Hotel Riva Art & Spa in Menton

Rating: 1 Star
I am writing this to warn other travelers: do not stay here if you have a car. The service and communication from this hotel are unacceptable. We drove all the way from Paris to Menton, specifically choosing this hotel because we needed parking for our heavy suitcases (we have been traveling in France for 18 days). Leading up to the stay, I specifically told the hotel I needed a parking space. They did not respond to this request, only telling me they only had rooms on the 1st floor. What they deliberately failed to tell us was that on the day of our arrival, the road in front of the hotel was completely closed due to a festival.3
We arrived at 11:00 AM with a car full of luggage, and the receptionist told us we could not park at the hotel and that the road was closed until 7:00 PM. We were instructed to park in a lot 15 minutes away and walk back.
This was a horrible experience. If the hotel had simply informed us about the road closure beforehand, we could have made other plans or chosen a different hotel to avoid this stress. Instead, they stayed silent and left us stranded.-
The lack of communication is terrible service. Do not trust that they will tell you important information; you will arrive to a nasty surprise."

I booked a sea view room for two nights, but a large tree directly in front of the balcony obscured my view, a fact not reflected in the photos on the booking page. After repeated communication with the front desk, and with the help of Ctrip, the hotel provided a simple compensatory breakfast (bread, coffee, and juice). However, the dining area was limited, so I had to eat at the bar, and it was only available for one day. Even more disgusting was the front desk's attitude, as if they were giving me a handout: "It wasn't supposed to be given, it was my decision." So, I'm supposed to be grateful?

The front desk also kept insisting that "trees are a natural phenomenon." "That's just how nature works." "I love the sea view, so why are you talking about trees?" Personally, I think that since they're focusing on sea view rooms, the hotel should inform guests in advance about any potential obstructions or provide clearer information about the room types.

The room itself was clean and comfortable, which is commendable. Only the two outermost rows of rooms in the entire hotel have unobstructed sea views; the rest have some degree of obstruction! If you're particularly interested in a sea view, I recommend confirming the specific location in advance or requesting an unobstructed room type. I hope the hotel can improve transparency to avoid disappointing guests.