Accommodations range from modern first-class properties and charming plantation hotels to basic local hotels, small seaside pensions, inns and bed-and-breakfasts. Service, cleanliness and amenities are proportional to cost, so to minimize problems, we recommend reserving the best property you can afford.
Some of the less deluxe accommodations are fun to stay in for a night or two, especially in the smaller towns, but be forewarned that the electricity may go off, water may stop running and so on. There are more than 200 Gites de France (apartments, studios or rooms in private homes) throughout the island.
Make reservations as far in advance as possible for the high season (mid-December to mid-April), when many hotels are full. This is especially true the closer your visit is to Ash Wednesday, when Carnival celebrations are at their most frenzied.
