the person looking to beat the price down, no matter how good or bad the service is but the important thing is not what the complaint is but how the recipient deals with it, no one should put up with aggression or downright rudeness, there is a way to complain and a way to deal with it.  The customer is always right, if he delivers his complaint in the correct manner then the recipient should return the courtesy by dealing with the complaint in the correct manner and many hearts have been won by the way an establishment deals with a complaint or a tricky issue.  Word of mouth is the best form of advertising, these days word of mouth is rife on the internet so it's even more important to get it right, get it wrong and you run the risk of losing hundreds of potential customers.

Apologies for quoting a cliché but 'people do buy people first' good training and education stands for a lot, the art of teaching perception and being able to deal with people in the correct manner even if they are rude or arrogant is still of paramount importance, call me old fashioned but I believe that these values should still be upheld, no matter what the value of the business.

Biarritz

Biarritz, Saturday Morning, look at all the surfers in the sea, waiting to ride a wave, most of them have been there since sunrise!

It's my Birthday on Monday, a very boring day to have a Birthday on, so as the weather forecast looked good for the weekend I decided I would like to go to Biarritz for my Birthday, Saturday was the allotted day, I was quite happy to go for the day as it's only an hour and half away by car, yesterday MG decided on the spur of the moment that we should go instantaneously and spend the night, (Friday) he spent some time on the internet looking for a hotel that had availability, a secure car park and accepted dogs, he found one and booked, then announced, I had to get ready.

I was in disarray, chucking things into an overnight bag, the weather has changed dramatically here, yesterday was like a Summers day, what should I take?  Oh God, I am overdue for a leg wax and a pedicure, oh God what shoes, shoes... where is that pretty white bra?  Oh God it's in the laundry basket, which draw are the others in?  Do I need to take a bikini?  No the sea will be freezing, there might be a pool, pool... where is that bikini?  Can't find it never mind, chuck that in instead and that...   twenty minutes later I was ready.

Around an hour later (MG drove like a bat out of hell) we were in Biarritz, mind you it took half an hour to negotiate our way round the Biarritz one way system (with GPS) before we found the hotel, which was located right on the seafront.

We stayed at The Hotel Windsor which looked like it had been recently done out in boutique style, it was immaculate, clean and the staff at the reception were charming, the room was small but perfectly formed, comfortable, clean, with excellent linen and four plump pillows, (normally French hotels only provide, two pillows, with a spare in the wardrobe, why?  I have no idea).  The room was quirky and 'open plan' the bathroom was in the bedroom partitioned by the shower, which was in the middle of the room, I have never come across this before, obviously some kind of space maximisation tactic (you would be hard pushed to find a hotel room here in the high season, so seafront hotels can charge top dollar) there was no bath but the loo was separate with a door!

 We opened the small balcony doors and looked at the view...

Gorgeous, we knew, that night, we would drift off to sleep with the sound of Atlantic waves.

We have not been to Biarritz for about seven years, last time we came, this magnificent resort was looking a bit tired and jaded.  Not any more! Biarritz has had a facelift and been sympathetically rejuvenated in keeping with it's lustrous past, it's the surfing capital of Europe, the hip and the trendy rub shoulders with the elegant and the glamorous.  Biarritz is located on France's South West Atlantic coast, close to the Spanish border, in the Basque country and remains true to it's Basque roots, adding culture, great food and bonhomie to the mix.  Biarritz has been restored to it's former glory, not to mention it's natural beauty and stunning coastline and can happily compete with it's counterparts on The Cote d'Azur.

Biarritz is a popular destination and one of the earliest coastal resorts in France and it's all thanks to one lady, you can't really write about Biarritz without mentioning Empress Eugenie and her summer Villa (Palace) known as Villa Eugenie, now the Super luxurious Hotel du Palais.

The Empress Eugenie in Biarritz

The Hotel Du Palais, can you believe it took only ten months to build, there must have been thousands working on it!

 Edward VII, promenading 1905,  Biarritz was a favourite destination for European Royalty, celebrities and dignitaries, including King Edward VII

The same spot, Saturday, April 2nd, 2011

To read all about the fascinating and romantic history of Biarritz, Empress Eugenie and The Hotel Du Palais click here

When we arrived at the hotel on Friday evening it was already around 8pm, I was feeling a bit crumpled but had no time to change, I just had time to freshen up my make up.  We got some great recommendations for places to eat and drink from the charming hotel staff, there is no shortage of fantastic bars, cafes and restaurants in Biarritz but we were told to head towards the market place, we did and found Le Comptoir du Foie Gras, which was buzzing, it's a tapas bar specialising in regional products.  As the weather was positively balmy everyone was standing outside on the pavement in full summer garb, the atmosphere was great and some great tunes were playing subtly in the background, the tapas looked wonderful so we ordered some, it was so delicious we ended up ordering four plates and stayed there for hours, we never made it out for dinner as we were quite happy where we were and after consuming a lot tapas we were happily stuffed!

Le Grande Plage

Small cove with rock pools

The Old Port

After an excellent nights sleep,  on Saturday morning we went for a long walk along the beach, followed by a pre lunch aperitif,  Champagne in the Hotel du Palais, Crusoe was welcomed too and thoroughly enjoyed having a good old roll on the sumptuous carpets!  Then we headed off to the rustic Old Port for lunch, the best place to go for fish and sea food, the very plump Gulls kept us amused, once again the food was excellent.

After lunch we went for a wonder round the town, more grand buildings, fabulous shops, Biarritz has all the usual suspects; Hermes, Dior, Prada etc. as well as interesting, individual privately owned boutiques.  The Basque country is famous for it's great quality linen and towels and there are plenty of reasonably priced shops in Biarritz selling amazing table linen and the softest, fluffiest best quality towels and robes imaginable.

We drove home late Saturday afternoon, it was a wonderful trip, we will be returning soon...

Click here to read about other destinations on The Cote Basque

I'm Back

I can't believe I have been away from blogging for over a week, so apologies for the post drought and not visiting, I am hoping to catch up with you all within the next few days.   I have to confess I have been away gallivanting, sans laptop, which is just as well as I have had no time for anything except pleasure!

 The Stray, complete with Victorian Promenade Shelter, Harrogate

 I went back home to dear old Blighty, where I spent a wonderful few days back in my home town, Harrogate, Yorkshire, catching up with family and friends, whilst there, I did lot's of wining and dining I was particularly impressed with Harrogate's newest restaurant Le Bistrot Pierre, which has great food and a fabulous ambience, I gather they have a few restaurants in various UK towns, check out the link, and if you find yourself  in any of the locations, where they have an establishment; Go!

I took my Mother down to London for a couple of days, my gorgeous and fabulous Brother treated us to a stay at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, my Brother always stays in this hotel when he is in London on business. 

The Views Of Kensington Gardens And Beyond From My Room

Wow, what a fabulous Hotel, not so pretty on the outside but the inside, more than makes up for it, it is a family owned hotel and it shows, most of the staff have been there for years and they make you feel like Royalty, nothing is too much trouble, I think it is one of the friendliest and most comfortable hotels I have ever stayed in and if you can secure a room overlooking Kensington Gardens, you will be privy to one of the finest views in London.  Major foodies had  informed me that they have one of the best Chinese restaurants in London; Min Jiang, I have now sampled it and can vouch for it, some of the greatest Chinese food I have ever tasted, with the emphasis on fresh. The restaurant is on the tenth floor of the hotel, so whilst you are tasting heaven you also have an awe inspiring panoramic view of London.

 Min Jiang Restaurant

Another excellent restaurant which has fabulous views over London is Babylon, just over the road, from the Royal Garden, on Derry Street.

I did cram a lot of things into my trip, I took my Mother to the V&A to see the Grace Kelly exhibit, I had heard a few negative reports, on this, not enough dresses, where was the wedding dress etc. Personally I thought it was very well done and so did my Mother, I also have to mention that my Mother cannot function properly in the morning without the aid of great coffee, we walked from the hotel to the V&A, on route there were no cafes, so we stopped off at The Royal Albert Hall's Cafe Consort for breakfast which was extremely good value for money with charming staff serving...wonderful.

 My Mother, after coffee, proving age is only a number (she is 75, sorry Mum!)

The only disappointment of the trip, was me, hotfooting it over to see the Leighton House Museum, which was at the other end of Kensington High Street, a brisk twenty minute walk from the hotel; closed on Tuesdays!  Never mind, my fault for not checking, will go on my next trip, I consoled myself by photographing the blue plaque.

 This Is A Typical Holland Park Property, It Was so Pretty, I Could Not Resist Photographing It.

Well here endeth my little jaunt, I must say I left a warm sunny Britain and arrived in cold and rainy France, apparently it has been awful here for two weeks, rainy, murky and cold... the grass is not always greener......

La Belle Gabrielle

Gabrielle d'Estrees and one of her sisters, School of Fontainebleau C 1594

A few years ago MG took me for a romantic weekend in the Loire, we stayed at the lovely Chateau de la Bourdaisière,  it was perfect, lovely gardens, beautiful rooms and very romantic, the perfect base for exploring the Loire and visiting it's beautiful chateaux.

Photos via Chateau de la Bourdaisière website

Whilst staying at the Chateau I noticed a copy of the rather cheeky painting above and became intrigued.  The painting is thought to be of Gabrielle d'Estrees and her sister the Duchess de Villars Brancas.

 On further investigation I found out it is believed, Gabrielle was born at the Chateau.  Gabrielle was born into an illustrious family known for producing a long line of fascinating and beautiful ladies, who charmed the Kings of France.  Gabrielle herself became the mistress of King Henry IV of France, he was very much in love with her, she bore him three children whom were all legitimized and he showered her with titles, she had a lot of influence over the King and he was often accused of compromising his victories in order to visit her.  Henry publicly acknowledged Gabrielle as his mistress and he seriously considered marrying her as he already considered her as his wife.  Gabrielle looked upon herself as Queen of France (even though Henry was married to Queen Margaret) sadly she died soon after giving birth to a stillborn son,  before any steps towards marriage could be taken.  Henry was grief-stricken and gave her the funeral of a Queen.

Gabrielle d'Estrees

Whist we were visiting some of the great Chateaux, I noticed that Gabrielle had a bedroom in almost every one, and my imagination started to work overtime, I could almost see Gabrielle drawing up to to the Chateaux, in a cavalcade  of carriages, organising her vast entourage, resplendent in beautiful gowns and jewels.

I have just discovered there is a book about her, available here I will definitely be ordering it on my next Amazon splurge.