Le Domaine de Baulieu, Singuliers Hotels

The front desk team were friendly, helpful, and very efficient. Both dinner and breakfast were delicious, and the gardens are lovely and well looked after. It's in a quiet, relaxed spot among the green hills of south-west France.

The stairs down from the first floor felt unsafe because the sensor only came on close to the bottom step. Going up was fine. There should also be a handrail to hold when getting in and out of the shower over the bath. The hotel gets my four stars; I’m not counting the restaurant as part of that rating. Our room was large and clean, with an extra-large bed. There was no kettle, but the fridge was well stocked, and hot drinks were available at the bar by reception. There was no way to communicate by telephone, I guess everything is done by mobile now. At reception we were welcomed by a very friendly, helpful receptionist who spoke excellent English. He's a real asset to the team, thanks for your help. The restaurant itself is pleasant, and the serving staff were very friendly. But there are only two tasting menus, five or eight courses, and we only found that out after sitting down, when the waitress gave us the options. I wouldn't normally choose a tasting menu because it's usually much too rich for me. The menu leaned heavily on duck, which isn't surprising here. The foie gras was undercooked for my taste and still had too many veins. The half magret was nice enough, but nothing new. I usually like goat cheese, but couldn't eat the slice hidden in creamy foam. Dessert was all chocolate and short on texture, with lots of creams and fondant. It just wasn't a great meal for me. And to be very picky, the cutlery felt cheap.

We came for a wedding in the Gers countryside and had such a lovely stay. The place is also well set up for small children.

The lodge rooms are nicely designed and have a great view, and the staff were friendly. Breakfast especially could use more choice, and the restaurant didn't quite live up to what it promised. We arrived on a Sunday night in November and were disappointed to find it closed. I suspect that's not unusual in the South of France.