Le Grand Hotel des Bains & Spa

Rooms

Of the 36 rooms, 27 have sea views and the remaining 9 have views over the village church. Van Lier’s genius has been to provide a sensation of space, both inside and out. "The key," he says, "is to provide lots of place perdue (unused space). This is what gives a house charm." First-floor sea-view rooms have huge terraces, and we loved our second-floor corner room which boasted 3 balconies and gave us a luxurious feeling of space. The lower priced rooms are smaller, as you'd expect.

Décor throughout is simple but stylish, with a successful combination of crisp linen pillows and sheets, sleek white bed covers and sumptuous cushions. Colour-wise, soothing moss greens dominate, but some rooms are decorated in gentle blues, greys or reds. Bathrooms are unpretentiously simple (you go to the spa if you want pampering), but indulged with gorgeous products.

Features include:

• In-room treatments available
• WiFi

Eating

The hotel’s buffet breakfast is a highlight, and was the best we tasted in northern France. Beautifully presented, it had everything imaginable, from pastries made by the hotel’s patissier to freshly squeezed orange juice, fresh fruit salad, stewed prunes, cheeses and hams.

Dinners, too, are delicate and delicious; there’s even a 'Menu Minceur' if you want to avoid putting on extra pounds. Cooking is strictly French, with an emphasis on locally caught fish and seafood including lobster, scallops and sea bass; heavy cream sauces are avoided in favour of delicately steamed vegetables. Smoked salmon and foie gras are specialities, and both are made on the premises. Vegetarian dishes can be prepared on request.

If you fancy a break from the hotel but don’t want to get in the car, the co-owned Brasserie de la Plage is 2 minutes’ walk into the village, and gets rave reviews. The décor makes ample use of beautiful wood flooring and those familiar muted green colours. Food is fresh, again with an emphasis on local seafood, and you can book your table at hotel reception.

If you want high gastronomy and Michelin stardom, head to Chez Jeffroy at the Hotel de Carantec in the eponymously named town; or to the Manoir de Lan Kerellec at Trebeurden.

Features include:

• Bar
• Kids' meals
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service

Activities

• Locquirec is a hiker's paradise: you can walk around the point in 15 minutes, passing a series of tiny coves, and on along the well-marked 'Sentier des Douaniers' fringing Brittany’s dramatic coastline; or branch inland if you want a change
  
• Watersports, including swimming, diving and kite-surfing, are all available in the village between June and September, and sailing all year round (the Ecole de Voile Francaise is right opposite the hotel). There are diving schools at Carantec and Plougasnou, and the Baie de Locquirec has decent surfing on an exposed beach break, though summer tends to be flat
  
• The hotel's spa offers beauty treatments, massages and thalassotherapy treatments which use algae and mud-based products to tone and detoxify. The crème de la crème is the 'Elixir des Bougies', an indulgent massage where you're surrounded by scented candles and massaged with their warm wax. There's a sauna, a fitness centre and hammam (adults only) too
  
• Festivals and markets are an important feature of Breton life. A small market is held in Locquirec on Wednesdays, there’s a market in Morlaix on Saturdays and a larger one in Lannion on Thursdays. Virtually every village holds its own Fest Noz (an evening festival that usually involves music and booze) or Pardon (religious local pilgrimage) in the summer. In October an organ festival of baroque music is held at Lanvellec
  
• You won’t find much wine in Brittany (although the hotel has a good wine list), but its cider is remarkably good. If you want to see how it’s made and indulge in a bit of a dégustation, there are cidreries in the villages of Plouegat-Guerrand and Guimaec (ask hotel staff for directions)

  Activities on site or nearby include:

  • Birdwatching
  • Cycling
  • Fishing
  • Golf
  • Hiking
  • Historical sites
  • Horse riding
  • Kayaking
  • Kitesurfing
  • Sailing
  • Scuba diving
  • Shopping / markets
  • Surfing
  • Swimming
  • Well being
  • Yoga

Kids

Families are welcome and will appreciate the indoor heated pool and the nearby beaches and rock pools, sailing and windsurfing. Bear in mind that there are no particular children's facilities at the hotel, and that families are encouraged to maintain a peaceful ambiance.

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years), Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

All rooms can fit an extra bed for a child and a baby cot. For families with two children a few rooms can be closed off with a connecting door to create a suite of rooms (sea view and church view combinations include 109 & 110, 209 & 210, 309 & 310, while 101 & 102, 201 & 202, 301 & 302 are sea view combinations so a bit more expensive).

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Airport: 45 minutes (Brest)
• Hospital: 20 minutes
• Shop: 5 minutes walk

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Le Grand Hotel des Bains & Spa is in Locquirec on the north coast of Brittany, in the westerly department of Finistere.

By Air:
The nearest airport is Brest (45 km). Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving this airport.

From the Airport:
Brest is a 45-minute drive from the hotel: you could get a taxi or hire a car (see 'By Car').

By Ferry from the UK:
It's easy to reach Brittany from southwest England, using the Plymouth - Roscoff crossing (Roscoff is just 40 km away). Otherwise you can sail to St. Malo (176 km/2 hours away) from Poole or Weymouth.

By Train:
If you'd prefer to travel on land, take the Eurostar from London to Paris, then the TGV from Paris to Morlaix (20 minutes away).

By Car:
Locquirec is about 2 hours from St. Malo and 5 hours from Paris. If you want to hire a car, see our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

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