Le Palmiste Resort & Spa

Le Palmiste is what I put forward when the budget is tight but you don’t want to end up in the middle of nowhere. It’s in Trou aux Biches, a few minutes’ walk from the public beach — which, let’s be honest, is finer than the beach at plenty of five-star hotels.

The hotel is modest and well kept: pool, restaurant, simple rooms, welcoming staff. It has no private beach, and that is exactly why it costs what it costs. The area is lively, with local kitchens where you eat very well for very little.

I recommend it for first trips, younger travellers, and anyone who’ll spend their days out. Trou aux Biches is also the best diving base in the north. Fifteen minutes from my place.