Les cottages de Valjoly

Our first holiday with our four-month-old was meant to be a special memory, but it was completely ruined. The cottage felt unsafe and unhygienic, and when we walked in we saw a rat. It was old, dirty, and seemed to have vermin, so we went straight to reception to explain that this was nothing like what we'd expected. We asked for a refund, but the receptionist said we'd have to go through Voyage Privé. We tried calling and messaging the emergency number and got no reply.

The scenery was beautiful, and the ramps for disabled access would have helped my mom, who has a disability, but tables and chairs from the bars blocked them along the shops and restaurants. The cabins were very dated and hadn't been cleaned properly when we arrived. We reported it to reception, but nothing was done, so we cleaned them ourselves. We were told to sweep up and leave the cabins tidy, and we did. Two hours after we left, reception called to claim we'd left rubbish and dirty windows. I explained that we'd complained on arrival and that the cabins were cleaner when we left than when we found them, with no rubbish left behind. He said he had photos, and called me a liar when I said I had photos from both arrival and departure. I asked him to email his pictures because he was trying to pressure me into paying an 85 euro cleaning fee per cabin. A week later, nothing had arrived, so I can only presume this was an attempt to get more money.

A peaceful spot to get away from the busy city and spend time relaxing with family. There are long walks in the forest and activities on site, including horse riding, pedalos, an indoor pool, and a lake.

We were out a lot thanks to the good weather, swimming, hiking, running, horse riding, and playing outdoor games. Our bungalow had a beautiful lake view, and we stayed for 14 days, but the space was tight: a six-person place felt pretty small for five. Cooking was difficult in the tiny kitchen, and the fridge was too small for six, so we had to shop every day or two. There wasn't enough bedroom storage for everyone's clothes, and we ended up leaving some in the car. The bathroom was small too, with too little room for towels and toiletry bags. Several things were broken or didn't work, including light bulbs and the extractor hood. We reported them to the helpdesk and were told they'd be fixed, but nobody ever came.