What great fortune to have discovered this charming hotel when searching for a place for myself, my husband and another couple to stay for 4 nights near St. Francois, on the Grand Terre side of Guadeloupe. It has only 6 sparkling rooms with terraces overlooking the sea with views of Iles des Saintes, Marie Galante and Dominica. You can also enjoy this grand view from the stunning infinity pool and the dining room, where breakfast and drinks are served. With a car, the location was ideal for easy access to the Grande Terre beaches, boat excursions, shops and services, but it is set in a residential area, free of resort clamor and crowds. (At night the tiny frogs will serenade you and you may hear a neighbor's music far in the background.) Rooms feature king size beds (actually twin beds set tightly together, but oddly made up with separate top sheets) excellent air conditioning, a small refrigerator on the terrace, and lovely, individually selected furnishings and decor throughout. Ample storage closets are provided and there are phones and a television is discreetly stowed in the closet. (We never did turn it on to see what stations came in.) The small bathrooms have glass corner showers with ample hot water and pressure and a hair dryer is provided. I had thought we might go elsewhere for breakfast, since it is 11 euros per person extra, but after splurging on the first morning, we were hooked. Every day we could choose a different exotic fruit juice and a platter of perfectly ripe and beautifully sliced fruit was presented along with a marvelous basket of fresh baked goods, pots of butter and preserves. Coffee (or other hot beverages) were made to order. You could have stayed at the table all day, nibbling and looking out to sea or watching the hummingbirds or pelicans fly by, but between us we always managed to at least move on to the pool, if not out to explore the island. If you appreciate small, lovely private inns, Hotel Amaudo, Cocolo Beach is a great choice. If you want an in-house restaurant, room service, resort facilities and equipment, do not even consider it, you would be disappointed, complain and spoil it for the rest of us. I do not see any contact information on TripAdvisor for this hotel and websites addresses are forbidden, so I am including the telephone number:
----------------- Bon voyage!