Originally Posted by
vuittonsofstyle
I have stayed at all three. I find la Reserve de Beaulieu overly snooty and I think that the rooms/suites are ready for a makeover. Royal Riviera's villa suites in the grounds (l'Orangerie) are OK, but the main rooms/suites resemble motel rooms, IMHO. Hotel du Castellet is a beautiful resort and everything is magical apart from the front desk staff and management. Restaurant staff is OK.
I agree with your comment about the Reserve de Beaulieu, but love the place nevertheless. Don't know the suites at the Royal Riviera, but found the rooms ok. At the Castellet I knew the GM at the time, so they may have been more friendly than usual.
In general I can forgive a lot of downsides (service, room size, ...) as long as the hotel gives me the feeling to be in a special place, with atmosphere, history, soul, tradition. I love grand lobbys where the walls tell stories of the country's last 100 years. That's why I am usually more happy to stay in the local old "Grand Dame" hotel, as opposed to a Four Seasons. Example: the Baur au Lac in Zurich, as opposed to the Dolder Grand or the Park Hyatt. Or the Ritz in London as opposed to the FS. Or the La Mamounia in Marrakech as opposed to the Amanjena.