Ets Cardenti

At €150 a night, with the other services all costing extra, the very meager breakfast made the stay feel poor value. We booked through Smartbox and were very disappointed with the service. The owner's welcome was pretentious and haughty, and the room's impressive 1.2m flat-screen TV didn't even work. So much of the place felt artificial: synthetic turf around the property and on the tennis and golf courses, a fake duck in the pond, and even recorded frog croaks. In short, avoid it.

The outdoor setting was lovely, and the food was generally good, though the portions were a little small for our appetites. The hotel service was mediocre. In the middle of summer, having a bottle or pitcher of water in the room would have been appreciated. Every activity was charged by the hour and per person, even the swimming pool and pétanque.

The food was generally acceptable, but the pepper mill seemed broken and left far too many peppercorns on our plates. The accommodation was a letdown too, nothing like the Smartbox photos, and the bed was poor quality. We'd booked the weekend using a Smartbox purchase, and it ended up disappointing us. We had accepted that every activity, even the swimming pool, cost extra by the hour and per person. Still, seeing the staff lose their smiles as we left was hard to ignore. Does a smile cost extra, or does it depend on the bill?

The aperitif on the terrace was great, and the table was pleasant in a cozy setting. We went on Friday, June 14, 2013, after persuading two couples of friends, who enjoy a party as much as we do, to join us for the interesting "The Duo and the Quatro" offer. The offer promised a reasonably sized rib of beef with sautéed potatoes and Lautrec garlic. We got an entrecote instead, at most 200g, with "homemade" fries and a few green leaves. We counted the fries for fun. The best serving had 18 pieces. The photos are superb and available for your review. The meat was passable but sinewy. My dog enjoyed it, thanks! It's regrettable that, despite your disagreement with a member of staff, we were left holding the bag. That was a bitter pill to swallow. I haven't persuaded my friends to return, though I still have some Massou to spend. I'd like to believe it was just bad luck, and hope our next visit won't be our last. Best regards, André and Julie........;