Hotel Arraya
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Hotel Details
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Hotel Arraya · Sare, France
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Key Highlights
- ✓Hotel Arraya in Sare, France, a Michelin Key Selected property, is widely celebrated as a charming and exceptional family-run establishment, consistently earning high praise from guests.
Expert Review: Hotel Arraya
Hotel Arraya in Sare, France, a Michelin Key Selected property, is widely celebrated as a charming and exceptional family-run establishment, consistently earning high praise from guests.
1. Overall Rating & Sentiment
Hotel Arraya enjoys an excellent overall rating and a overwhelmingly positive sentiment from guests. It boasts a 4.4 out of 5 rating from 254 Google reviews and a collective 4.6 out of 5 from 832 reviews across various platforms like HolidayCheck, Booking, TripAdvisor, Expedia, and Trivago. Guests frequently describe it as a "superb hotel," a "beautiful hotel," and a "gem" in a wonderful setting. The general consensus highlights a feeling of being "out of time" in a warm and cozy environment.
2. Key Highlights
Guests consistently laud Hotel Arraya for its exceptional service, delightful food, and its idyllic location in one of France's most beautiful villages. The hotel, a 16th-century building run by the Fagoaga family for three generations, exudes historical charm and combines it with modern comfort. Its beautiful interior, hidden garden, and an outdoor swimming lane with mountain views are frequently cited as key attractions. Many appreciate the authentic Basque ambiance.
3. Room Quality
The hotel offers 15 comfortable, cozy, and meticulously decorated rooms, categorized into Tradition, Privilege, and Prestige rooms or Junior Suites. Many rooms feature original ceiling beams and antique elements, maintaining the hotel's historical essence, while more recent renovations seamlessly integrate modern comforts such as contemporary bathrooms and an elevator. Guests describe rooms as "very pretty and clean," "spacious and serene," and "sumptuous" with impeccable beds and hand-sewn furnishings. Prestige suites are particularly noted for their spaciousness, balconies overlooking the garden, and magnificent bathrooms. Rooms include amenities such as premium bedding, pillow menus, free WiFi, and 45-inch LED TVs.
4. Dining Experience
The on-site restaurant, La Table d'Arraya, is highly acclaimed for its quality. It serves modern Basque-inspired cuisine with dishes described as "very good" and "top-notch". Chef Francois Hubert is noted for his inventive approach, playing with spices, colors, textures, and flavors, using high-quality local ingredients. The dining experience includes a hearty breakfast, lunch, and a beautifully presented gastronomic dinner, served in a delightful dining room or on the shaded terrace. Breakfast is often praised as excellent, with guests able to order what they desire. The hotel is also known for its delectable "gâteau Basque".
5. Service & Staff
The service and staff at Hotel Arraya are consistently described with glowing terms such as "impeccable," "superb," "excellent," "delightful," "friendly," "professional," "attentive," and "kind". The Fagoaga family, who have operated the hotel for three generations, are particularly noted for their warm, discreet, and welcoming hospitality, with owners Laurence and Jean-Baptiste often receiving personal mentions for their attentiveness.
6. Location & Accessibility
Hotel Arraya is ideally situated in the historical heart of Sare, a village recognized as one of the most beautiful in France. Despite its central position, guests find the hotel remarkably calm. Sare is nestled in the French Basque Country, amidst the Pyrénées mountains, and is approximately a kilometer from the Spanish border. It offers a convenient base for exploring the region, with Saint-Jean-de-Luz and its beaches just 12-16 km away. The location is excellent for outdoor activities such as hiking, with the iconic La Rhune mountain and its heritage train nearby. Private parking is available for guests.
7. Value & Pricing
While specific pricing varies, rates for Hotel Arraya begin at approximately €160 per night. Breakfast is available for an additional charge, noted as €18 for adults or approximately €12.50 according to other sources. There is a city tax of €3.74 per person, per night, which does not apply to children under 18. Optional costs include €25 per night for an extra bed for children and €10-€12 per stay/night for a crib. Pets are welcome for an extra charge of €8 per night. Overall, the "value for money" is rated highly, often receiving a 4 out of 5.
8. Common Complaints
While overwhelmingly positive, a few minor points of criticism have been noted by guests. One review mentioned the restaurant menu not being very extensive, although the reviewer also added that "less is more". A suggestion was made for background music in the restaurant. Another guest found the restaurant menu "disappointing" due to a lack of beef or lamb options, describing the food as "fancy but disappointing". One reviewer also had a reservation about the preparation and presentation of the foie gras. The hotel is closed annually from November to March.
Sources
Google Reviews
255 reviews
Recent Guest Reviews
Lucia Palmer
Lovely hotel .staff were excellent. So tastefully decorated. Old world charm. Very spacious. Lots of dark wood and beams food and drinks on the terrace .Just perfect
Cliff Cahill
In a beautiful little village. Very good for hiking and a short break. Accessible by very good public transport. The menu is quite short and there are no specials on offer. The restaurant closes on certain days, check the restaurant will be open during your stay. Great swimming pool. Beautiful old hotel with modern facilities.
Chrissy Walsh
We stayed here with our 2 kids (ages 11 & 8) and we all completely loved it. Hotel Arraya is beautiful, charming, and lovely. Our room overlooked the back garden & pool, and had a perfect & quiet nook for our kids to sleep. The dinner and breakfast were superb. The hospitality of the staff was fantastic. Our kids loved the pool, watching the horses over the back fence, and petting the cat. W...
Sam Downes
After a frankly horrible day on the GR10 in the pouring rain, my partner and I couldn't bear the idea of sleeping in a tent so on the decent into Sare, we tried phoning around some hotels to see if any rooms were available for the night. Most we're fully booked - likely due to the rain - but Hotel Arraya were happy to welcome us and offered us a very reasonable last minute price. When we walked in...
Response from the owner
Thank you for you pleasant opinion. We are happy that you had a pleasant stay in our hotel. Our team and we do our best to welcome our customers as best as possible.<br>We will welcome you with great ...
Karen Bannister
Fantastic hotel, great location, great pool, lovely restaurant and the owners and staff were so welcoming. This is our second visit which was delayed due to Covid. We will be back. The hotel cat should also get a special mention, he is truly lovely. We had a very relaxing and peaceful stay.
Lana Haverstock
We had a lovely room with a balcony facing the village square, although having no air con in the room made it impossible to sleep at night. Apparently, some of the rooms have air con so ensure you ask for one. The room was decorated in medieval style with authentic period style furniture. The hotel itself is housed in several converted buildings, some of which go 400 years back, according to the r...
Minor
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