La Maison du Passage - Chambres, Spa et Restaurant

TA reviewers adore this B&B and that is why we booked our four day stay in two rooms. As it transpired, our experience was inconsistent with the apparent experiences of others. I am unsure how many cats inhabit La Maison, but at each turn, a cat!!! and accordingly cat fur. I have attached to this review a photo of a dining chair, showing cat paws and ubiquitous fur. So if you visit and value your clothes, I suggest you bring a pillow case to place between you and any horizontal surface. On our second morning, we came back to our room to find a cat nestled in an open suitcase. This establishment is promoted as a haven of tranquility and sophistication in an idyllic isolated village. Through the booking process and subsequently, Herve and Francois the proprietors, failed to mention the extensive building works at the B&B. Each morning, except Sunday (praise the Lord) we were woken up early with the sound of hammers, drills and saws. The building works have been depicted in the attached photos. Our bedroom was very hot and not airconditioned and so we had a choice. We could leave our windows open and be enveloped in building dust or we could shut them and swelter. As far as the noise was concerned, it didn’t matter because the bed backed on to the wall that was immediately adjacent to the works. I would rather have had root canal therapy. It was so unpleasant and the antithesis of the experience promised. Never at any time was there an acknowledgement of the effect of the noise and dust, that affected us greatly. I have mentioned that common areas were cat zones. They were also not cleaned. I have attached photos of debris all over the place. I have attached a photo of the greeny brown algae in the pool. I have attached a photo of what is portrayed on the website as a picture postcard spot to read in the garden. It was more like a rubbish tip. I have attached photos of other areas strewn with detritus. I have attached a photo of the peeling paint in our bathroom. If you study the website, you will note the emphasis placed on food and wine, understandably so because Francois was a chef at an earlier time. The problem we encountered was that there was an obvious expectation, perhaps what I might describe as pressure applied, for us to book dinner and it was made very clear to us that it was not acceptable to return after the days outing avec vin. We love to trip out to find a restaurant for lunch, our main meal and then to return and relax in the evening with a bottle of wine and some nibbles. We have done this all over France over decades. But we were made to feel very uncomfortable. On the second morning, Francois approached me and said “the wine you buy is rubbish” and on our last night he said “you have a purse for a heart” when referring to our failure to book a dining experience a la maison. At breakfast, Francois would make rather unsubtle jibes at me for not complying with his expectations. For example, when we asked for extra butter, he

This is a place we keep coming back to. No debate, no question; we come back when we're in France. Hervé and François are helpful, charming hosts, and make us feel utterly at home. François is an amazing cook, and, since they are a small place, dinner can also be a sociable occasion. I recommend you let them suggest the wine for your dinner. The rooms are each unique, utterly comfortable, and thoughtfully furnished. The village is off the beaten path, but within easy reach of Uzes and the Pont du Gard. This is a lovely place, in a lovely setting, but it is François and Hervé who make it magical.

Amazing stay! Beautiful location! The room was everything you’d expect from a 5 star hotel with all the coziness of a lovely BnB in the south of France. The amenities were fantastic and the bedsheets and pillows made sleep even more enjoyable. Highly recommend.

This has to be our best chambre d'hote stay ever! We had an amazing room with hot tub on a terrace plus the most comfortable bed imaginable. The biggest double shower possible. Then breakfast and evening meals that were to die for. Herve & Francois were such good hosts. Everything was considered and with such good taste.

1000 year old house restored and modernized with loving hands with all of its historic charm intact. Francoise and Herve had a second house for years in this adorable tiny town and bought the neighbor's house. Staggering creativity in the decor and modernization with meticulous attention to detail and comfort. The rooms are individual with stone walls, dreamy beds, amazing bathrooms with huge showers and windows looking at the church beside and out onto the Provence fields. Their philosophy is have a great breakfast with them, then wander/drive the countryside for the day and return where they make amazing (and I do mean amazing) dinners so you can drift up to your room in bliss and not drive anywhere at night. The hot tub on the roof looks at the fields at sunrise or sunset. A latte in the the hot tub at sunrise is highly recommended and because we get up early, the guys showed us how to use the expresso machine so we could just make our own which suited us to a T. There is an infrared sauna. The swimming pool is not heated but very attractive. And it is so peaceful and quiet- you can hear owls at night and distant cockcrows in the morning . They have an amazing new project with an adjacent building that when finished will be a honeymooner's dream suite with its own hot tub, massive bathroom and four levels. Can't wait to go back. These men are your ultimate hosts and really kind people. Highly recommend.

We had two fabolous days and nights at La Maison du Passage. Hervé & Francois are great hosts and they created one of the most stylish places we have ever been. We had a Spa Suite and the room was very spacious, with a lot of beautiful details and VERY high quality furniture and we really enjoyed the Whirlpool in our room. The surrounding of the House (rooftop terrace, pool), placed in a beautiful tiny village with extraordinairy views made our stay extremly relaxing. In the evening we enjoyed delicious food with a local touch and very fresh products cooked by the hosts for a very reasonable price. Thank you very much for this unforgettable experience. We will definitely come back, Viviane and Daniel

We were so lucky to find Francois and Hervés lovely and peaceful place and stayed for several nights. The place is beautifully renovated, has superb rooms, an amazing vue of the landscape, a lovely pool for the warm days and the best cuisine. Francois and Hervé are the best hosts and the food is fantastic. All is made from the best local ingredients. We can only give our very best recommendations and look forward to come back. Louise & Andreas, Denmark

Rooms are very hot Common areas are not maintained and if you dont want to be surrounded by cats dont visit. I found the hosts unwelcoming. Perhaps it would have been different if i was French. There were two hosts Herve and Francois. Herve did not speak English and so all my dealings were with Francois. I thought he was dismissive and at times quite rude. I will not return to this B & B

This was our first stop on a weeklong trip around France, and by far our favorite. François and Hervé were magnificent - after a long travel day, we were greeted by an enthusiastic welcome, delicious dinner and turndown service (and a fantastically comfortable bed and thick walls to allow us to sleep off the jet lag). I don't know if the rooms are technically "soundproofed" but the village is so quiet, and the walls so thick, that we barely heard any sounds outside our room at night. The location in Martignargues was perfect for a quiet respite at the end of the day, but had plenty of options nearby for visiting in the region during the day (Nîmes, Uzès, Montpellier, Arles, etc.). François made us dinner reservations in the neighboring Vézénobres the other night, and that village and dinner were absolutely delightful as well. François and Hervé were so attentive and ready to provide advice or recommendations and make sure that we had what we needed. We stayed in the "Le Repos du Guerrier & Spa" room, which was lovely. The jacuzzi and balcony overlooking the Place de L'Eglise was a great spot to sit out at night after dinner to relax. The room was very clean and well-appointed, and we had the morning and evening cleaning and turndown service each day. The breakfast was plentiful and delicious each morning. One of the best places I have stayed, and I would go back in a heartbeat if given the opportunity. François and Hervé are wonderful hosts who appear to truly enjoy what they do and pay attention to each detail of your stay so that you don't have to. A lovely, relaxing place to explore Provence and/or Languedoc, or just relax in the idyllic French countryside. I can't wait to go back.