Calvados holiday villa: Deauville

This was our second visit to Le Village Normand and the villa was perfect for us (4 adults) and two young children. The downstairs ensuite bedroom was ideal for the grandparents and our eldest child loved the bunkbed upstairs! The accommodation was clean and we had everything we needed. The outdoor pool was fantastic and we luckily had great weather to be able to use it everyday. Deauville and the surrounding villages (especially Honfleur) are beautiful. The thing we miss the most is the morning walk to the local patisserie...We will return.

This is a charming, well equipped holiday home, which really is as described. The owners have put much thought into the small touches which make all the difference when staying in rented property. As a seasoned renter, I have an essentials self catering kit, containing all those items which are frequently missing. I didn't need it here!

The villa is spacious, clean and comfortable, with a charming small garden, complete with a much needed awning for the hot weather we were fortunate enough to experience. It was a pleasure to discover a sensible sized fridge/freezer, as we were three generations, including small children. As mentioned in a previous review, everything worked and there were easy to follow (and find), instructions for the equipment.

The only drawback, was the flight of steps leading to the property, which are quite ricketty and posed a bit of a problem for a granny, not too steady on her feet! Certainly unsuitable for disabled people.

The owner was extremely helpful and provided very comprehensive fact sheets prior to our visit, both for the house and surounding area.

The village of St. Arnault is very peaceful, with all necessary small shops, especially the wonderful patisserie, and a restaurant, while a couple of miles away are Deauville and Trouville, with amazing beaches and the opportunity to overspend the budget in designer shops, great restaurants and the casino. Inland are the lovely French towns and villages within easy reach and the Le Havre/Caen road is very close, making touring further afield easy. Returning to the tranquility of the villa at the end of the day and relaxing in the garden, or taking breakfast outside after collecting the croissants made the whole experience most enjoyable.

After two visits to this villa, one last October, another this March, No.22 has become one of our favourite destinations for a comfortable and convenient holiday in France. The property is compehensively equipped and (something of an novelty with holiday lets) everything works. You even have access to Sky TV when French channels lose their novelty (which doesn;t take long, in our experience). The mini-estate on which the villa is located is exclusive, secure and and peaceful. But most of all it is wonderfully convenient for excursions to posh Deauville, rackety Trouville, painfully quaint Honfleur and many other places of historical, culinary and sporting interest (not necessarily in that order). Highly recommended and, given where it is, extremely good value.