André F.
The gîte is roomy, and its kitchen worked well for the nine of us. But we won't stay at Ferme de Cezallie again. The bed in the "Mathonière" room was 160cm wide, as listed, yet both the frame and mattress were worn and very uncomfortable. There were lots of cobwebs between the beams and in the bathroom, and the shower in that room's bathroom gave off a foul sewage smell. The house was at 17°C when we arrived on May 9, 2026, for a week. The Gîtes de France website says heating isn't included. I had assumed, based on the past ten years of renting with friends, that we'd find the house at 20°C and then be responsible for keeping it there. We barely managed to hold 18°C, and the extra electricity cost €73. We didn't use the LVI radiators, though we did run the bathroom radiator for about half an hour a day to make the room comfortable. We also declined the €45 linen transport charge when renting linens, since it wasn't in the Gîtes de France contract. On arrival, the area around the gîte, especially the parking spot, hadn't been mowed. After a 900km drive, unloading in tall, wet grass was unpleasant. Cantal is a beautiful region and a good place to stay. The gîte is another matter. It may have been very good when it opened in 2004, but its four-star rating has faded over time.
