LA GRENOUILLERE gîte 3 chambres

The cottage itself is nice, and we did have a lovely time together as a family. But we were celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary and expected to enjoy the space with everyone. Instead, outside there was just a table and three rather dirty chairs by the bins, and the flower boxes had dried plants from last summer. The advertised outdoor area wasn’t there for us to use. There were other letdowns: no coffee or bin bags, just one dishwasher tablet, and only three partly used toilet rolls for eight people over three days. The TV was obsolete, and in a cottage for eight there was only a small two-seater sofa and two armchairs, so where was everyone else meant to sit? We arrived at 5:30 p.m. on April 21 and couldn’t get the key-box code until 8 p.m. The owners were away and didn’t answer our calls or messages, even though they knew we were coming. We only got settled in at 10 p.m. They returned on Saturday evening but never came to check if we needed anything, and we didn’t see them again before leaving. There wasn’t even an apology for the wait. We won’t be giving the address to friends. It’s a shame, because the cottage is pleasant, but the rest really wasn’t worth the trip.

At €340, I came away disappointed. The listing shows the owners’ house and garden in the exterior photos, not the cottage; the garden is at their home, and you have to ask permission to use it. Parking is also awkward when you have several cars. The cottage sleeps nine, but just two people can sit on the living-room sofa. There are only two TV channels, and there was no coffee or trash bags.

We’d planned a great weekend with friends around the rally final in Béthune, but a prefectural order meant the event was cancelled. We immediately contacted the owner to cancel our booking. She had already cashed our cheque, which was more than questionable, and despite many exchanges she categorically refused to refund us. We’re extremely disappointed with how she handled it and absolutely cannot recommend this cottage. Regards.

We’d booked three nights well in advance for the rally final, but a prefectural decree outside our control meant it was cancelled. After several discussions, the owner offered to postpone the stay, which made no sense for us, and completely refused a refund. The cheque had also been cashed earlier than agreed, without telling us. This isn’t a business. I don’t recommend it.