Hotel 3 Bintang di Baie des Citrons

Having read mixed reviews on Tripadvisor, we were unsure what we would find. We have returned from a great holiday, most of the negatives we had read were not our reality. The staff, despite the language barrier, were without exception helpful, friendly and courteous. A couple of minor issues were dealt with speedily - an English/French dictionary would have been helpful for communicating technical issues not covered by tourist phrase books! The apartment was huge, light and clean, if a little dated in places. Bedroom large, plenty of wardrobe space/hangers, and shelving. Queen bed was comfortable, with quality sheets and a duvet. Kitchen reasonably well equipped, with induction hob, oven, microwave, coffee maker, but were glad we took a good kitchen knife and a dish brush and dishcloths. Bathroom was big, clean and no issues with hot water; shower towels/bathmat supplied, but take your own face cloths. The balcony was large and sheltered, with great views over the Baie des Citrons and lovely sunsets. Clothes washing not a problem with a good washing machine and large clothes airer. Apartment was not serviced, so you are responsible for taking the rubbish out - not a problem. You have to provide subsequent rubbish bags, and also toilet paper. At the end of the stay, you undertake to leave the apartment in a clean state - a broom and dustpan-and-brush is provided. The building is in a good location, less than 2 minutes walk to the bus stop and Baie des Citrons beach, and close to multiple cafes/bars/eateries. A small but adequate supermarket is an easy 15-20 mins walk away, also close to bus stops and an excellent bus service. Food prices are pretty close to NZ prices, so no nasty surprises there. We had read one review on this site that said beaches were closed until the end of 2023 - this is not so! The Baie des Citrons beach is completely open, while the Anse Vata beach is having work done along the promenade and small sections are closed, depending on where work is being carried out. We were there during the last week of July and the first week of August. Had a lovely holiday in an excellent location, and recommend the Casa del Sole as a well-priced and pleasant place to stay.

Clean hotel in the heart of Baie des Citrons, with plenty of restaurants in walking distance. (Would like to rate as 3 1/2 stars but not possible.) Staff were friendly and efficient, booking airport transport with ‘Arc en Ciel’ before our arrival. (Rental cars have street parking near the hotel, and we always found a spot.). The only ocean swimming allowed in Noumea currently is in a small roped-off area across the street. Lagoon View rooms, some with balconies, look great but are quite noisy unless you are a nightclubber yourself. After three nights of hearing the nearby club music until 3.30 am, as well as cars racing past and people yelling on the beach and footpath ALL night long, we moved into a garden room which was perfect for us. Management were quite helpful facilitating this changeover. Babar below the hotel had good food, and there are plenty of other dining options nearby.