Les Cols Verts

What People are saying

Really Nice Hotel

susan mon 17/09/2016 18:42

Hotel les Cols Verts gave us a smashing night away. The hotel is clean and the rooms had everything you wanted. The staff did their best to make us comfortable if fact went out of their way to make us happy. We took the half board option and it was a good choice the evening meal could not have been better and breakfast great with local produce. The hotel is within a couple of minutes from the beach and a short walk then into town, Would certainly go again.

Little Gem

Brands_03on 31/07/2016 19:05

Stayed one night here in late Jul. Room was fresh, bright and immaculately clean. I stayed in the block behind the main building and it was completely peaceful even with the windows open. I had dinner sitting outside and the food was well cooked and tasty. Breakfast was good too, two choices, a lighter drink and croissant option at €9 or a full cold buffet at €12 which seemed a little excessive. I had the light option and it was delicious with my favourite Earl Grey tea too. A little out of the town (20 min stroll) and no reserved parking which meant I had to park a little way away. I would definitely recommend this hotel and will stay here again.

Good for short visit

Cedric Gon 31/07/2016 11:24

Small rooms but clean, nice and well lighted. Buffet breakfast with average food but good enough to start a journey. Nothing terrific here (we did not try the pool) but the service is friendly and no surprise. This is a classical hotel with very acceptable prices.

Only one thing: the room are noisy.

Note that it is far from the seashore, you will have to take a car or bikes.

Nothing to write home about

Weightman01on 19/10/2015 10:21

The hotel staff were friendly and helpful. This hotel is situated in a nice quiet area away from town and has a pleasant shaded garden to lounge in. The 1.8 km walk by the beach into town is very enjoyable indeed. Another plus is that we were able to reserve a small family suite so that our 8 year-old grandson could have his own adjoining room with a balcony and wash basin closet. The choice between a small breakfast for €6 with a cup of coffee, tartine or croissant and fruit juice compared to €11 for eat as much as you want was appreciated (we are not big breakfast eaters). The wifi connection worked fine for surfing and reading e-mails.

The bathroom was very small and badly designed. It was impossible for me to place the plug in the bath without climbing into it before filling. Fortunately, the grandson helped. The bed was king size and of fairly good quality, but not fitted with a continental quilt - the old fashioned sheets and blanket style which I detest. The sheets are of very good quality. I commented that I appreciated the formulas for breakfast, but you have to choose between butter or jam for your croissant or bread roll with no option to purchase an additional cup of coffee.

Exceptional Service

Simon Ton 09/09/2015 11:30

Time and again I read reviews which seem to judge hotels mainly on the modernity of the decor, as if this were the be-all and end-all of their criteria. It's relatively easy for a large chain to rebrand their image every couple of years and keep up with the latest fads and fashions: that's fine, if that's what you want, but such chains, particularly at the lower end of the price range can be very impersonal. It's well-nigh impossible for smaller independent establishments to compete on endlessly refreshed decor, but surely there's rather more to a hotel than the way it looks? For me, hospitality is a core requirement of a hotel, and one that excels deserves to be recognised.

The Hotel Les Cols Verts in the small seaside town of La Tranche sur Mer in the Vendee region of France scored magnificently in this area during our two-night stay.

This business is a small independent concern that has been in the family for three generations, although the present building dates from the 1970s. It is light, bright, and well laid out, with an annexe as well as the main block. Particularly useful for us as a couple and a single travelling together was the little suite which comprised a double and a twin room with a toilet in the linking corridor: the bathroom was en suite with the double, which also had a small kitchen with a sink, fridge, two-ring hob and various utensils: both rooms had balconies reached by double doors. There's no air conditioning, but we were there during a heatwave and the rooms were just cool enough with the balcony doors open. The beds were very comfortable, with plenty of extra bedding and pillows provided if needed (though obviously not in such heat). Saving us from having to book two separate rooms, we thought this very good value.

There's a bar and childrens' play area: the flexible restaurant area serves breakfast and evening meals (with cuisine focussing on local recipes and products) available at extra cost. Can't comment on the breakfast as we tend to avoid them in French hotels having found in the past that they offered poor value, but the dinner was excellent at a fair price,

There are plenty of places to park nearby, and guests have the use of an indoor heated swimming pool with jacuzzi and sauna a block away down the road. The nearest access to the fine beach is slightly further, perhaps five minutes away. The main town is further still, at a couple of kilometres: there are free bus services running hourly (with a lunchtime break) during the summer peak, although there is no evening service on the hotel's route: there is parking in the town, but at busy times there can be queues waiting for others to leave so that they can get in.

The hotel staff were all exceptionally friendly and helpful, and on two occasions went way above and beyond what might be considered the normal call of duty,

The first was after one of us had a camera stolen from a beach cafe, with the receptionist not only explaining how the two separate agencies (Gendarmes and Police) functioned, but also then, off her own bat, making calls to both to explain the situation, so that when we reached the right office, the basic information was already on record, making the rest of the reporting rather easier - full marks to the Gendarmes, too, for their help and cooperation.

The second occasion was even more exceptional. Although we had enjoyed our meal at the hotel on the first night, we fancied a change for the second, and following a chance conversation with other Brits at a cafe at the big Saturday market, had reserved a table at a restaurant near the centre of town. It was a little too far for one of us to walk easily, and nobody wanted to drink and drive, so we asked reception to book us a taxi.

This being holiday season in small-town France, it transpired that there were no taxi drivers available, and that although the free bus could take us into town, there was no corresponding service back. At this point, the hotel proprietorix provided the solution: she would drive us there herself, and we could phone when we were ready to be picked up - a very generous offer considering that we were going to what might be seen as a rival establishment! (We later discovered that this also meant interrupting a meal she was giving to thank the students who had been working for her over the vacation period.)

To sum up, if you're desperate for the latest decor and not concerned with hospitality, then this might not be the optimum choice, If however, you're more concerned with comfort and fine, old-fashioned service, you'll find yourself in the safest and most caring of hands at Les Cols Verts