My spouse and I stayed at the Villa Lara for six nights in
late August 2017. A few months in advance, we booked our stay online using the
hotel website, and we were required to submit non-cancellable prepayment for
two-thirds of our stay. The balance of our bill was charged upon checkout.
Villa Lara was built in 2012 in the historic downtown area
of historic Bayeux, close to the Cathedral and the Tapestry Museum. The hotel
is located about a 10-minute walk from the Bayeux train station, although the
path is not safely navigable. The hotel is within walking distance to a row of
restaurants, as well as to a city location of the Carre Four grocery store,
where you can buy food and drinks. (Instead of paying for the hotel breakfast,
we visited the Carre Four each day to buy croissants, bread, charcuterie, and
cheeses and then made a small picnic in our suite.)
Hotel amenities
include an elevator, air-conditioning (not all hotels in Bayeux have it!),
small fitness room (with just three pieces of equipment), meeting room, lobby
fireplace, private parking lot, complimentary Wi-Fi, bar/lounge, and breakfast
restaurant (for guests only; however, the buffet breakfast is not included with
the room rate). A gift shop with usual and high-quality (and sometimes highly
priced) handicrafts and upscale souvenirs is also onsite.
Villa Lara offers
28 rooms in categories including classic (322 square feet), prestige (376
square feet), deluxe (409 square feet), executive (430 square feet), and suite
(538 square feet). Because we would be there for six nights, we splurged on a
suite. Although not inexpensive (at over 500 Euros per night at that time of
year), it was spacious and comfortable. Our large living room contained a sofa,
two armchairs, two side tables, coffee table, small writing desk and chair, and
console with TV (that broadcast a few English channels); a small balcony with
two chairs and a table offered fantastic views of the Cathedral, so terrific in
fact that we took a series of photos during different lighting conditions and
weather over a period of several days. A hospitality center in the hallway
leading to the bedroom offered a marble-topped surface beneath which was a
mini-refrigerator (re-stocked twice daily with non-alcoholic beverages like
bottled still and sparkling water and diet and regular soda). Two small closets
offered an electronic safe and adequate storage for our hanging and folded
clothes. The large bedroom contained a king-size bed with a nightstand on each
side, decorative armchair, desk and chair, second TV, and a padded bench at the
foot of the bed on which to store our luggage. The marble-floor bathroom was
also large, with a soaking bathtub, separate shower, single sink vanity, and
toilet. Bathrobes and slippers were provided, along with a selection of
toiletries. Décor is eclectic, including textiles made of vibrant fabrics,
patterns, and colors, with custom-made furniture, avant-garde artwork, and interesting
objects placed around the rooms.
We enjoyed our
stay at Villa Lara; although it was a splurge, the hotel’s location suited us
perfectly, and we loved the size and comfort of our suite.
