La Ferme de Beauté

The night was wonderfully quiet, and the converted farmhouse has plenty of character, from the stone walls to the antique furniture. Our room was a good size, very clean, and had a lovely shower cubicle and a washbasin in the corner. The rustic feel was appealing, but the room was quite cold. It is underground, so it stays cool, and the heating was switched off at the mains with no way for us to turn it on. We also saw a few spiders, though that is to be expected in the countryside. The host was very welcoming and made us feel at ease. A no-outdoor-shoes rule is in place, with slip-ons supplied in different sizes, which I thought was a great way to keep the property clean. There is a shared kitchen, but no coffee-making facilities or drinking water in the room. We didn't mind the lack of a TV, but there was no Wi-Fi in the bedroom either, and that should be stated clearly beforehand so guests can decide if it works for them. I hadn't realized when booking at the last minute that the toilet wasn't en-suite. It was for our exclusive use and had its own washbasin, but being outside the room wasn't ideal for me. We were also supposed to have a massage included in our room rate, but it was never mentioned or offered. After dinner one evening, we came back to our locked room and found the lights we'd left on had all been turned off. It seems someone had entered while we were out, which felt intrusive and raised privacy concerns. Breakfast is prepared by the owner and served between 8-10 am. It was very basic: a few slices of corn bread that I found inedible, two pancakes, yogurt butter, jam, coffee, and juice from a box. I assume the milk was UHT rather than fresh, as I saw a UHT milk carton in the kitchen. The small countertop dustbin in the room was inadequate, and a larger one would be more practical. The owner who runs the business lives in an adjacent extension. To reach her, you have to ring a bell, which felt awkward because she had to come downstairs even for small requests. The grounds outside are quite overgrown. Some might call it “rugged nature,” but I think more upkeep would make them neater and more inviting. Trees mostly block the mountain view from the terrace, which was a bit disappointing. There are some lovely, characterful touches here, but several drawbacks got in the way of our stay.