Grand Hotel Miramar: hotel watch
03.08.2007, 14:18
The location
Balatoni szállodák
Set in lush gardens overlooking the Bay of Valinco, a 15-minute walk to Propriano, one of Corsica's prettiest seaside resorts. The hotel is five minutes' walk (across a road) from a sandy beach, 20 minutes' drive from the ancient megalithic site of Filitosa and an hour's drive from Bonifacio, Porto Vecchio and Ajaccio.
The draw
A stay at the Miramar is like a holiday in a private, whitewashed family villa with staff on tap. Furnishings are pristine and sumptuous, white arches constantly encourage the eye towards the turquoise sea beyond, and the décor is simple yet chic. Public areas are newly renovated with Flamant designer furnishings. During the day, the poolside is a deeply relaxing retreat. By night, the adjacent candlelit restaurant is one of the most romantic spots in Corsica.
The drawbacks
On the lower floors especially, the road is a little too close for comfort (when you open the doors of your balcony, you hear cars zooming around the bend below). Fine-tuning is needed with room service - breakfast was delivered without butter for the bread or salt for the eggs.
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The other guests
Lots of honeymooners, French businessmen and northern European industrialists with their families.
The rooms
Pristine Provence-meets-beachhouse style. Cool terracotta floors; ceramic tiles glazed with diamond dust; king-size beds; air-conditioning and flat-screen TVs; and paint-washed furnishings with attractive sea-related prints, or black and white pictures by Corsica's best landscape photographer. All 26 rooms have a balcony overlooking the bay. Bathrooms are grey slate and black marble.
The food
Regal breakfasts of freshly squeezed orange juice, perfect soft-boiled eggs, Hediard jams and gold-wrapped unsalted butter. Dinner at Le Mosaic could be grilled giant prawns, linguine with langoustines, cherry tomatoes and pesto, or perhaps a lobster fresh from the fisherman. Two courses for about €46 (£31).
The service
The staff are infallibly friendly, helpful and pleased to provide information or advice. Room service can take time as dishes come from the main restaurant. But when they deliver, it's delicious - and plentiful.