Au Tapis de Sable

The name says sand, and the setting does not argue with it. Hôtel Au Tapis de Sable sits directly on Lecques beach in Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, with a private beach area, free parasols and sun loungers for the hours when you would rather not go looking for a chair.

This is a small two-star address for a straightforward seaside stay: a family holiday, a couple’s break or a few nights with the coast doing most of the entertaining. The atmosphere is described as family-run, with the sort of useful simplicity that suits anyone who prefers a beach at the door to a resort with a map and a timetable.

You are on Lecques beach, at 2 route de la Madrague in Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer. The hotel has direct access to a sandy beach, while Plage de la Madrague is about 0.3 miles away and Plage de la Reinette about 0.7 miles away. Calanque du Port d’Alon is 2.9 miles from the property, and Plage de la Pointe des Termes 3.3 miles away.

The centre of Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer is 2 miles away, so the hotel keeps you beside the sea rather than in the middle of town. Bandol is 3 miles away and La Ciotat 4 miles away. For a larger outing, the Calanques National Park is listed at 3.5 miles, while the Paul Ricard race track is about a 30-minute drive away.

The Saint-Cyr–Les Lecques–La Cadière railway station is 1.5 miles away. Toulon–Hyères Airport is 27 miles away by road, and Marseille Provence Airport is 37 miles away.

The rooms use a contemporary style with Mediterranean colours, so the visual brief is more Côte d’Azur than anonymous business hotel. Every room has an LCD television and air conditioning, useful when the day has involved sun, salt and a wetsuit that has not dried as quickly as hoped.

For a couple, the room categories with a private balcony or sea view are the ones worth looking at first. The view is not a decorative footnote here: the hotel is on the beach, and some rooms let you keep that relationship with the bay once the door is closed. Family rooms are available for larger groups.

Breakfast can be taken in the room, which is handy on an early start or a morning when your legs are still negotiating with yesterday’s dive. Luggage storage at reception also helps when your arrival or departure does not line up neatly with the room.

Breakfast is continental and served every morning either on the shaded terrace or in the comfort of your room. It is a practical start to the day: coffee, something to eat and the sea already waiting outside, without having to leave the property before you have properly woken up.

There is one bar at the hotel. It gives you somewhere to settle with a drink when the beach has had enough of you, although the dining offer listed for the property centres on breakfast rather than a full restaurant service.

If hunger arrives with more ambition than a continental breakfast, several restaurants are close by. Sarl Ayk is about 200 feet away, Tiki Beach about 500 feet away and La Siesta Plage roughly 1,000 feet away. The coast therefore does some of the evening work, which is just as well after a long day carrying dive gear.

The main activity is pleasingly obvious: step onto the sandy beach. The private beach area comes with parasols and sun loungers, while the sun terrace, terrace and garden give you other places to sit when you want a change of angle rather than a full expedition.

There is also a solarium for those who regard shade as an optional extra. Couples can split the afternoon between the beach and the terrace, with no need to organise a formal programme around it.

When you do want to leave the shoreline, the nearby beaches offer a change of scenery, and the Calanque du Port d’Alon is within driving distance. The Calanques National Park is also nearby, while Bandol and La Ciotat provide an easy reason to get in the car for a few hours.

Free private parking is available on site, with no reservation needed. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property, and luggage storage is available at reception. Pets are allowed, with possible charges.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to 17:00, and you need to tell the property your expected arrival time. If you plan to arrive after 17:00, contact the hotel in advance; this is not the place for a spontaneous late-night key collection. Check-out is from 07:30 to 11:00.

Children of any age are welcome, and there is no minimum age for check-in. Guests under 18 must check in with a parent or official guardian. Cash is an accepted payment method. Facilities for disabled guests are available.