Entre Deux Maximes

Dealing with this person was awful. They seemed to have two completely different sides to them, and I won't be back.

We loved how comfortable and welcoming La Pensée was, and the natural terrace was such a relaxing spot to look out at the sea. It was clean, too. We were lucky to bring Margot, our three-year-old Pug, along. The grounds are beautiful, with landscaping that shows real care for nature. There were so many colorful birds, filling the air with cheerful calls and putting on quite a show overhead. Thank you, Maxime, for making our August 11th to 18th, 2024 stay so lovely. We hope to come back for longer, though choosing will be hard. Epilobe, named for my favorite plant on the Gaspé Peninsula, looks just as inviting.

The location is peaceful, with trails to walk along with the dogs and stunning natural scenery. We saw sunsets like nothing I've experienced in almost 60 years. It felt like a real escape from the noise and stress of the world. The property is about 3 km off Route 132, and from there it's easy to reach nearby villages, including two about 25 minutes away with most things you might need. The lobster rolls were delicious. We stayed for a week in June 2024 at Chalet La Pensée, my wife, our two dogs, and me. We wanted somewhere rustic but still clean and comfortable, and we were very happy with it. The little chalet is beautifully finished in wood, with an inviting open layout. The beds were comfortable and we slept well. The grounds also felt private, and it was so quiet that the dogs never had anything to bark at. Very peaceful, very Zen. The water is drinkable, so there's no need to bring jugs. I should mention the negative Google reviews. In my view, those are from people in the municipality who are trying to hurt the owner over issues involving the Municipality, local village squabbles, as it were. Please don't let those comments put you off. Maxime Esther clearly puts a lot of care and heart into the business, despite unnecessary obstacles from some people. Congratulations to the owner.

The place was dirty and poorly maintained, and when I left my fishing rod behind, the owner refused to mail it even though I offered to cover the postage. During our two days there, she kept pressing us about the review. I stayed quiet when she cut me off abruptly because I didn't want to upset her, but it wasn't pleasant. A hostess should handle a forgotten item when a guest asks to have it sent back at their own expense. It shouldn't fall to a neighbor, even a relative. She couldn't manage to put a reel in a box and take it to the post office, apparently not even in one of the ten nearest villages. She also made it sound like I kept insisting on fishing after learning it was closed. I respected that and forgot my rod. She says 1% of people can tolerate her personality or have dealt with her boyfriend, because people can't stand her for more than an hour. And it's not just her who's unwelcome, she says the whole village is against me. Yes, we stayed for free, but we gave her an $800 dog for free and paid $500 to transport her from Mont-Laurier to the Gaspé Peninsula. I changed my review and star rating after all the nagging. She's a bad hostess and blames people who complain about the business instead of fixing the problems, including poor cleaning, which is a valid complaint and the main reason for the bad reviews. My mother spent an hour washing one wall while she was supposed to be on vacation, bought cleaning products, and left them behind. She was happy to do it, but the owner shouldn't take that for granted. Sending the reel was too much trouble. I'm glad my mother didn't leave the tip she had planned. Another $200 and the owner still wouldn't have sent it. Thank goodness!