Grand Hotel Des Sablettes Plage, Curio Collection By Hilton

Grand Hotel Des Sablettes Plage, Curio Collection By Hilton is a boutique hotel in a restored 19th-century building, opened in 1880 and renovated in 2017. You get sea views, a beachfront setting and the slightly more substantial feel of a historic address rather than a purpose-built resort. The hotel's website is available in English and French, which is useful when you are checking the practical details before travelling.

This is a good fit if your ideal evening involves a proper meal, a drink by the sea and somewhere comfortable to recover without needing to leave the property. The atmosphere moves from beach and sun terrace to lounge bar and restaurant, while the NUXE spa gives you a more serious option than simply collapsing on the bed with wet hair. Couples are well catered for, but the larger suites and family rooms also make the hotel workable when the trip includes children.

You are in La Seyne-sur-Mer, at Les Sablettes, on the Mediterranean coast of France. The hotel sits directly on the seafront, with direct access to sandy Sablettes Beach, sun loungers and parasols. Vernette Beach is about 1 mile away by road, while Plage de Sainte-Asile is roughly 1.5 miles away on foot or by road.

The setting gives you sea first and town second. La Seyne-sur-Mer city centre is about 6.3 miles away, and La Seyne Six Fours railway station is roughly 3.3 miles from the hotel. For a little local history, Phare de la Vieille is about 1.9 miles away and Fort de l'Eguillette around 2.2 miles away. Toulon is close enough for a change of scene, with Toulon railway station approximately 6 miles away.

Toulon–Hyeres Airport is about 18.7 miles away by road. Marseille is 70 km away and Saint-Tropez 80 km away, so both are possible for a wider Côte d'Azur itinerary, though neither is a casual stroll from the hotel.

The practical baseline is solid for a diving stay: every bedroom and suite has air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, a minibar with soft drinks, a Nespresso machine and a flat-screen television. Bathrooms come with either a walk-in shower or a bathtub, and some rooms add a balcony. Room service and ironing facilities mean you can deal with the small post-dive jobs without turning the room into a laundry station.

For two, the sea-view rooms are the obvious choice if the view matters more than extra floor space. The Deluxe Double Room with Balcony and Sea View gives you both outdoor space and a direct marine outlook, while the Deluxe King Room with Sea View goes for the larger bed. The ground-floor accessible king room is the practical option for guests who need step-free access and an accessible layout.

Travelling as a family or simply refusing to share floor space with too much luggage, you can move up to one of the suites. The Suite with Hot Tub and Terrace sleeps up to four and adds private outdoor space, while the Superior Suite with Sea View sleeps up to six. Cots are available for children aged up to two years on request; extra beds are not available, so choose the room category with your actual group size in mind.

Breakfast is served as a buffet, with breakfast, lunch and dinner available across the hotel's three food-and-drink venues. That gives you a straightforward start before heading out, and a choice of how much ceremony you want when the day is done. Room service runs around the clock, which is handy when your appetite arrives at an hour that has little respect for normal restaurant etiquette.

Horizon is the gastronomic restaurant, serving creative French cuisine in a cosy setting with sea views. It is the place for a slower dinner and a more considered plate. Le Navigateur takes a brasserie-style route, built around a maritime chart and Mediterranean flavours, with all three main meals served there as well.

La Galerie is the relaxed seaside option: a lounge bar for drinks, cocktails and snacks by the beach, available at any time. Special-diet menus can be arranged on request, and the hotel also serves wine and champagne. In other words, you can keep dinner formal, keep it simple, or just have something small and get horizontal.

The beach is the main piece of non-diving equipment here, and it is a useful one: direct access to sandy Sablettes Beach, loungers and parasols mean you can move from breakfast to the shore without organising an expedition. The sun terrace, garden and outdoor furniture offer alternatives when you want a chair but not necessarily more sand in every pocket.

For the more deliberate form of recovery, the NUXE spa has massage, facial treatments, a hammam, sauna and jacuzzi, with a spa lounge and relaxation area. There is also an indoor pool, an open-air bath, a solarium and a fitness centre. Some wellness facilities carry an additional charge, so check what you want included before booking a treatment-heavy afternoon.

When sitting still has lost its appeal, the hotel offers bicycle rental, walking tours and excursions including island visits, hiking and wine tasting. Boat excursions are available too. Horse riding, canoeing and windsurfing can be arranged off site, while board games and puzzles cover the quieter end of the spectrum.

Check-in runs from 16:00 to 23:30, and check-out is by 12:00. The 24-hour front desk, express check-in and check-out, and luggage storage make awkward arrival or departure times easier to manage. There is a lift, facilities for disabled guests and a ground-floor accessible room category.

Private parking is available on site, with a parking garage, but it must be reserved. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. Laundry and dry-cleaning services are available, and room service runs 24 hours, which covers the useful rather than glamorous side of a diving trip.

The private beach is accessible from 15 June to 15 September. Children of any age are welcome, with cots available for younger children according to the selected room. Pets are accepted on request, with a maximum weight of 15 kg. The hotel is about 18.7 miles from Toulon–Hyeres Airport, and a car is useful if you plan to explore beyond Les Sablettes.