Maison d'Olenne - B

The setting is magnificent, right on the Belgium-France border, with a private valley shared with a watermill house. The house has some good features: it opens onto the outdoors, there’s a bathroom in every room, and the kitchen is big. But it feels neglected and short on attention to detail. Windows have been replaced on all three levels but not finished properly, the cleaning is only superficial, and there weren’t enough knives for our group of 9. There were bad smells in the kitchen, basement, and en-suite showers, plus thin, smelly mattresses on hard wooden supports. It’s a pity, because with a little extra care this could be a gem.

It’s a spacious house for a big group in a very nice location, and having an en-suite bathroom in every room is great. But it was far from clean and doesn’t seem to get much care. The stairs are dangerous with babies, and there’s no network, so you can’t reach emergency services. Why not add Wi-Fi? There wasn’t enough cutlery and there was just one very old pan for cooking. The pictures make it look better than it is, and our group was disappointed for what is quite a steep price.

The peace and quiet made this a great weekend away. You’re right in the middle of nature with no one around, and it’s easy to disconnect for a while. We really enjoyed our stay with friends or family here. The 19th century house shows its age, especially the somewhat outdated showers, but that’s part of the charm and makes it feel authentic. It isn’t hotel quality, but everything worked fine: hot water, plenty of showers, and a good kitchen. The garden is amazing, and the outdoor fireplace makes evenings outside lovely, with nobody to hear or see. The surrounding nature is beautiful too, with green hills and quiet roads, nice for walks or a drive. There’s basically everything you need for a few days away.

The nature and surroundings are really pleasant, but I can’t recommend this house. There was mold on the walls, the beds were worn out and awful to sleep in, and the house was dirty. Each bedroom has an en-suite bathroom, but they weren’t properly finished and smelled of drains. The kitchen was in bad shape: the oven wouldn’t close properly, the dishwasher didn’t work well, and dishes came out dirty. The sofas were stained and dirty. The photos are at least 15 years old and no longer match the current condition. Cars raced past the house in the evenings and at night, and fire alarms went off for no reason in the middle of the night. This house shouldn’t be rented out anymore. Spend your money somewhere else.