Manoir le Mingreaud Chambres d'hotes

Nathalie and her family made us feel so welcome at Manoir le Mingreaud. We had a wonderful, unexpected New Year’s Eve there, one we won’t forget. If you’re in St. Gemmes la Plaine in the Vendée, this peaceful, beautiful estate is well worth a stop. We highly recommend it!

The call was enough to put us off. We were looking for a wedding venue with accommodation, and the owner answered with “What?” as if I was bothering her. She was very focused on our budget. I kept asking about prices and what services were available, and after she listed everything, I said it didn’t suit us. She replied, “The budget, I guess,” then, when I explained I wanted to handle the wedding decorations myself and wanted more flexibility than a package of venue, accommodation, meals, and decor, she just said, “Okay, too bad for you,” and hung up. I understand she may have been busy preparing for a wedding that weekend, but that’s no excuse for speaking to people that way. The prices also seemed as high as a spa on the coast, for example in Talmont. There are surely plenty of other nice places to plan one of the biggest days of your life.

The pool was spacious and pleasant, and the kids were clearly welcome, with everything provided for them. Our meals, both breakfast and dinner, were what we expected. The host was very attentive, and we had an excellent stay in this rural setting. I highly recommend it!

We spent a week at the manor this summer. It’s a lovely property, and you can see how much care goes into the house, garden, and woods. The pool was clean and beautiful. Our daughter loved the sandbox, trampoline, and animals, and we enjoyed a nice meal on our first evening. The owners’ two sons were super friendly, too. But we didn’t feel welcome by the owners themselves. There was no warm greeting, and we were repeatedly told how to behave: which way to drive up the driveway, which table to use, to watch out for dust even though we drove slowly, and to drink wine from reusable plastic cups, which wasn’t chilled. We were told we couldn’t eat a sandwich and cheese in the garden in case the “chic guests” were bothered. Would those guests not mind wine in a plastic festival cup? We also had to settle the bill unexpectedly in the middle of the week. We felt as if we were always being watched and corrected. After some pressure, we moved to a gite for more “freedom,” but its bed was makeshift, with a double mattress on a too-small wheeled frame. We slid off both sides and slept badly, and there was a strange smell. Breakfast was very basic, though cheap. Most guests seemed to stay just one or a few nights while passing through, and that may be the better plan. For a longer holiday, we’d choose somewhere we could feel welcome and pampered and properly relax. That wasn’t our experience, which is a shame because the place has the potential for a wonderful stay.