Le Carre Beauchene by Madame Vacances

We had no trouble during our stay and can’t agree with the negative reviews, though we booked through TUI Villas, so perhaps quality differs. There are three separate sections of houses, so I can only speak about ours. All the houses in our section looked good. The reception staff didn’t speak English, so bring a Google Translate app. Requests for extra things like cutlery and glasses were handled easily, and maintenance sorted the issues we reported quickly, though they didn’t speak English either. Price: €€. Our house was spacious and in good working order: three bedrooms, a big living and dining area, an open-plan kitchen, a small garden, and a pool. The furniture was in good shape, the washer and dryer worked perfectly, and the pool was clean and heated. Wi-Fi and air conditioning were available too. We’d been apprehensive about Sainte-Maxime after seeing negative reviews online, despite the fantastic pictures and our initial excitement about the September 2017 summer holiday we booked through TUI Villas. In the end, we were pleasantly surprised. The driveway was very steep, two patio doors needed shutters for security because they wouldn’t lock, and the lawn was artificial. Those were minor issues for me, and doors that don’t lock seem reasonably common in France.

There were dirty dishes when we arrived, and the house floor and terrace were wet. The toilet was caked with limescale, and there was mold in the washer and dishwasher. A coffee table in the garage was covered in cobwebs. One night, the bedroom door handle came off in my hand. The pool liner was damaged too, leaving a dirty pool and a danger for children. The terrace had a rusty, broken parasol and a broken chair. I’m sure I’ve forgotten something. They called this Lagrange prestige, but where’s the prestige? My advice is simple: don’t go.

On arrival, the place needed a serious clean, especially the walls. The pool was in a disgusting state, and the washing machine, though relatively new, was covered in mold. The dining table was dusty in the garage, the dishwasher smelled musty, and there were cobwebs in the bathroom and greasy dishes. The microwave was broken too.

At 8 p.m., nobody had shown up, and this is a place I’d tell people to avoid if they want a good vacation. We’d arrived at 11 p.m. after being told an evening arrival was fine, but couldn’t find the address and nobody answered the phone. After over an hour driving around, we found a villa that looked like the photos, but it was the one next door, not the one we’d booked. We’d rented a four-bedroom villa for seven people. One bedroom was missing, and the place was filthy: cobwebs, dust, mold, holes in the walls, a faulty electrical outlet, a broken cupboard handle, broken fridge shelves, and more. The description didn’t match what was there: only five glasses, six knives, six garden chairs, and four sun loungers. The board games, books, welcome basket, cold drinks, and pastries listed as holiday extras were nowhere to be found. Outside, there were broken chairs and parasols, the pool didn’t work, and the property wasn’t fenced. There was just one night on the sofa for us. Thanks a lot. We called the number we had and got no answer, then contacted customer service. They passed responsibility to the “manager” and told us to wait until the next day. At 8:30 a.m., still no answer. At 9, a man turned up, introduced himself as the pool technician, and casually mentioned he’d already been in the garden early that morning. The pool pump was out of order. The “manager” finally answered at 9:30. This very nice lady said everything was normal, the photos weren’t contractual, and the description was inaccurate. Despite our insistence, she didn’t think she needed to come meet us, saying she’d come later that day when she had time. By 8 p.m., still nobody. To be blunt, if you want to save time and money, just walk away.