Autrefois la Modiste (Adults Only)

The village and the surrounding area were a delight, and the unusual accommodation was a lovely discovery. We found it through a Smartbox gift voucher. Our host welcomed us warmly and was kind and helpful, which made the stay very pleasant.

Worth making a detour for. We spent a quiet, restful night in a spacious room decorated around the "Modiste" theme, in a picturesque little village in Gers. It was a stopover in a very unusual house, and the welcome was lovely. We also got really good advice on what to visit and where to eat.

I was looking for somewhere unusual to stay, and this was exactly that. The rooms are spacious, lovely, and quite out of the ordinary. The guesthouse is beautifully decorated, and the owner made us feel very welcome, with useful tips and good conversation.

Our romantic evening was ruined. We ended up sleeping 40 km away at someone's home because they were able to take us in late at night. Unless you're willing to accept this without protesting, avoid this place. A word to the wise. Jérôme PUECH from Aveyron. We had been given a box in November 2023 for one night with breakfast for two, and arrived as planned at 7 pm on Thursday, May 9, 2024. Ms. Yannick Bigard opened the door without greeting us and said, “Ha! You're punctual!” She then asked us to leave our shoes at the bottom of the stairs so we wouldn't scratch the polished parquet. We did, reluctantly, beside the other guests' shoes, with their socks tucked inside, like at a refuge for "walkers on the Camino de Santiago." The interior is charming and worth seeing, but the visit brought one disappointment after another. We learned that the bathroom and toilet were shared. We had to split and label the double sink to avoid taking up other people's space, and were told we'd need to wait for the bathroom, or take a bath if the neighboring room was using the shower. We were also asked to bring our own towels because doing the laundry was too much hassle and too expensive given the website's commission. When I asked about soap and shower gel, she said they cost too much, then offered toiletries from a cupboard, making it seem they would of course be charged for. The breakfast table was already set, apparently the day before. Our host left right after handing over the keys, to join her son at another gîte in a very touristy village. I found it odd that he didn't want to stay at his mother's with his partner. She also told us breakfast would cost 10 euros each, an extra 20 euros. As a business owner myself, I told her she had a business and a location but didn't know how to present herself, and that this attitude toward customers, whom she hadn't tried to win over with hospitality, didn't suit retail. My partner and I were increasingly reluctant to stay, and I eventually lost my temper. My pointed comments and firm tone barely seemed to affect her; she stuck to her position. She said she'd run a bed and breakfast for 17 years without a problem, then warned, “Stop talking like that, or I’ll throw you out!” We were stunned and left without saying goodbye. She showed no desire to be welcoming, warm, or generous toward us. Money alone seems to motivate her. It's a shame for her and for this place, which had seemed attractive at first. Its planned demise seems inevitable.