There is a wide range of holiday accommodation in and around La Rochelle – apartments, hotels, villas, gites, chambres d’hotes and campsites. Availability of accommodation, however, can be a problem if you are visiting La Rochelle between May and September. Many people flock to the town in Spring and Summer for a holiday break so you need to think ahead, plan and book your accommodation in advance – even if you are camping!
Accommodation Prices
Generally speaking you can expect to pay coastal resort prices for most types of accommodation, especially hotels in the high season. Some people like to try the option of self-catering apartments of which there are many, particularly around Les Minimes and its Village Informatique. In the La Rochelle main tourist information office there is usually a useful board displaying rental accommodation including apartments and for a small fee they will reserve a hotel room for you.
Here are just a few examples of the kind of holiday accommodation available in La Rochelle ….
Hotels
Best Western Hôtel Champlain France-Angleterre – 3 star
30 rue Rambaud – 17000 LA ROCHELLE
Tel. 05 46 41 23 99
This moderately priced hotel is a former Mansion to be found right in the heart of city, only 5 minutes from the Old Port of La Rochelle. The BEST WESTERN Champlain France-Angleterre hotel is open to guests all year long. Here you will find large comfortable and spacious suites as well as smaller rooms, all with stylish furniture. There is also a large pleasant and rather peaceful garden in which one can unwind. Near the hotel there is a swimming pool and tennis courts and for those who like to keep fit there is a fitness trail in a nearby park. A golf course can be found approximately 8 km away. All suites and rooms are air-conditioned and equipped with flat screen TV , mini-bar, and an individual safe. There is also free Wi-Fi access. http://www.hotelchamplain.com/index.php?choix_lang=en
Hotel de la Monnaie – Art & Spa Hotel – 4 star
Address: 3 Rue de la Monnaie, 17000 La Rochelle, France
Phone:+33 5 46 50 65 65
The Hotel de la Monnaie is situated in a lovely spot very near to the old port right behind the Tour de la Lanterne. The building was originally a 17th-century mansion ( dating back to 1656) where for a time money was minted. The hotel contains 34 spacious rooms and 2 suites. The Hotel has a full-service spa, a 24-hour health club, and a spa tub. Much of the decor of the hotel is by interior design Philippe LUCAZEAU and blends in beautifully with the residence’s 17th century architecture. There are numerous contemporary works of art on display and these include paintings, photographs and sculptures from the owners Sylvette and Pascal Lebeau’s collection. This highly original decor imbues the hotel with a very strong and quite unique character. Hotel is particularly well situated in the historic heart of la Rochelle with most of the best restaurants and shops almost right on the doorstep. Also nearby are La Rochelle Hotel de Ville and Musee du Nouveau Monde. http://www.hotelmonnaie.com/en/
Other hotels include: Le Bordeaux, Hotel François I, Hotel Henri IV, Hotel Comfort St Nicolas and many others.
Hostels
HI Hostel
Ave des Minimes
Tel. 05.46.44.43.11
This hostel is situated only 10 min walk from the beach, shops and restaurants and in fact does have a self-service restaurant and bar itself. It is a fairly large modern hostel overlooking the marina at Port des Minimes. You can get here by catching the number 10 bus from Place de Verdun to Les Minimes. You can walk from the train station making sure to follow the signs to the left
The hostel has 86% ratings on www.hihostels.com -and generally people give it good reviews.
It’s worthy of note that you need membership to stay in all of HI’s french hostels. This can be purchased at the hostel.
It’s also possible to join HI through your National Youth Hostel Association (if you’ve been a resident for over a year). If you plan to travel this can be very useful as this affiliates you with the NYHA enabling you to get further discounts for attractions in your country.
Campsites
Camping municipal de Port –Neuf
Tel. 05.46.43.81.20
This is a very well-kept and fairly well shaded campsite to the north-west of the town situated around 40 min walk from the town centre. If you want to travel there by bus you need number 20 from Place Verdun in the direction “Port-Neuf”
This campsite is open year-round.
Camping Le Soleil
Ave. Michel Crépeau – Tel. 05.46.44.42.53
This campsite is very well placed being both close to the beaches and very near to the hostel but do bear in mind that this site can sometimes be populated with noisier younger holidaymakers. To get there you need bus number 10 from Place Verdun to Les Minimes. This campsite is only open from the end of June to the end of September.
