Madame Vacances Residence Le Parc des Airelles

The apartments are so cramped that the ones advertised for six people barely work for four. Wi-Fi and TV are paid extras, and even after paying, the quality is below average. The ski lockers are tiny too, with no room for boots, so gear has to stay in the already small apartment. The pool and sauna were a major letdown. Terrible accommodation, I wouldn't recommend it.

The residence feels like a 1990s property where profit comes before reinvestment or improvements, though on its own I thought it was reasonable value. My one-star review is about the checkout experience, which I found unacceptable. Staff generally seemed more negative than positive, and this incident crossed every line. We had rented several apartments as a group and were the third to check out. The people before us had paid their deposits in cash and got them back immediately. I had paid by card. A bearded man in his 50s, apparently one of the managers, inspected our apartment. At first he seemed more polite than some of the others. He said everything was fine, returned the checklist we'd received on day one, and gave me another signed document telling us to take the documents and keys to reception to get the deposit. At reception there was one staff member, a short, stocky, slightly overweight man in his 50s wearing glasses. I greeted him with “Bonjour,” then explained in English that I was checking out and handed over the papers and keys. He asked if I needed the original checklist. I said no, since I had the signed document. He tossed it into the bin beside him, then arrogantly said that didn't guarantee a refund, since missing items discovered later, for example on Monday, could still be deducted, and that I should have kept the paper. I asked why he hadn't said that before throwing it away and requested it back. He refused, twice. On my third calm, polite request, he slammed it onto the counter and pointed aggressively at the exit, shouting “GO!” I turned back as I was leaving and asked why the cash-paying guests had got their deposits straight away when I hadn't. I also asked him to write down his full name. He refused in a dismissive, arrogant, passive-aggressive way. When I asked when my deposit would arrive, he became visibly angry and was shaking with frustration. I calmly asked why he was treating a customer that way. He said my attitude was the problem, not his. I lost patience then too and asked again for his name and a superior. He refused, saying he was the manager. I told him that was a serious problem: I have managed teams of 20+ people, and someone with that attitude shouldn't manage people or deal with customers. He got even more agitated, processed my card refund immediately, and slammed the receipt onto the counter. Then he turned away and ignored me, still visibly shaking. As I left, I said, “Welcome to France.” Sadly, I've had similar treatment in several places here, and this level of customer service is unacceptable. He shouted something back, but the door was already closing. People with this attitude shouldn't be managing others or dealing with customers.

The apartment smelled awful when we arrived. The floors hadn't been cleaned, there was mold in the coffee maker and in the corners, and the bathroom wall had piss all over it. The cooktop was greasy, and the windows, mirrors and dishes were all unclean. We told reception about it and didn't even get a “we are so sorry” in reply.

They charge an 80 euro cleaning fee, yet our toilet smelled like a festival public toilet when we arrived. The apartment looked like it hadn't been vacuumed for at least a couple of years.