Manoir Belle Epoque

We had a fantastic week staying at this beautifully restored home. Our party ranged from 20 months to 60 years but there is something for everyone with lots of extra thoughtful touches by the owners that mean that you can completely relax. The stairs are all gated, there are lots of toys for all ages, books to read and games to play. The bathrooms are modern, kitchen and laundry room really well appointed with a huge range cooker that makes family cooking a pleasure, two dishwashers, lots of crockery and glasses and also plastic plates, cups and bowls for little ones. Jay and Melanie are excellent hosts, very responsive before travelling to all requests, and Jay met us on arrival to take us over the house in detail so we could appreciate the beauty as well as understand how to make best use of all the facilities on site and locally. The pool is a really good size and the design works well for families with steps and not too deep, with floatiesand lots of sun beds and umbrellas. The gardens are well kept with lots of shade , and the trampoline and swing kept our toddler amused for hours. Although booked well before Covid it was a bonus that we existed in our own little bubble, with everything readily available locally. The local baker makes the most fantastic croissants and cheerfully produces birthday cake on request. Don’t make the mistake we did and pick up wine on the way there in case the honesty bar was too pricey- the owners' choices are excellent value. The very tall will need to duck regularly on the ground floor. We opted to have the air conditioning package on the top floor only- but in the heatwave at the end of the week I wish we had invested in it as the usual precaution of closing shutters and windows by day and opening by night wasn’t quite enough. I can fully understand why people rebook time and time again and would happily revisit. Reading over the reviews from previous guests with hints and tips looks like everyone who holidays here feels as we did.

We had a wonderfully relaxing and fun week at Manoir Belle Époque. The house is very well set up for families of all ages and a lot of thought has gone into every detail. Although sensitively restored keeping lots of original features, the areas where you really want 21st century comfort are all there - new bathrooms, a well appointed kitchen, two dishwashers, two fridge freezers including an ice maker and washing machine. Most of the rooms are very large with high ceilings although tall adults need to remember to duck on the lower ground floor at various points. I really appreciated the basics such as salt, washing up liquid, cleaning clothes and a few dishwasher and laundry powder to tide us over until we could get to the supermarket. There are lots of crockery and glasses, but also brightly coloured plastic plates cups and bowls for little people. Bath and swimming towels are provided. Our 20 month old loved the play area, trampoline, swings and the wide range of toys, and stair gates on every floor or doors to close off unsafe areas meant adults could all relax. All three generations appreciated the pool which was not too deep and with a step all the way round for extra safety, lots of sun beds, umbrellas and safety fencing. The garden is very pretty, has lots of shade as well as plenty of room to run around. Adults played pétanque, pool and table tennis well into the night. Melanie and Jay are excellent hosts. Melanie is very helpful in the run up, answering any queries quickly and was in touch within hours of our departure to tell us we had left something behind which she posted back within 24 hours. Jay met us on arrival and walked us through the house, giving us the history as well as a practical run through. After 12 hours travelling we were very grateful for the snack and drinks they provided! The wine in the Honesty Bar is great value and quality with red, white, rose and sparkling. There is a great local bakery that opens early, supermarket and chemist in easy walking distance and good local restaurants. If you are going in high summer I recommend investing in the additional air conditioning package - we had it for the top floor but we should have added on our floor as the last three days were very warm at night. After a stressful six months we couldn’t have asked for more. I wish we had booked two weeks and I am not surprised they are booked up so extensively in advance and have already pinged the link to several friends.

We all had a wonderful time at Le Manoir. The garden was lovely and the children had great fun in the pool. Thomas, the youngest and smallest of our grans children learnt to swim there. The design of the pool gave him the extra confidence to take his armbands off. As for the the girls they were in “Barbie” heaven with the huge range of toys. Also they all enjoyed the dressing up clothes. The games room was also a big hit with the boys and girls. We loved the bedrooms, especially the master one. The kitchen and utility rooms were the best equipped we’ve come across in of all our holiday rentals. At first we thought two dishwashers was unnecessary but with sixteen of us we were soon filling both every day. We loved Canet with it’s fantastic bakery, butcher, Pizza restaurant and the bar were a real bonus. Patrick and the Casino convenience store gets top points. He, and his wife, were so helpful and very pleasant. The village shops being only a few minutes walk away were a real benefit as they saved us journeying to supermarkets.
We found an excellent restaurant “L’o a la bouche” at La Somail. La Somail, just ten minutes drive away, is a lovely town and we enjoyed several visits there.
All in all it was a great holiday for all of us. We have been taking the family on villa holidays over ten years and they all agreed, most unusual us all agreeing, that Le Manoir was the best place we have stayed.

We have recently returned from our week at Manoir Belle Epoque in SW France and I firstly wanted to thank Oliver's Travels for their organisation and welcoming champagne.
Secondly, I would like to complement Melanie and her husband on their home and to thank Melanie in particular for being such a gracious hostess during our stay. Their house is ideal for large parties - ours was 13 but they can accommodate more - and the facilities were superb. I would thoroughly recommend this property.

It was a great place to stay and we all thoroughly enjoyed the facilities and comfort provided.