Fodor's Expert Review L'Hôtel la Batelière

The best full-service hotel in Fort-de-France nevertheless gets mixed reviews from most travelers because the hotel (and especially the standard rooms) need a major renovation. The hotel was built in the early 1970s as a Hilton and was then considered top-shelf. Over the years, various attempts at re-creating the hotel in its heyday and providing a major renovation have not come to fruition. That said, the lobby area does have rattan-weave, French furnishings, and the superior rooms on the higher floors have been redone with comfortable beds and contemporary bedding and accessories, including a working desk, Wi-Fi, LCD TV (with international channels), and a balcony with limited sea views. The marble-tiled bathrooms are nice, and rooms are more spacious than those in newer hotels, especially the suites. However, the unrenovated standard rooms on the ground floor are truly dreadful and should be avoided.