Le Clos De Cluny

The good parts were the mountain and river views, and the pretty, pleasant village of St. Sorlin, with a free shuttle every 20 minutes. The mattresses were decent, and the dishwasher, stovetop, and other kitchen equipment worked and were enough to make meals. The welcome felt cold, with complaints about previous tenants. There was no inventory at check-in or check-out, and problems kept adding up. Cleanliness was poor, and the listing really needs updating. Getting into the accommodation is exhausting: the approach is steep and uneven for around twenty meters, while the supposedly private parking is several dozen meters away along the road. Loading and unloading the car is a real hassle. People with reduced mobility can’t access the property, and neither can babies or strollers. The listing says there’s Wi-Fi, but there isn’t, and the 4G connection is unreliable. It’s listed for 6-8 people, but even four of us had barely any room to move in the main room. It’s cramped, and you have to be very slim to get between the table and furniture. Cooking at the stovetop means squeezing against the refrigerator. The sofa bed in the main room is called a “double bed,” but if we’d used it, where would the table have gone? The listing also doesn’t say the two bedrooms adjoin. The bunk room sleeps four, but could really use a wardrobe instead of its small chest of drawers. The radiators can’t be relied on. We froze on the first night in one bedroom. We had to set it to 27°C to get the room to 19°C, and we should have been told that when we arrived. The toilet is in the bathroom, so there’s a queue in the morning. Imagine that with seven or eight people. The shower is dated, with silicone repairs that aren’t inviting. The place badly needs a major renovation. The electricity charge is clearly mentioned in the listing, but we were told the amount to pay would be based on the EDF rate. I don’t dispute that decision, it just needs to be written into the contract. We paid the rate shown when we booked. What’s written is what counts. Once was enough.

We booked the apartment for one night and were VERY DISAPPOINTED. Traffic delayed us, so I called the landlady about arriving after check-in time. She answered in French. When we asked in English if we could check in a little later, she couldn’t understand us, got very angry on the phone, and hung up. The place was completely unhygienic, with hair everywhere, cobwebs, and mold in the bathroom. Above the ceiling there was a dead rat or mouse, with its tail and leg visible.

At €145 a night for a place sleeping five, I expected more. The appliances are very basic and dated, and the apartment was 15 degrees Celsius with no shutters. There were insects in the bathroom and the toilet wouldn’t flush. We also had to pay €6 cash for electricity, which should have been included in the price. The rules at checkout were a lot: leave by 9 am, put no dishes or anything in their place, gather the mattress protectors and bath mat, open all the windows, and take out the rubbish. Extra sheets or towels we didn’t have would cost €10. There’s no Wi-Fi or cell service in the rental, which is far from shops, restaurants, or other amenities, and a 30-minute walk from the ski slopes. Access is awkward over a gravel incline and unstable stairs. The TV sounds like a helicopter, and using the washing machine in the apartment costs €2. After all that, she complained about having to clean after guests and asked us for a good review, saying, and I quote, “the last guest was dishonest and gave a bad rating.” Don’t go unless you absolutely have no other choice.

The welcome was unfriendly, and she spoke badly about previous tenants. The inventory check felt excessive. There were hardly any supplies: no sheets, bath towels, trash cans, sponges, dish soap, or cleaning products. She charges for sheets and towels if you don’t bring your own. The listing says free Wi-Fi, but there’s no Wi-Fi. It also leaves out many of the missing amenities and only mentions the electricity charge at the very bottom. She charges for electricity at checkout even though the apartment is very poorly insulated. At the end, she insists on a good review on Booking.com. In short, it’s a scam. Avoid it!