Le Chalande

I booked a room for two nights over the Foulée Blanche weekend. I live in the south of France, and farmers had blocked the motorways, leaving most of my region more or less paralyzed. I contacted the manager to ask if my booking could be moved to some date in April, whenever suited, but she refused. Given the situation, I felt a commercial gesture was the least they could do. I had to cancel and lose my money. I can’t be certain, but I strongly suspect the room was rented out again afterward.

This is about room 2 at Le Petit Chalande. I’d expected my luggage to be moved by the host when availability problems meant I had to change cottages, but in the end I carried it myself because it was heavy. The host agreed to carry just one bag, which weighed 1.2 kilograms. When I arrived, the sink was clogged. My host offered to leave me with the plunger she was unsuccessfully trying to use. After some negotiation, I got to move into an empty room with a working sink. I’d initially thought about changing rooms, and the back and forth between rooms made an already uncomfortable stay worse. I thought I’d found a golden room with Le Petit Chalande, but my host turned it into lead.

The €15 per person breakfast seemed prohibitively expensive, unless the contents were explained in more detail. Still, I recommend this bed and breakfast for a short stay from one night to one week. The large room was spacious, nicely appointed, and very comfortable, with lovely contemporary decor in the beautifully restored old house. The bedding was comfortable and the walk-in shower luxurious. Nothing was missing, and the accommodation was on a par with the best 3-star hotels. The common areas were excellent too, with a high-end communal kitchen that was fully equipped and spacious enough for everyone, plus lounges and a garden. A well-deserved five stars.

We had a lovely weekend at this superb place. The owners were so welcoming, and our room was beautifully decorated. We highly recommend this bed and breakfast.