Au Ralenti du Lierre

Marion and Marc made us feel welcome, and I'd happily stay here again. The traditional building has high vaulted ceilings and narrow stairs, alongside modern touches like a rainfall shower and gigabit Internet. My lovely Goult room had air conditioning, a safe, and an unexpectedly comfortable leather chair. Breakfast was typically French, which suited me just fine.

The people running the property were fantastic, and it's a great base for exploring the region. We stayed in the goult room and had a fresh, very good breakfast. Sound carries a bit on the second floor if the guests above you have heavy footsteps. The stay still went well beyond what I expected.

The pool area was a lovely extra, and there's also a sauna and hot tub. Breakfast had amazing chocolate croissants. A great little bed and breakfast, with friendly staff and comfortable rooms.

The insects made the stay extremely stressful. They're black, worm-like creatures with many legs, about 5 cm long, like centipedes or millipedes. We found one in the bathroom in the morning and another beneath the dog's bowl. At checkout, my husband and child counted at least five more in the room. I also saw one crawling on the breakfast room ceiling and another in the “living room” with the TV and chess. I was scared some might have gotten into our luggage. If I'd found them in the room at night before bed, I couldn't have stayed there. I have a real fear of these creatures. When I told the host, I was told, “There is nothing we can do, they are everywhere, it’s a humid old house.” The way it was said made me feel like I was the problem for being afraid of insects in a €250-per-night room. There was no apology, empathy, or attempt to help, not even basic protection like window screens. For that price, this was unacceptable. No one should have to sleep in fear and discomfort. At first, the old house seemed charming, with lovely details and a cozy feel, but that didn't make up for the insects or the host's dismissive response. If I'd booked a guesthouse in the Amazon jungle or gone on safari, would scorpions in the bathroom, a snake under the bed, or monkeys raiding the minibar be part of the “authentic adventure”? Here in Provence, centipedes were marching around like they owned the place, and the host shrugged as if that were normal. I don't consider that charm or character. It felt like negligence dressed up as atmosphere, and the stay was deeply disappointing.