|
| |
Comments offered by recent visitors to La Maison Rose
Jamie & TrinaPerth, Western Australia
Review Submitted: August 2, 2011Date of Stay: July 2011
Never having rented a Gite in France before, Trina and I were hopeful (and a little anxious) that Maison
Rose would be as good as it appeared on the web site. In the event it exceeded all our expectations! It
was as cute as it looks; secluded, yet close to civilisation, offering excellent walks through the woods,
countryside and villages; all so different from Australia. We rode bikes, bird watched, drove to Bordeaux
and Marquessac and visited local makets at Brantome, Riberac and of course Mareuil. The restaurants never
disappointed. L'Olive Noir in Mareuil was very good and an English haven if your French is patchy. We had
a very funny night at Raoul's restaurant in Bertric-Buree (a bit more French needed for the repartee).
Maison Rose has been very thoughtfully set up with modern facilities, very clean and well maintained and
yet with loads of character. Unfortunately, during our week in mid July, the weather was often cloudy with
occasional light rain (very unusual). This meant we couldn't use the terrace as much as we'd have liked,
but it didn't prevent our son and girlfriend enjoying the excellent pool; they'd come down from London and
were determined to have some summer, whereas Trina and I had just finished an Australian summer and enjoyed
the milder weather which was perfect for walking and bike riding.
Owner's Response:Owner's Response: Thank you Jamie for your lovely review. We are
so pleased that you, Trina and your family enjoyed your stay at Maison Rose. Unfortunately, just a one
week stay does not give much room for any out of season rain but just leaves it down to luck, but we are
so pleased that it did not spoil your holiday. As you discovered, the position of Maison Rose is quite
central for either a quiet rest or a more active one, and also close to restaurants if you want to eat out.
Thank you again for the review, which might help future guests with their queries.
Tony and Maz Devon
Review Submitted: December 15, 2010Date of Stay: June 2010
What a beautiful house! We have stayed in many different types of homes over the years, but I think that
this home must top the list. The tranquility is something to be experienced. My husband and I went for
peace and rest and our teenage children hoped for sheer enjoyment - we were all more than satisfied. There
was always something for them to do, even if the weather let us down (which only happened a couple of
times during the entire duration of our stay) - cycling (4 provided with safety helmets), table tennis,
more than enough videos and DVDs covering all tastes, poole, board games - I could go on. That is apart
from the main attraction, the beautiful pool which was kept spotlessly clean, and ample sun loungers,
parasoles and tables for us all. Then of course, when we were able to drag ourselves from the pool area,
we all went for long walks in the grounds and surrounding countryside. We would not hesitate in recommending
this property to any of our friends and intend to stay again in 2011. We wish every success to Lesley and
David, who have obviously given much thought to making their home a welcome home for all that stay there.
TeaSouth Bucks
Review Submitted: August 29, 2010Date of Stay: August 2010
Spacious, comfortably furnished and well equipped house on different levels as built into hillside. Power
showers always piping hot. Pool area excellent: spotlessly clean pool and plenty of chairs, loungers, tables.
Table tennis, bikes and plenty of books, DVDs and English TV! Beautiful area to explore. Nearest town Marieul
sur Belle has everything you need but it's only 20-30 mins drive to larger towns and supermarkets. We were
only there for a week but there's plenty enough to do for a longer stay. Beware the mosquitos!
Owner's Response:We are so glad you enjoyed your stay at Maison Rose. We aim to ensure
our guests feel 'home from home' while staying there. Unfortunately, the occasional visit from mosquitos goes
hand in hand with hot weather and balmy evenings in the countryside, but glad it did not spoil your vacation.
Hope to see you again in the future.
KathyBishops Stortford, Hertfordshire
Review Submitted: June 21, 2010Date of Stay: June 2010
For our girls ‘Chill Out Week’ La Maison-Rose was a perfect retreat, it should have been three generations, but
mum couldn’t face travelling and flying budget to Bordeaux - she was probably right.
Booked Sat Nav with car hire but this proved pointless - the owners direction sheet was ‘spot on’; left airport
and followed to the letter – no problem whatsoever. Stopped en-route at supermarket for essentials, arrived
just before 8.0pm in time for evening swim, could not have got off to a better start.
We all loved the house – plenty of French chic – chandeliers’, stone fire surrounds and some heavy antique
furniture mixed with comfortable sofas and throws, power showers and a sociable farmhouse kitchen with every
conceivable appliance. (Bit too sociable judging by the amount of alcohol consumed) well when in France… The
whole house was light with a warm ambience.
We made full use of all facilities – for the ‘twenty-somethings’ it became a fitness boot camp, including morning
run through the woods, countryside cycling and far too many lengths of the pool; luckily I’d opted to stretch my
mind and the well stocked and varied bookcase was well utilised.
I would thoroughly recommend the house and the area; we used the house map and had no problem locating our places
of interest.
Owner's Response: So pleased you all enjoyed your stay at Maison Rose. We try to make it
as welcoming as possible, whether guests are staying for a "recharge of batteries" vacation, or "explore rural
France" vacation. As you experienced, the option is there for you to choose and we hope to see you back again
in the future.
Relaxing holiday in the sun
Richard & Jo Chester
Review Submitted: November 4, 2009 Date of Stay: August 2009
Maison Rose is tucked away in an idyllic setting and if you want to find somewhere you can really switch off,
here it is! Built into the hill-side, the house offers great accommodation, especially sitting out on the
patio; we managed to eat all our meals outside for the two weeks we were there, but beware of the midges
and don't leave windows open at night!
The pool area is great, with good quality furniture and parasols. Don't worry about the pool not being heated -
it is fine, but keep the cover on at night.
The surrounding area is lovely with plenty to do, if that is your bag. Mareuil will provide all your local needs,
but the best supermarket by far is Super U at Vilbois de Lavelette, and only 20 minutes drive. Spend time in
Brantome - it really has a lot to offer and if you are really brave, hire a canoe. There is loads to see on
the water; we even managed the 8km route despite one of us being a novice. Riberac market is also good, but
watch the cheese sellers - they like to sell you a lot more than you need. The fresh fish is fantastic,
especially the sardines back on the BBQ!
We had a great time, and with the temperature ranging between 28 - 37 degrees celcius, it was perfect. We have
already re-booked for our 2010 holiday.
Owner's Response: Richard, Jo and family certainly seemed to enjoy their holiday at Maison Rose, and we
hope that their comments help other guests to make a decision regarding their holiday for 2010. We are always
as pleased to welcome guests back for a return visit as much as welcoming guests for their first holiday at
Maison Rose. Please contact us either through Holiday Rentals or our web site if you have any questions
regarding our French property or its surroundings.
Simon & family's French holiday
Simon says......... Hove, Sussex
Review Submitted: September 22, 2009 Date of Stay: July 2009
Maison Rose is everything we hoped it would be and more. It is ideally situated, if peace and tranquility,
along with beautiful countryside, is what you are looking for. The grounds are wonderful, and offer you
the chance to some lovely wildlife, including more butterflies than I have ever seen!
The property itself is spacious, well furnished and well laid out. The bedrooms remained cool despite the
outside temperatures, and the lounge was more than big enough for us to relax in. Both bathrooms contained
hot, powerful showers, not something you are always guaranteed in French holiday homes. The kitchen is
spacious and very well equipped. Our children (3 and 1) were able to move around the property freely, and
loved the grounds, especially of course the pool; this was where we spent most of our holiday. It is
well situated to catch the sun for virtually all of the day, and remained easily warm enough for us to
fit in a couple of night swims.
When not relaxing by the pool in the evening, we were sitting on the terrace with the barbecue on,
reading and relaxing.
There is plenty to do in the area, from the village of Mareuil nearby, which is convenient for bread
and croissants every morning, to the beautiful Brantome, and the Foret de Double is well worth a visit.
Maison Rose is easily the best property we have stayed in over the years in France, and I have no
hesitation recommending it to anyone... Book now, you won't be disappointed!!
Tricky_Bob_Mum Cambridgeshire
Date Submitted: August 30, 2009 Date of Stay: August 2009
We chose this property from a list of possibles based on the location, description and all the amenities.
I can assure you it didn't disappoint. The cottage is very well equipped, especially the kitchen. It has
a very interesting layout on several different levels, which adds to its character. The pool is private
and not overlooked which adds to the whole 'away from it all' experience. We spent many enjoyable evenings
sitting on the terrace with nice, locally bought, wine! We were fortunate enough to have excellent weather
so we didn't venture far from the poolside very often.
We did drag ourselves away for a trip to Cognac, which included lunch on a terrace at a lovely Brasserie
and then we found a tour of Remy Martin which included a very interesting tasting session at the end!
Brantome is also well worth a visit. For the more energetic you can hire a kayak and row around the town.
We chose the less energetic option and watched from a terrace restaurant!
The nearby village of Mareuil-sur-Belle, which has restaurants, boulangerie, Spar, banks and a Cave is
excellent. Very pretty and with lots of character, and we enjoyed our daily trip to the Boulangerie! We
have never enjoyed such delicious croissants!
There are a number of options for supermarkets - however, the only one we found open on a Sunday was the
one based at Villebois-Lavalette (which is about 10 miles away). This was more than adequate and much
closer than Soyaux, which has several large supermarkets.
Lesley and David provide a book which details lots of options for days out and local attractions and this
is well worth perusing. We were grateful to Midge for doing some shopping for us before we arrived. If
you don't arrive until 7pm it's nice to know that you will have everything you need for an evening meal
and not have to worry about finding a shop until the next day. It's worth giving Lesley a small list
before you set off and then settle up with Midge when you arrive.
Just a small thing, it is in the heart of rural France and so if sitting outside in the evening it might
be sensible to take insect repellant.
The cottage and the grounds are very well cared for and it all makes for a relaxing and comfortable holiday.
We travelled with three teenage girls, aged 13, 17 and 19. They were more than happy to spend the time by
the pool and we didn't once get an 'I'm bored' so it was a great success all round!
|
