La Tour des Laudes

A charming, quaint place to stay, run by a very nice couple.

We were lucky to have the place to ourselves during an early-week stay, with the school holidays staggered, so the owner gave us a full tour of the rentals. He showed us his finds, shared tips and talked about the renovations, which preserve the site's medieval spirit. The hosts are passionate about history, especially the history of their home, and are restoring the property with care. Their welcome was impeccable, they listened to what we needed, and communication was excellent. Our room was very comfortable and breakfast was pleasant. I'd recommend the location first, and the attentive hosts too. Thank you for the warm welcome.

The location and garden are lovely, but that was about it for us. The room felt from another era, perhaps intentionally, and the bed was barely stable. On a very cold, damp evening in May, there was no heating, which made the stay unpleasant. For the price, breakfast was far too basic: just a brioche, no pastries, untoasted bread, and we had to ask for sugar for the only plain yogurt. The owner's constant presence at breakfast, checking in and out, was disconcerting. We would have liked more privacy, though not everyone minds that. Apart from a cute nearby village, the interesting sites are quite far away, so expect a lot of driving. At €130 a night, it felt far too expensive for what was offered.

We had planned to return, but after this experience that's unimaginable. Five months after we left, I checked the Coffret Box website to book a service and found that the gift certificate had been charged. The managers used the number they had to debit it, despite the emergency and the manager having understood what happened. When I called the lodge, I was basically told it wasn't their problem. I find that absurd, unbusinesslike, dishonest, and close to theft to do this behind my back. Here's what happened: we booked four days before our arrival, saying we'd pay with a gift voucher. The manager asked for an extra €120 because our two children would be staying one night in the guest room. We agreed and booked. When we arrived, we introduced ourselves and saw the room without settling in. Then I got an emergency call about a family problem that forced us to leave urgently. I told the manager, apologized and explained, and she understood. If you go, be sure you don't have a serious last-minute problem that forces you to cancel, or they may charge you without hesitation.