L'Hotel Robert
by the TopOfHotel team
L'Hotel Robert is a night inside a harbourfront rum-runner building, with a small kitchenette and a 2-minute walk to the ferry — it wins on story and location more than on plush rooms.
L'Hotel Robert is a night inside a harbourfront rum-runner building, with a small kitchenette and a 2-minute walk to the ferry — it wins on story and location more than on plush rooms.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Walk into the lobby of L'Hotel Robert for the first time and you immediately sense this isn't an ordinary hotel. The warm, French-colonial-style building has stood on the quay since the 1920s Prohibition era — the years when the United States banned alcohol and little French Saint-Pierre became a hub for smuggling rum into the country. Local legend says Al Capone once slept here during his bootlegging days, and the lobby walls are hung with old black-and-white photos and period memorabilia. Just wandering around looking at them is half the fun. With more than 40 rooms, this is the largest hotel on the island. The renovated superior rooms are clean and bright, warmed up with honey-toned wood, neutral bedding and soft white light; some have a king bed and a sofa by the window, and many look out over the harbour. Waking up to ferries lined up and fishing boats heading out becomes a daily backdrop you won't tire of. What sets this place apart from the island's small guesthouses is that many rooms come with a little kitchenette — fridge, induction hob, microwave, plates and cutlery — ideal if you're staying several nights or want to pick up fresh fish and bread from the boulangerie nearby and cook for yourself.
Food and amenities
The charm of staying at L'Hotel Robert isn't a fancy spa or a high-end gym (there are none) — it's the sense of history tucked into every corner. It starts in the lobby, set up like a small museum with rum-runner-era photos and objects to look at while you check in. The little bar alongside serves period-themed cocktails — order a local rum and listen to the staff tell stories about the island, and you've got another thing not to miss. Staff speak both French and English, and they're warm and easygoing, ready to arrange a tour to Île aux Marins (the small island across the harbour, an old fishing community that's now an open-air museum) or recommend a good local restaurant. Reception is open 24 hours, and there's luggage storage before check-in or after check-out — a real help if you have to wait for an afternoon ferry back. Breakfast is a plain continental spread of bread, croissants, tea, coffee and juice — not the draw. The insider move is to walk across the street to a genuine French boulangerie nearby for freshly baked buttery croissants to eat in your room, far better value. Wi-Fi is free but weak in some rooms, so be patient — the island's internet isn't fast to begin with.
Location and getting there
This is where L'Hotel Robert wins, full marks — the hotel sits right on the Quai in the centre of town, about a 2-minute walk from the door to the Fortune-Newfoundland ferry terminal, with a flat, easy path for your bags. For travelers crossing by ferry from Canada (most visitors to the island), the location is a dream: step off the boat and you're at the hotel in a few minutes, no taxi, no long walk. The hotel is surrounded by the centre of Saint-Pierre, lined with bars, small French restaurants and souvenir shops, and you can explore the whole town in a day. The Heritage Museum is a 5-minute walk, the Cathedral of Saint-Pierre 7 minutes, and the viewpoint up on Cap aux Basques is reachable within 20 minutes. Saint-Pierre airport (SPM) is about 3 km away, a few minutes by taxi. To get across to Île aux Marins, walk to the small boat dock beside the hotel — it's only about a 10-minute crossing to the island opposite. This is a hotel that lets you spend your time on the island, not on getting around.
Things to know before booking
Straight talk to help you decide. The first thing to watch is the difference between the older standard rooms and the renovated superior rooms. The older rooms are genuinely cheaper, but some have dated furniture, the wooden floors creak in places, and — most importantly — the sound insulation between rooms is poor, with reviews often complaining you can clearly hear neighbours or noise from the hallway. We'd pay the few extra dollars for a renovated superior room; it's well worth it. Second is the ordinary breakfast — a basic continental spread with none of the varied hot options of a bigger hotel, so buffet lovers may be disappointed, though the genuine French boulangerie and little cafes around the hotel are far better. If you plan to eat out from the start, you'll be happier. Third is limited parking — if you have a car (rare, since most people arrive by ferry) you'll park on the street or in a nearby public lot — and Wi-Fi is weak in some rooms, with the island's internet generally slower than the mainland, so don't expect much if you need to work from the island. Finally, outside ferry season (November to April) the island is fairly quiet and parts of the hotel and surrounding shops may close, so check directly with the hotel before booking.
Our take
From reading through the real reviews and the island's history, L'Hotel Robert sells a harbourfront location, rum-running history and the island's biggest size with real character. If your trip is about taking the ferry from Newfoundland to explore this corner of France in North America, sleeping in a building with stories going back to the Al Capone era, waking up to fishing boats in the harbour and walking to the ferry in a few paces when it's time to leave — this is the most well-rounded choice on the island. Add the kitchenette in the superior rooms, which saves on food and makes it feel like you're actually living on the island. But if you're expecting a modern European-style 3-star, dead-quiet rooms and a hearty breakfast, this may not be your answer — you'll only be happy if you book a renovated superior room. Overall we give it 8.3/10, best suited to couples and history-minded travelers who fall for the charm of a small island and want to capture Saint-Pierre right on its harbour.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- Best location on the island — it sits right on the Quai, a 2-minute walk from the Fortune-Newfoundland ferry terminal, so you can roll your bags straight over. Ideal if you're crossing from Canada and don't want to waste time getting around.
- The building dates to the 1920s Prohibition era, when Saint-Pierre was a hub for smuggling rum into the United States, and local legend says Al Capone used it as a base during his bootlegging days. Walk into the lobby and you'll see old photos and period memorabilia on display — a sense of history you won't find elsewhere.
- It's the largest hotel on the island, with more than 40 rooms and suites, so you'll find availability more easily than at the small guesthouses, even in peak ferry season (June to September) when visitor numbers are highest.
- The superior rooms have been renovated, with a cleaner, more modern look than the older section, and many come with a kitchenette (fridge, induction hob, microwave, plates and cutlery) — great for longer stays or if you want to buy local groceries and cook for yourself.
- Staff speak both French and English, and they're friendly and helpful — they can arrange tours over to Île aux Marins and point you to good local restaurants, which makes for an easy starting point if it's your first time on the island.
- It's an old building, and the rooms in the un-renovated section (usually the cheaper standard rooms) look dated, with older furniture and wooden floors that creak underfoot in places. Some reviews complain about poor sound insulation between rooms — you can clearly hear your neighbours.
- Breakfast is ordinary and isn't the draw — it's a basic continental spread of bread, croissants and coffee, with none of the varied hot options you'd get at a bigger hotel. If you love a hearty breakfast, you may be disappointed.
- Parking is limited, so if you arrive by car (rare, since most people come by ferry) you'll have to park on the street or in a nearby public lot. Wi-Fi is also weak in some rooms, and the island's internet is slower than the mainland to begin with.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Saint-Pierre
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Insider Tips
- Book only the renovated superior rooms — the price difference is just a few dollars, but you get a clean, modern room with a kitchenette instead of an older standard room that might leave you disappointed.
- Ask for an upper-floor room on the harbour side — wake up to fishing boats and ferries coming and going, the most quintessentially Saint-Pierre view. If you're a light sleeper, pick a room at the back, which is quieter.
- Walk to the Boulangerie Marie across the street in the morning for genuine French croissants, far better than the hotel breakfast. And ask reception about a tour to Île aux Marins — the hotel can arrange it, often at a friends-of-the-house rate.