Our family weekend at the Hôtel Spa Version Maquis Citadelle

Last June, accompanied by my husband and our two children, I had the chance to discover for a weekend a very beautiful hotel located at the southern tip of Corsica, on the heights of Bonifacio: Hotel Spa Version Maquis Citadelle.

Reaching this chic and natural resort is simple, as the establishment has a luxury car to take you from Figari airport to Bonifacio. This is not to be underestimated as soon as the high season begins and the town can be quite crowded. On the day of our arrival, a baptism was about to end, but the hotel reception had been kind enough to warn us a few days in advance, so that we would not be surprised.

The arrival was very warm, and we were offered hot towels to refresh us after the drive. Less than 5 minutes later our luggage was collected and we were gently shown to our room. The welcome for children is very good with little touches such as colouring books and little slippers in the room.

The hotel’s rooms are scattered among several small 2-storey buildings that blend into the maquis. And despite the fact that the hotel was almost full, the impression of serenity and intimacy is very present, and one really has the feeling of discovering a confidential address in the heart of the island of Beauty.

We had a family suite with a hot tub on the terrace, which was just perfect. Indeed, that weekend I must say that the weather was a little overcast, with a lot of wind, so the hotel pool being very exposed, we happily sat in our private hot tub several times… a dream come true for the children. From our room, the view of the citadel was just magnificent.

The suite also has a nice sitting area, a large dressing room, a desk and a bathroom with a walk-in shower. I must say that the room service at Version Maquis is really excellent, with impeccable tidying up done every day. We were asked if we wanted to keep the Roche Bobois sofa beds in daytime or only in the evening. To ensure the peace of mind of the parents, a sliding partition can be pulled out at any time to separate the children’s sleeping area from that of the adults.

The hotel’s spa is architecturally designed and aesthetically pleasing with its pool, whose verandas offer a lovely view and can be opened up completely or not.

Unfortunately, children are not allowed in the spa; even if we had the option of a private hot tub in our suite, it might be possible to open a 2-hour slot per day during which children could access the indoor pool with their parents, especially on days when the wind is quite strong.

The restaurant was a real favourite: simple but very tasty food, with a real search for a twist in each dish. And as for the children, the dedicated menus are made with real good products which are a contrast to the classic steak-nuggets-fries-ice-cream, which you often find in hotels. In short, we enjoyed ourselves!

Of course, children are often impatient when they are at the table, and it would be a nice idea to set up a small area with games or toys for them at the entrance of the restaurant.

Even if I knew that this hotel was not 100% kid-friendly, in the sense of a resort that would offer dozens of possibilities to go out or have fun on the spot, I was really pleasantly surprised by the quality of the service that is offered, both from the point of view of the restaurant (succulent dinner and breakfast), and the room service. The swimming pool with a view of the citadel in the distance is sublime, as is the view from our room.

There were few children when we stayed, but at no time did we feel uncomfortable, quite the contrary. The location is beautiful, and the proximity to Bonifacio and nature make Version Maquis Citadelle an ideal base for visiting southern Corsica.

I would definitely recommend this hotel to families with young children (especially as a babysitting service is available on site), or those aged 6 to 10.

Thank you, Little Guest, and see you soon!

Ariane