On a street corner in unassuming Bois-Plage, the Océan is a fanciful name for an hotel that is a good 10 – 15 minutes’ walk from the island’s south coast beaches. And although the place does have some rough edges, favourable reviews far outnumber negative comments.
A modest front door leads into the comfortable reception/sitting room but it is the restaurant that keeps the place buzzing. It is akin to a British gastro-pub, but with twice the style and at half the price. The menus are interesting and the food is very good, with plenty of choice and slick, informal service. Risotto aux poireaux, thon rouge grillé et jambon Serrano was a good way to the heart of one well-satisfied reviewer. Breakfast, with both salt butter and unsalted, is largely home-made.
Clapboard, candles and chord matting give the ground floor its visual appeal and this trendy New England look is repeated in some of the bedrooms. ‘Cape Cod meets Ikea?’ is a little unkind but helps to paint the picture. Cheaper rooms are right on the street and not recommended in hot weather. Others with communal terraces overlook the internal courtyard where meals are taken in summer. The Charme Supérieur accommodations have the highest price tag since the rooms are adjacent to the pool (from which children are sensibly banned until after 10 am).