Le-Val-d'Ajol holiday chalet

We booked the gite in this area to visit friends and an area we love to tour. It offered us a great base in a charming little viallge that had a Friday night market that was good to see.. Winding roads took us to Remirement and a good supermarket for provisions and it was well placed for our trips to Epinal and Gerardmer and onwards to Turckheim and Colmar which were well worth the trip.
The acciommodation could have been cleaner and better equipped we felt. Owner explained that the last tenants had not left it as expected and had no local agent to check. We arrived to no electricity after a storm and took 2 hours to find the relevant button to restore power- owner had never experienced / usd this so obviously a rare event but could do with labelling up.
The property was difficult to use as a family with separate entrances to the upstairs and downstairs - great for 2 different families I guess but not ideal for one.Upstairs was certainly the better / more comfortable but neither had comfortable beds and a spare single mattress had to be used on the double downstairs to make it usable. Kitchen facilties in both units were very limited - 2 rings and a microwave which seemed a shame as we always like to cook whilst in France using the great market produce available. The only other distraction we found at the gite was that it was so full of the owner`s stuff that it did not feel like a property for hire. Fine if we had been staying at a friend`s holiday home but when you are paying for accommodation listed on a public site you do not expect to find wardrobes full of owners clothes, loads of shoes / hats etc around the lounge and endless supplies of drinks , foodstuffs in the kitchen limiting space for your own purchases / clothing.
The avialbility of wi-fi was a plus for me though and a rare find in a French gite and to be commended.
Overall though we had an enjoyable stay and the mountain walks / views were a joy to behold. Visits by deer to the field opposite were a welcome treat and the local cascades were a beautiful venue for a walk. An auberge just 700 metres up the hill from the village , turning left at the bar offered a great typically Vosgian meal experience and superb views.