Entre vignes et dentelles

We left without staying, after a long and upsetting argument about parking, so this is about what happened on arrival. We’d booked through Hotels.com because the listing matched our filters for a child-friendly, dog-friendly place with parking. We were moving from our native Sweden to France with three young children, a dog, and a mini-van full of belongings. The van was a nine-person bus and had taken almost four hours to pack; after seven or eight hours on the road, I didn’t want to unload everything just to sleep one night elsewhere. We’d already paid for the room. Before arriving, I tried calling the owner, but she didn’t pick up. I eventually texted to say we’d get there at 16:30, half an hour before the 17-22 check-in window, and asked if we might come in early. Her eventual reply was that we were welcome after 17. I accepted that and then asked about parking, since we’d chosen the place on the basis that parking was included and satellite images seemed to show a gate. When we arrived, the street parking space was so small it seemed meant for Smart-cars. The rear of our vehicle stuck out into the street, and people came over to help us try to get it onto the pavement. We ended up parking diagonally, partly blocking a neighbor’s garage. I didn’t want to leave the kids, dog, and car unattended, so my wife went to speak to the landlady. She was unfriendly. She said we could leave the van there even though the neighbor couldn’t get his car out. When my wife mentioned our dog, the landlady rolled her eyes and huffed, clearly disapproving, then said we had to pay extra in cash. I don’t object to a charge itself, but I did object to the attitude. My wife came back and told me what had happened, so I went over to try to sort things out. There was already a small, completely empty, French-registered car parked inside the property. I explained that we’d booked because parking was included. The owner still said we could park for free on the street. I asked whether we could use the space inside given our situation and our understanding that it was reserved for us; she said again that it was for other guests. I also asked whether her insurance would cover any losses, since ours wouldn’t. She said we should be fine as long as nothing of considerable value was visible through the windows. I asked one last time if we could use the on-site spot and got the same answer. It left us feeling that we weren’t favored because we weren’t native French speakers. I’m not sure how she sees it, but to me that was borderline racism. I called Hotels.com from outside. The call lasted over an hour, and they agreed that communal street parking wasn’t the same as parking being included. When they called the owner to resolve it, she suddenly said she didn’t speak English, although I’d just spoken English with her. In the end we abandoned the paid room and drove 45 minutes to stay with a friend, after already spending eight hours in the car that day. I felt the owner had lied to us and treated us in a racist way, and I was furious. I love the solidarity I’ve found in my new home country, France, and this experience felt completely lacking in that. Do what you want, but if you have any dignity, don’t reward rude and unjust behavior. The world needs better.

It was extremely dirty and smelled awful. We refused to stay in those conditions. I don't recommend it.

Our room had elegant, tasteful decor, a lovely private terrace, and a magnificent view. The welcome was warm and kind. Beyond the gate is a superb 12th-century building, a real little gem tucked up against the ramparts.

We only stayed briefly while traveling with young children, but the hostess was attentive and incredibly kind. The studio had beautiful decor, good equipment, and quality bedding. Its view over a magnificent little garden won us over. We were delighted with the stay and can recommend this pleasant, quiet place, which is very well located.