The Provencal is a fine little basic hotel with a great location, right next to the harbor, the old town, and within about a 10 minute walk from the train station. The service is fine and most of the staff spoke good English. The hotel locks its doors at 10 pm, but guests have 24 hour access through a code, that works very well. That being said, while San Rafael is a nice beachside town conveniently located for exploring the French Riviera, it does not have the same charm as many of the other coastal towns in this part of France. For me, and this is just a personal opinion, it's simply too modern and lacks the charm of cities such as Menton, Cassis, Villefranche sur Mer, and even Cannes. Of course, it's location makes it convenient for exploring other nearby towns that do exude these qualities, such as St Tropez, an easy hour boat ride away. It is also a great place to begin hiking adventures on this uniquely beautiful coast, as one of the primary hiking trails begins at the marina on the edge of town. It's about a half hour walk to the beginning of that trail from the hotel. The trail itself can take up to 7 hours to negotiate if you walk the entire thing. Be prepared for gorgeous views along a very rocky shoreline with some short but steep inclines. Progress can be slow, especially if you're over 50...Falls would be unforgiving, as most of the trail is rocky.