Auberge de la Vieille Tour

Auberge de la Vieille Tour is built around an 18th-century windmill and surrounded by over seven acres of tropical gardens. The entrance is through the windmill building, which features lovely stonework and is fringed by palm trees. The beautiful bar area and handsome lobby with its Victorian-style sofas emphasize the property’s interesting past. Unfortunately, this historic theme doesn’t extend to other areas of the property, which are fairly ho-hum overall in terms of style. The exteriors of many guest-room buildings have a bland, motel-like look and the pool is pretty average, as are the guest rooms. 

Ocean views are highlighted in almost all areas of the property, claiming the spotlight on guest room balconies and terraces as well as on the bar’s outdoor deck. Paths lined with lush vegetation wind between guest room buildings on the hotel’s hilly property. A wooden staircase leads down to the pool and small beach, which tends to fill up quickly during the afternoon. Guests are a mix of couples and business travelers and the majority are French-speakers. But, the crowd here is moderately more international than at most other hotels in Guadeloupe. 

Although the busy road in front of the hotel is fairly nondescript, Auberge de la Vieille Tour is set within easy walking distance of a number of restaurants and shops. In addition to offering its own stretch of sand, the hotel is about a 10-minute walk away from Plage de la Datcha, Gosier’s main beach. Local attractions like Fort Fleur d'Epee and Aquarium de la Guadeloupe can be reached in about 10 minutes by car. 

It’s about a 15-minute drive to Basse-Terre island and about 20 minutes to Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport. There’s a bus stop a short walk away from the hotel that offers transport to destinations like Saint Anne and Saint Francois (about 30 and 50 minutes, respectively, by car). However, bus service is often irregular and the bus system can be challenging for non-French speakers to navigate. 

Guest rooms at Auberge de la Vieille Tour are tidy, but not particularly eye-catching or extravagant. Superior Rooms, which are the standard room category, can be a bit dark with their heavy wooden furniture and deep-orange accent linens. Other room categories are more cheerful, with mint-green linens paired with a mix of medium wood and soft-gray furniture. Beige tile floors and walls feel a bit bland. All rooms have desks, which sometimes hold the flat-screen TVs and capsule coffeemakers. Minibars and hot water kettles are also standard. Free Wi-Fi is available, but the connection can be spotty. Furnished balconies or terraces with ocean views are also standard. 

Large, bright bathrooms have glass-doored showers with rainfall showerheads. Many room categories feature separate bathtubs as well as toilet vestibules. There’s plenty of counter space, and towels and bath products by Pascal Morabito are provided. Luxury Rooms are bi-level with separate living areas, while living areas in Suites are separated from bedrooms by sliding doors. 

Auberge de la Vieille Tour has a sizable amount of amenities, but some -- like the rooms -- are underwhelming. The beach is small and pretty, with pale sands dotted with a few palm trees. Loungers are provided for guests. A set of steps behind the beach leads up to the hotel’s large rectangular pool, which is nice enough but not especially impressive. It’s surrounded by loungers with burnt-orange cushions along with a few wooden shelters. Elevated slightly above the beach, the pool offers ocean views from its far end, with palm trees and hotel buildings surrounding it on the other sides. 

The hotel’s restaurant, Restaurant La Vieille Tour, is quite attractive with its stone-accent wall. An international buffet breakfast is served here in the morning, for a fee. But birds swooping in from the outside and snatching food off the buffet can be a problem (although this is a common issue for hotels in Guadeloupe). The restaurant also serves lunch and dinner, and its French-Creole cuisine is above-average. 

Diners often spill out from the restaurant into the Bar de la Vieille Tour, which exudes a timeless elegance with its grand wooden bar and planter chairs. Its flower-fringed terrace has great ocean views, and live piano music is featured on weekends. La Vieille Tour Snack, a snack bar located on the beach, offers light fare in the afternoon, including salads and sandwiches. 

The hotel has four flexible meeting rooms, which can accommodate between five and 50 people. Venues range from indoor, lounge-style rooms to casual, ocean-view huts. A charming business center with two PCs and a printer is set in a circular room just off the lobby. 

While the hotel offers a tennis court, it looks like it could use a little extra maintenance. A salon set in a separate building in front of the hotel offers hair care and beauty treatments. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout, although the connection isn’t always strong. There’s free parking on-site.