Pros

  • Charming boutique hotel set in an 18th-century mansion
  • On quiet street in central Saint-Martin-De-Re close to the harbor
  • Gorgeous grounds with manicured lawns and lovely landscaping
  • Elegant guest rooms have contemporary style and traditional details
  • In-room flat-screen TVs and well-stocked minibars
  • Bathrooms have rainfall showers and separate soaking tubs
  • Pleasant heated outdoor pool with loungers and umbrellas
  • Pretty breakfast room with seasonal outdoor lunches (fee)
  • Free Wi-Fi throughout
See More Pros

Cons

  • Guest rooms lack kettles or coffeemakers
  • No full restaurant or bar
  • Breakfast costs extra
  • No fitness center or spa (planned to open 2017)
See More Cons

Bottom Line

Set in a restored 18th-century mansion, the upscale La Villa Clarisse has nine guest rooms that blend classic furnishings with modern style. Decor is simple but elegant, with contemporary fabrics and country-chic details, plus flat-screen TVs, well-stocked minibars, and free Wi-Fi, but rooms lack kettles or coffeemakers. Spacious, attractive bathrooms have rainfall showers and separate soaking tubs with traditional fixtures. Some guest rooms open to a quiet shared patio that connects to beautiful garden grounds where snacks are served in warmer months. There's a heated outdoor pool and a breakfast room, but no full restaurant or bar. A fitness center and spa is due to open in late 2017. Travelers looking for a stay with a restaurant can consider La Villa Clarisse's sister property, Hotel de Toiras. 

See More Bottom Line

Amenities

  • Cribs
  • Internet
  • Pool

Oyster Hotel Review

La Villa Clarisse

Scene

Airy, sophisticated boutique hotel in a restored 18th-century mansion

Renovated in 2011, La Villa Clarisse occupies an 18th-century mansion that was once the family home of Ferdinand Auguste Lapasset, a French general named on the plaque above the front door. Through the entryway, a small monochrome lobby has the whitewashed walls and ceiling that are characteristic of the island, with a black reception table and a white stone fireplace. A hall leads straight to a back door and to the heart of the property -- a quiet patio that was once part of a monastery, and beautiful gardens where olive trees and rose bushes set a romantic scene. The hotel attracts vacationing couples, and some families.

See More Scene

Location

On a quiet street in the center of town, walking distance to the harbor

La Villa Clarisse is in the center of Saint-Martin-De-Re, about a three-minute walk to the harbor, and another minutes' walk along the pedestrianized promenade to its sister property, Hotel de Toiras. Restaurants, bars, and boutiques can be found all along the promenade. The 15th-century Ernest Cognacq Museum and the silk prints of Atelier Du Pied D Alouette are both about a six-minute walk away on narrow, cobbled streets. The closest La Cible beach is just under a 20-minute walk away. The beautiful village of La Flotte is an 11-minute drive, and the half-timbered houses and Renaissance architecture of La Rochelle are just over 30 minutes away by car. La Rochelle Airport is about a 20-minute drive.

See More Location

Rooms

Elegant rooms with minibars, rainfall showers, and separate soaking tubs

The four guest rooms and five suites at La Villa Clarisse all have views of the garden or the patio (some on the ground floor open to the latter). Charming decor is country-chic, with varying architectural details that include exposed wood beams, partially vaulted ceilings, and decorative fireplaces. There's white-painted original woodwork, bedding with attractive, modern prints, and contemporary lighting. The standard rooms have king beds and writing desks, and upgraded rooms have seating areas with white tables and stylish black chairs. Suites have larger living areas with couches and tables, and some have separate living rooms with sofa beds. Free Wi-Fi comes standard, along with flat-screen TVs and well-stocked minibars, but there are no kettles or coffeemakers. Large bathrooms have tiled rainfall showers and separate soaking tubs, traditional fixtures, and upmarket bath products. 

See More Rooms

Features

Heated outdoor pool, gardens with loungers and tables, breakfast room, and free Wi-Fi 

The heart of La Villa Clarisse is its outdoor patio and gardens, with a mix of seating in quiet corners and loungers on a manicured lawn. The heated outdoor pool has a stone sundeck with black wicker chairs and sun loungers under shade umbrellas. There's no full restaurant, but a stylish breakfast room has table seating and a comfortable couch in front of a fireplace, and breakfast is served there for an extra charge. Seasonal outdoor dining, dubbed "Luncheon on the Grass," takes place in the gardens in spring and summer, with a limited menu of finger foods such as tomato and chevre tartines and ham sandwiches, and larger plates like truffle risotto and beef tartar with french fries. The hotel's living room, with a fireplace and windows overlooking the garden, can be booked as a meeting room for up to 25 people, and a spa and gym are slated to open in late 2017. Airport transfer is available for a fee, and Wi-Fi is free throughout.

See More Features

Oyster Hotel Review

La Villa Clarisse

Scene

Airy, sophisticated boutique hotel in a restored 18th-century mansion

Renovated in 2011, La Villa Clarisse occupies an 18th-century mansion that was once the family home of Ferdinand Auguste Lapasset, a French general named on the plaque above the front door. Through the entryway, a small monochrome lobby has the whitewashed walls and ceiling that are characteristic of the island, with a black reception table and a white stone fireplace. A hall leads straight to a back door and to the heart of the property -- a quiet patio that was once part of a monastery, and beautiful gardens where olive trees and rose bushes set a romantic scene. The hotel attracts vacationing couples, and some families.

See More Scene

Location

On a quiet street in the center of town, walking distance to the harbor

La Villa Clarisse is in the center of Saint-Martin-De-Re, about a three-minute walk to the harbor, and another minutes' walk along the pedestrianized promenade to its sister property, Hotel de Toiras. Restaurants, bars, and boutiques can be found all along the promenade. The 15th-century Ernest Cognacq Museum and the silk prints of Atelier Du Pied D Alouette are both about a six-minute walk away on narrow, cobbled streets. The closest La Cible beach is just under a 20-minute walk away. The beautiful village of La Flotte is an 11-minute drive, and the half-timbered houses and Renaissance architecture of La Rochelle are just over 30 minutes away by car. La Rochelle Airport is about a 20-minute drive.

See More Location

Rooms

Elegant rooms with minibars, rainfall showers, and separate soaking tubs

The four guest rooms and five suites at La Villa Clarisse all have views of the garden or the patio (some on the ground floor open to the latter). Charming decor is country-chic, with varying architectural details that include exposed wood beams, partially vaulted ceilings, and decorative fireplaces. There's white-painted original woodwork, bedding with attractive, modern prints, and contemporary lighting. The standard rooms have king beds and writing desks, and upgraded rooms have seating areas with white tables and stylish black chairs. Suites have larger living areas with couches and tables, and some have separate living rooms with sofa beds. Free Wi-Fi comes standard, along with flat-screen TVs and well-stocked minibars, but there are no kettles or coffeemakers. Large bathrooms have tiled rainfall showers and separate soaking tubs, traditional fixtures, and upmarket bath products. 

See More Rooms

Features

Heated outdoor pool, gardens with loungers and tables, breakfast room, and free Wi-Fi 

The heart of La Villa Clarisse is its outdoor patio and gardens, with a mix of seating in quiet corners and loungers on a manicured lawn. The heated outdoor pool has a stone sundeck with black wicker chairs and sun loungers under shade umbrellas. There's no full restaurant, but a stylish breakfast room has table seating and a comfortable couch in front of a fireplace, and breakfast is served there for an extra charge. Seasonal outdoor dining, dubbed "Luncheon on the Grass," takes place in the gardens in spring and summer, with a limited menu of finger foods such as tomato and chevre tartines and ham sandwiches, and larger plates like truffle risotto and beef tartar with french fries. The hotel's living room, with a fireplace and windows overlooking the garden, can be booked as a meeting room for up to 25 people, and a spa and gym are slated to open in late 2017. Airport transfer is available for a fee, and Wi-Fi is free throughout.

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Airport Transportation

  • Babysitting Services

  • Balcony / Terrace / Patio

  • Cabanas

  • Cable

  • Concierge

  • Cribs

  • Internet

  • Kids Allowed

  • Laundry

  • Pool

  • Poolside Drink Service

  • Room Service

  • Separate Bedroom / Living Room Space

  • Supervised Kids Activities

  • Swim-Up Bar

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.