Reviews For Mareuil Holiday chateau_/_country_house - Property 80856

Holiday Rental Location: World, Europe, France, Aquitaine, Dordogne, Perigord Vert, Mareuil
Beautifully restored country house in own grounds with large private pool
Beautifully restored country house in own grounds with large private pool
Built in mid 1800s, situated in 12.5 acres rolling fields and oak woods
Maison Rose is situated in a small hamlet surrounded by its own 12.5 acres of gardens with children's swings, fields and woodland, offering views, peaceful walks and total tranquility, with ample seat...
 5/5

Simon & family's French holiday
Simon says.........   Hove, Sussex.
Date 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!!

Recommended for: Families with Teenagers, Age 55+, Families with Young Children, Girls Getaway, Sightseeing, Romantic Getaway

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 5/5

Review - August 2009
Tricky_Bob_Mum   Cambridgeshire.
Date Submitted: August 30, 2009   Date of Stay: August 2009
We stayed at La Maison Rose in 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!

Recommended for: Families with Teenagers, Age 55+, Families with Young Children, Pet-friendly, Sightseeing, Romantic Getaway, Adventure Seekers

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 5/5

Maison Rose
Australian Visitors   Canberra, Australia.
Date Submitted: February 22, 2009   Date of Stay: September 2008
My wife Irene and I enjoyed a wonderfully relaxing 4 weeks at Maison Rose during Sep/Oct 2008. Our months stay formed the cornerstone of a three month around-the-world trip and turned out to be all we could have hoped for and more. Describing Maison Rose as a cottage is something of a misnomer when one considers such a large, tri-levelled (+ cellar), well appointed and maintained building and surrounds, set in an idyllic secluded French rural location.

By the time we arrived, settling down into an environment where everything we might need to make life comfortable was on site - and just worked! - was brilliant. Midge, the cottage minder, had even laid in some fresh food/wine to get us started on the day of our arrival and there were plenty of written pointers on hand, not only regarding the cottage but also what was on offer locally, to help us get the most out of our stay.

Irene tells me you could cook a banquet - not that we ever got that energetic - with the vast array of equipment stowed away in the warm and inviting kitchen area. In fact, when some of Irene's family joined us from the UK for a week or so, the kitchen area quickly became the focal point of the cottage and we enjoyed some pretty good evenings around the kitchen table quaffing locally purchased fare. A BBQ and outside dining facilities provided another option.

The bedrooms were amply segregated within the cottage and allowed us to reluctantly retire each evening to the privacy of our "Master Suite", complete with ensuite.

I should mention the magnificent pool. Although it was late in the season we still found time to flop into it or just laze around the deck area with a good book. When we chose to get a bit bouncy we jumped onto the pushbikes (provided) and cycled into the local village or just meandered along some very relaxing local walking trails. The local animal life, deer spotting at the nearby reserve, and sheep wandering around the back were appealing distractions.

Taking in the local restaurants, markets and other regional centres was, for us, an important part of our stay along with plenty of golf - two courses (one north, one south) close by.

Its easy to rattle on about Maison Rose but to summarise, we just wanted to be up early each day to take it all in and we didn't want to go to bed at night. Great memories of our stay at the cottage will last us a lifetime.

We wish Lesley and David every success for the future.

Keith and Irene, Canberra, Australia

Recommended for: Families with Teenagers, Age 55+, Families with Young Children, Girls Getaway, Sightseeing, Romantic Getaway

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 4/5

La Maison Rose
Fussy Mum   Essex.
Date Submitted: August 21, 2008   Date of Stay: August 2008
We have just returned from two weeks at La Maison Rose. This beautiful french house has everything you could wish for. The rooms are comfortable with plenty to keep everyone in the family amused. Very clean!

Our family comprises of Mum, who loves to relax and read, Dad who gets bored easily and likes to have things to do, 11yr old daughter who loves swimming and cycling plus 9yr old son who loves the simpsons and running mad!

The bikes were great being that they were practically new I was happy to let our daughter ride them. Lesley even provides cycle helmets!

Loads of books and video's to watch if the weather isn't great (or if you get too much sun!) The table tennis also keeps active bodies happy. The swimming pool is huge and clean with plenty of sun beds and umbrellas. With lots of garden to run around in, it was not difficult wearing out the children.

The kitchen has every possible time saving gadget you want, brilliant if you like to cook at home sometimes.

The only downside was the shower room and toilet in the cellar, it was really nice and clean, however the walk through the cellar put our children off (older children and adults would be fine with it). The shower and toilet upstairs were adequate for our needs though so it was not a problem for us.

The house was well placed for places to visit, one of the best we found was Brantomme (about 20 mins away). A lovely town with the river Dronne surrounding it. Really great for leisurely canoing. Plus an excellent patisserie.

The Spa super market in Mariuell was fine but for bigger shops we went to the Casino at Soyaux which was 20-30mins away.

Recommended for: Families with Teenagers, Families with Young Children, Sightseeing, Adventure Seekers

Owners Response: Thank you for your review Sherry - so glad that you and the family enjoyed your stay at Maison Rose, and we look forward to having you as our guests in the future. As we have mentioned, the extra shower and toilet in the basement will soon be surplus to requirements, as we are converting the attic into two further bedrooms and another bathroom and toilet at the end of this year, so hopefully they will be ready for guests for the 2009 season. Brantome is always a popular town, for old and young alike. Plenty to do if you feel energetic, plenty of uncrowded picnic areas by the river with ducks for company, if you just want to laze about. We have tried to base equipping the house on our own experiences in the past, and hope that guests find the facilities "home from home".
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 5/5

Peaceful and quiet but with plenty to do
Karen and Sam   Gravesend, Kent.
Date Submitted: August 06, 2008   Date of Stay: July 2008
This beautiful country house located not far from picturesque Brantome (where the canoeing was great fun even for beginners - and all the restaurants served wonderful food for every budget) gave us the best holiday we'd had in years. The drive up to the house through woodland and a deer sanctuary meant there was peace and quiet but you never felt isolated.

The close-by village of Mareuil had a couple of very good restaurants, both of which served excellent food at a reasonable price, a cafe-cum-bar, a weekly market, a well-stocked Spar and even better stocked off-licence, bank, 4 bakers, a butchers, fresh fruit and veg shops - plenty to keep you going.

Even better, we got full use of the pool for the first time ever - it was spotlessly clean, you could light it up at night and there was a complete absence of those annoying, biting flies that you can sometimes get when you're right on top of farming country.

The house itself was exceptionally well-equipped, clean and spacious - thankyou, Midge, for the shopping that was awaiting us on our arrival and the bottle of wine was much appreciated. To sit on the patio looking out over the trees and countryside either first thing in the morning (when we occasionally saw deer on the bottom lawn) or the cool of the evening was magical - and convenient, too, as it led just off the large kitchen/diner.

We took advantage of the four mountain bikes provided, along with the table tennis and gas BBQ and teenage son liked the vast selection of videos/DVDs while we preferred a dip into the well-stocked bookcase.

There was also plenty of info on where to go and what to see (caves/picturesque villages/chateaux etc) but I must admit we enjoyed the house and grounds so much that, apart from venturing into Brantome and a couple of other villages, we stuck close to home and the pretty local village of Mareuil.

If you need to chill, then this is definitely the place. And if you've got children/teenagers to amuse, then this will also do the trick. A magical combination and we would definitely recommend Maison Rose to everybody.

We can't thank the owners enough.

Recommended for: Families with Teenagers, Families with Young Children, Sightseeing, Romantic Getaway

Owners Response: Thank you so much, Karen and Sam, for your wonderful review. It is good to hear that you had such a pleasant stay at Maison Rose. We try to create a home from home atmosphere, and by the sound of your review, it is what you experienced. There is so much to do and see when staying there, both in and around Maison Rose, that it is sometimes difficult to fit everything in. Thank you again for your booking, and we look forward to hearing from you in the future.
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 5/5

Maison Rose
sweet william   Chester.
Date Submitted: July 29, 2008   Date of Stay: July 2008
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Maison Rose. The property was well maintained and clean. Set in over 12 acres with great views and a fabulous swimming pool the house lived up to its description. Our 14 year old especialy loved the table tennis and billiards and spent many an hour trying to beat his Dad, which he succeeded on a few occasions. In terms if attractions we visited Brantome (known as the Venice of the Dordogne) where we had a lovely lunch followed by a canoe on the river. The Grottes de Villars were incredible. We spent a very pleasant day at Aubeterre-s-Dronne which has the most amazing Monolith church and is definately worth a visit. The rest of our time was spent in and by the pool at Maison Rose as we were very fortunate with good weather. Having found the property by chance we would love to go back and would definitely recommend it to a friend.

Recommended for: Families with Teenagers, Sightseeing, Romantic Getaway

Owners Response: Thank you for your lovely review on your stay at Maison Rose. It is always nice to hear that guests have been able to enjoy just a few of the many interesting sites in and around the area, as well as enjoying their stay at the house. Thank you for your booking, and we hope to see you again in the future.
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 4/5

September 2007 at La Maison Rose
Sheila and Clive   Bedfordshire.
Date Submitted: May 25, 2008   Date of Stay: September 2007
Sheila and I enjoyed our stay. The house is very well equipped and clean. The lounge was exceptionally comfortable and the pool area very pleasant and with good facilities. The location was ideal for us amongst lovely countryside and access to interesting places to visit. The master bedroom and en suite shower was fine but the second shower area was a bit distant.

Recommended for: Families with Teenagers, Families with Young Children, Sightseeing

Owners Response: Thank you for your valued comments Shiela and Clive. We are pleased that you enjoyed your holiday in our French home, and note your comments about the second shower area. However, at the end of this year, we are commencing work in the attic, where we will be creating two new bedrooms and another bathroom so this should solve that problem. We hope you choose to stay at Maison Rose again in the future. Thank you for your booking.
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 5/5

Comments from Owner Guestbook
1) - Dear Lesley, I am sending this brief email just to let you know that we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at 'La Maison Rose'. The quiet and peaceful location was exactly what we wanted. We made quite a lot of use of the table tennis equipment, and would definitely have used the mountain bikes had it not been so hot... as such they remained in the cellar! (By the end of the week the pool temperature was at 92F and, after a 'phone call to Brian, we had to top it up as there'd also been a fair bit of evaporation.) Once again, thanks for your assistance and also for the bottle of wine you left for us on arrival. Regards.
2) - Dear Mrs. Cook, Just a word of thanks for the wonderful stay we had at Maison Rose. However we did not get to sample the many restaurants you recommended - the house and kitchen were so well equipped and comfortable that we stayed at home and ate out on the terrace every evening! Many thanks - we hope to stay there again next year. Regar
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