Country house for rent Marne. Private holiday home

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Country house rental in Marne, Champagne-Ardennes, France

Manoir De Maffrecourt - Gite Mirabelle (Ref: 12858)
Self catering country house in Maffrecourt, France

2202

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Review submitted by Bryn from Bristol, UK

(Submitted: 26/09/2009)

"I think that the property has potential and will be worth the rental rates when they finish it. The owners were very friendly and helpful. It was handy to have meals available as required as the kitchens were not really set up for proper cooking, and the self-service booze area was great, if wallet-denting. It was fun to have the champagne tasting on-site. And, it had all the kit that you need to travel with small children. The two major drawbacks are 1) its a solid hour drive from the main champagne tasting areas, so if the weathers rubbish (as it was when we were there) and you cant take great advantage of the garden and walks from the Gite, youll spend a fair bit of time in the car. 2) We expected that for over Euro100 per night, wed get quite a nice place. However, its not quite finished. The skirting board is missing in the bathroom, the pool is temporary, the tasting room is ready for the new doors, the kitchen is worn, and the shutters need painting. Also, there are little notes hanging around that indicate that youll be charged for anything that goes wrong. It made us feel rather unwelcome and took away from the outward friendliness of the owners. All of this would be quaint and in keeping with cheap and cheerful except that its not that cheap and the notes make it slightly less cheerful. "

Owner reply: :
Thank you for some positive comments - Champagne houses of Reims are 40 mins along A4 autoroute, very easy indeed. The Gites are completed as these were built first and our gradual renovation of the Manoir itself does not impact on guests enjoyment. Pool is exactly as pictured and described on our website.New doors have been fitted in reception and look great. The 200 year old shutters are being restored a pair at a time rather than being replaced - 7 pairs completed 21 pairs to go! The one and only notice it to advise correct use of toilet - no baby/wet wipes etc to be flushed and interestingly guests have still ignored notice resulting in costly repairs.Pleased you were aware that we are gradually improving and restoring the property to its former glory. We offer excellent value for money for our extensive accommodation.

Review submitted by Louise from London

(Submitted: 19/09/2009)

"Have already recommended this property to 2 friends and we only came back last week! Great week away - excellent facilities, especially for children, amazing home cooked food and very warm welcome from Grant and Sandra - they couldnt do enough to make our holiday perfect whilst also giving us space and privacy. Well definitely be back!"

Review submitted by Sara from Amsterdam

(Submitted: 27/07/2009)

"Grant and Sandra have created a wonderful retreat in the middle of a beautiful region. They could just rely on the location, but they go out of their way to make sure that you really get the most of your stay. They really think of everything! This was our first trip with our baby, who turned 1 during our stay. The gite (Mirabelle) was perfectly arranged for her - she had tons of toys to play with, and thanks to the double gate on the barn stairs leading up to the appartment, as well as plenty of child safety plugs, she could play safely. The place was also very well equiped with a bath ring, steriliser, changing mat, etc and Sandra even made her a delicious meal with fresh veggies from her garden. Best of all, the beautiful grounds amidst the fruit orchard (with short grass thanks to Grants frequent mowing) meant she could crawl around to her hearts content - she even went crawling on all fours for the first time! But mother and father also enjoyed themselves - from the beautiful walks in the orchard, to the lovely and quaint Mirabelle appartment, to the chilled champaign and apple juice from their own trees, to Sandras delicious home-cooked meals (including a special curry night!), to the beautiful countryside and towns. It was the getaway we needed and were looking for and more. And all in a quick days drive. Thank you Sandra and Grant - we will surely be back and have already recruited our friends to stay with you!"

Review submitted by Craig from London

(Submitted: 01/06/2009)

" Superb accommodation in a beautiful, tranquil setting within easy reach of all major destinations within Champagne. gran t and Sandra could not have been more helpful, and we look forward to booking our next trip to the Manoir."

Villarenters comment:

Review submitted by Caroline from Bristol

(Submitted: 18/04/2009)

" An Enjoyable Stopover. Extremely Welcoming couple. Very Helpful and friendly. Fantastic location. The children loved the gardens and freedom they supplied after a long drive. Would use again."

Review submitted by Katy from Amsterdam

(Submitted: 19/11/2008)

"Fantastic setting with fantastic owners who really made all of us feel at home."

Review submitted by Peter from Canberra, Australia

(Submitted: 26/10/2008)

"The Gite Mirabelle was clean and very comfortable. Grant and Sandra are excellent hosts, and Sandras mastery of French cooking has to be tried to be believed! There were four of us and we all enjoyed our stay immensely. The location provided an ideal base for us to travel to Reims and Epernay, and also to Verdun. Well recommended."

Review submitted by Gareth from Edinburgh

(Submitted: 23/09/2008)

"Superb week at the Manoir. A perfect place to relax, whether in the gorgeous big garden, or just in the peaceful countryside. Grant and Sandra were perfect hosts, making sure we were catered for on arrival and giving us plenty of helpful tips during our stay. Would definitely try and go back there."

Review submitted by Sarah and Jim from Reading, UK

(Submitted: 07/09/2008)

"We had a great time with our two children (2 and 5 years). The outside space was wonderful and so quiet. The gite itself was well equiped and very comfortable - the satelite TV was very welcome for the children after a busy day out! The champagne tasting evening was a lot of fun as well as very informative - thanks Grant and Sandra. One final comment from the children - "We love Hector!""

Review submitted by Gareth from Stourbridge

(Submitted: 12/08/2008)

"A beautifully appointed gite set in lovely gardens and surrounded by attractive countryside. The Manoir de Maffrecourt provided us with an ideal "chill-out" place. It is picturesque and peaceful and the tranquility is contagious. Even the kids caught the bug and forgot about their Nintedo games for some time. And to top it all Grant and Sandra are both excellent hosts and enthusiastic proponents of their new home patch. It is really nice to have their local knowledge to find the best places to shop, eat or visit. Finally there is Hector the dog. Everybody loves Hector!"

Review submitted by Steve from Otley, Yorkshire

(Submitted: 25/06/2008)

"A lovely well equipped gite in a beautiful setting Our main reason for choosing this property was to save us carting all our 22-month old sons equipment from England, and the easy access from the Channel. We werent disappointed on either front The location is possibly not the best if you are only interested in the Champage houses & vineyards, but there is plenty more to the region than that. We took advantage of country walks from the door, relaxing/playing in the garden and of cycling around the country lanes nearby as well as visiting the local town a number of times We would definitely recommend the manoir, and will return if we are visiting this area again in the future"

Review submitted by Kerstin from Staten Island, New York (USA)

(Submitted: 23/05/2008)

"The gite was very charming and located in a very quiet rural area about 45 - 60 minutes outside of Reims. We had a wonderufl time and our hosts were very accomodating and informed! We didnt have a chance to do the home cooked diners but did try the Rubarhb crumble. Definitely get it if its available. Its to die for!!! A few things: we felt that the apartment was not at all suitable for small children due to the rather steep entry stairs. Thanks for agreat hoilday! "

Review submitted by Loretta from London

(Submitted: 28/12/2007)

"The standard of accommodation was exceptional. Lovely setting in a quiet location, with easy access to the autoroute. We were well catered for - a family extending from grandchildren through to grandmother, and all had a wonderful time."

Review submitted by Peter from Cheltenham, England

(Submitted: 05/10/2007)

"Thoroughly enjoyed our stay - the champagne tasting evening was a great fun. Grant and Sandra are excellent hosts (Grant even acted as chauffeur into the nearest town when we were celebrating a birthday!). We would hope to go back one day."

Review submitted by Robert from Sheffield

(Submitted: 03/10/2007)

"We booked a two bedroom gite over the internet for our 3 day visit to the champagne region; we were expecting something basic for the price but were pleasantly surprised to find a lovely 2 bed flat you would be happy to live in full time (maybe with a few less kids) packed with ammenities. Our daughter Natasha also got over her fear of Dogs too! Whilst the weather was inclement the welcome was warm and friendly and we can not recommend staying at the Manoir high enough"

Review submitted by Luke from Cairns

(Submitted: 30/07/2007)

"Rating would actually be very good. Rating would be excellent dependent upon your objectives. To visit the Champagne region, and sample fine prodce from the area whilst relaxing si what Manoir Maffrecourt is all about. As a base to visit the area and do things in the region outside of Champagne tasting and local culture - then the rating is very good. The property is beautiful, Grant and Sandra are hospitable, and the area is magnificent. An ideal location to relax locally, and spend some time outside in the gardens! There is plenty of other things to do in the area (military history at Verdun etc) and this could be emphasised more."

Review submitted by peter from great rissington

(Submitted: 12/07/2007)

"very relaxing , great champagne near to the region but also far enough away from reims etc to be very quiet ..."

Review submitted by Ron from Peterborough

(Submitted: 20/06/2007)

"Main Bedroom - spacious, comfortable, well furnished & decorated. Second Bedroom, - a bit small for two adults, good for children. Lounge/Dining - spacious, comfortable, well furnished, but insuffiicient sofa space for 4 adults. Bathroom - excellent - with a capital "E" Kitchen - a bit on the small side for self catering. Access - staircase slightly narrow and steep. Overall clean, spacious and quiet - no real negatives. Owners Grant and Sandra are both very helpful and friendly. We would stay there again."

Review submitted by Nicky from Wilmslow, Cheshire

(Submitted: 13/04/2007)

"Beautifully located, this pristine gite was perfect. Exceptional in every way."

Review submitted by Ted from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

(Submitted: 09/01/2007)

"Manoir de Maffrecourt exceeded all of our expectations. My wife, 18 month old son, and I visited the Gite in April, 2006. Grant and Sandra looked after all of our needs. I was particularly impressed by the preparations they made for our son's visit (crib, stuffed animals, toys, etc.). Plus, Grant and Sandra's children were absolutely delightful and our son, Patrick continues to speak about them fondly (apparently 18 month olds have a great memory!). The accomodations are superb. Our gite was on the second floor. The furnishings and appliances were first class. The kitchen is very cozy and well equipped. The bathroom is stupendous. We certainly felt like we had our own country estate, not a room in someone else's house. The grounds provide excellent walking, lounging, and relaxation opportunities. The surrounding farmland is stunning and the nearby town of Saint Menehould contains cute shops and an excellent supermarket called "Super-U". We actually cooked all of our meals in the gite. The selection at Super-U is as good, if not better, than the finest markets in the USA. The location is rural, although there is obviously much to do for the history buff (World War One sites are everywhere - we enjoyed Verdun) and the wine lover (Reims and Epernay - we preferred Epernay, Moet et Chandon specifically). The drive from Charles de Gaulle airport is about three hours. We had no problem finding the Gite. One day we drove to Euro Disney for the sole purpose of visiting Paris by train. The trains run constantly, are very reasonably priced, and the drive from Maffrecourt to the Euro Disney train station is about 90 minutes a vast majority of which is on the highway. After all is said and done, door to door, it took us about 2.5 hours to travel from the Manoir to Avenue de l'Opera in Paris. We were sipping cafe de creme shortly thereafter. Overall, our fondest memories of our trip involve the two days we spent doing absolutely "nothing" at the Manoir! "Nothing" included sleeping in late, doing laundry (and hanging it to dry!), eating (a lot), and getting to know Grant, Sandra, and their neighbor, the late, great Guy, over glasses of wine and glasses of eau de vie. Watching the sunset with new friends, while our beautiful baby boy frolicked with the Endersby children is a memory that seems right out of a novel! I should also mention that we drove more than 700 miles during our week-long visit to Maffrecourt. If you are willing to spend some time in the car, you can visit many, many places in France. If you are considering the Manoir, please do not limit yourself to a long weekend. It is an excellent and reasonably priced base for a week's worth of adventures. To sum it up, a visit to Manoir de Maffrecourt enabled our family from the USA to get a great understanding of life in the Champagne region. If you are looking for a relaxing holiday that includes fun people, sites, and experiences, then you should try Manoir de Maffrecourt. Plus, if you have small children, please consider a trip like our trip. While lugging a stroller and everything else to France is a lot of effort, it is worth it, I assure you!"

Owner reply: :
kind words from wonderful guests. We now provide strollers too, so no need to bring them with you!

Review submitted by Louise from Berkshire

(Submitted: 15/11/2006)

"Mirabelle is one of teh best Gites we have stayed in. Grant and Sandra are fabulous hosts and the gite was brilliant for our toddler - everything you could possibly need. We would definitely visit again. Oh - the champagne tasting was not to be missed either"

Review submitted by andy from england

(Submitted: 30/10/2006)

"Lovely location, the apartment was decorated really nicely and the hosts very friendly and helpful. However the apartment was very dirty when we arrived and full of cobwebs, we had to clean it ourselves on arrival. The downstairs apartment had a lovely area to sunbathe, sit/dine right outside the apartment, with sunbeds/parasol and a table and chairs. Whilst we had to sit quite away from our apartment, outside a barn and our table had a huge crack in it.We had no sun parasol to use.(This was quite important to use as my youngest child has very far skin) It was neither near to the house or scenic. The shared swimming pool whilst very welcome and refreshing was very smelly, and full of flies, as it was next to a turkey shed next door and a bit awkward to get in and out of because of where it was placed. The area was covered in broken bricks. With a small amount of effort it could have been lovely. We enjoyed the holiday over all, but we did not stay there the full time, we ended up paying for hotel accomodation for 3 of the nights so that we could break the holiday up and leave early. Quite dissappointing for the amount of money that we paid. We stayed in an apartment right in the centre of Nice, the year before, for the same amount of money, which was exceptional in comparison."

Owner reply: :
Oh dear, this is hugely disappointing. We go to great lengths to make sure our guests have the best holiday possible according to their needs and are given ample opportunity to express any concerns, dissapointments or complaints as you and your family were on several occasions and you were all very positive in your remarks to us and in your final comments in our guest book, so we are obviously very disturbed to read your review. The apartments are thoroughly cleaned and sanitised immediately following each guests departure and again before the next guests arrival. We understand the importance of cleanliness especially as we have many young families staying and go to great lengths to ensure the apartments are hygienically prepared between stays.The apartment you occupied has two areas for sitting and dining, one directly outside your main door, and one situated in the garden, both with parasol and sunbeds. As the apartment is on the first floor, naturally it is difficult to provide direct access to the gardens as with our smaller, ground floor gite, but nevertheless, you were offered unrestricted use of the 5 acres of garden available for all our guests at all times.We were pleased to note that you enjoyed the use of the splash pool almost every day during your 14 night stay, especially as the weather was so hot. The splash pool is filtered all through the night and cleaned/skimmed twice a day by hand, and is near to our neighbours farm. As we are in the heart of the countryside and not the centre of town, it is obviously difficult for us to control insects. You visited Disney for a few days, on our suggestion, and expressed this as the reason for spending a few nights away and left one night early because you wanted to break the drive back to the north of England. You assured us that everything was more than satisfactory and at no time raised any issues or problems, and if you had we would have been more than happy to resolve all of the above to the best of our ability as most of your concerns could have been easily rectified. Your guest book entry read : thank you for a lovely holiday, your lovely home is ideal to discover this lovely region. Thanks for « rent-a-dog Hector » and the use of your lovely garden.

Review submitted by M from The Hague

(Submitted: 02/10/2006)

"The Gite was well appointed and children friendly. Our hosts were courteous and helpful. I found it quite interesting to witness some rural french apple juice making and appreciate the fact they included us. Nevertheless, although the facilities were good, I and my party were disappointed in the surrounding and the obvious renovation state of the house exterieur and the gardens. I believe this gite will be improve as the owners continue with their ambitious project."

Owner reply: :
Thank you for your comments. This is the entry you kindly wrote in our guest book: "Life is full of surprises and this was a special one! Unforgettable memories to take back to Tasmania. The Winter Family. 5th September 2006".

Review submitted by Duncan from Scotland

(Submitted: 18/09/2006)

"An amazing property. The owners were lovely and nothing was too much trouble. The accomadation was very thoughtful and great value for money. I would reccomend this to anyone."

Review submitted by Margot and Patrick from Manoir de Maffrecourt, Gite Mirabelle

(Submitted: 04/07/2006)

"Our gite exceeded our expectations because we were looking for up-market accommodation in typical French countryside in a typical French village - with no commercialisation. The gite was furnished very stylishly and the crisp linen and white cotton towels contributed to the luxurious feel. The Manoir was very old and the children were fascinated with an escape tunnel built under the house where British airmen made their way to freedom in the First World War. We loved the three windows opening onto a beautiful rose garden, the orchard of fruit trees and the field of wild grasses and flowers. We also appreciated its proximity to Verdun and the Argonne Forest, site of First World War and Second World War battles. The champagne area of Epernay is an hour's drive from Maffrecourt and the area is famous for the apprehension of Louis XXVI when he fled from Paris during the French Revolution. Grant and Sandra were the perfect hosts and one really couldn't ask for more to make a perfect holiday."

Review submitted by Ilona from Holland

(Submitted: 02/01/2006)

"wonderful gite. Very helpful owners. We would certainly come again."

Review submitted by Abbe from UK

(Submitted: 03/10/2005)

"The property had been renovated to a high standard and we had an extremely comfortable stay. Finishing touches such as large shower, 2 sinks in bathroom, tv & dvd player etc made a big difference."