We were a group of 13 adults and 9 children aged 9 months - 15 years, needing a large holiday home on a budget.
This house was perfect in many ways; good value for money, good room layout, activities for the kids and a pool. The location is quaint - a small village in the mountains, opposite the church (which bell rings on the hour and half hour). We had elderly people with us too so with access to the middle of the hous from the garden as well as to the bottom floor meant fewer stairs for those less able. The owners were very helpful, easily contacted and very kind to provide complimentary lasagne and homemade pasta as well as a birthday cake and were efficient with deposit return and utilities (which you pay for at the end - be aware. €300 for us). The were unintrusive but were there if needed, though a slight language barrier.
However, the house is in need of some investment. There is so much potential for this to be great! It just needs some love. The playroom on the top floor is a superb idea, but most things are broken and it is poorly stocked (could do with some paper, drawing stuff etc and things to be fixed). It’s also worth mentioning that small children couldn’t be left - the windows are at shin height with insufficient bars to stop them falling - or jumping(!) out. This is the same for the bedroom windows too. Also disappointing was the lack of utensils in the kitchen. For a group of 22 we struggled to cater with very few chopping knives, serving utensils and dishes/pans for the group, despite asking for more.
The map layout of the property is quite confusing and if you don’t hire it all, I just wouldn’t see it working to share the house. There are some sofas up in the playroom but no ‘lounge’ area to relax, only the kitchen table with benches. The property is rustic, so if you’re looking for luxury this probably isn’t for you.
There was no ‘pack’ to tel you about local sights, restaurants etc, or to tell you where things were or how they worked. Electricity tripped a lot if too many things were on - eg you couldn’t have kettle and microwave on at the same time.
The pool was freezing and I mean freezing. My 1 y/o would not go in and neither would I. The playground was a nice touch and the view in the garden is lovely. Good lighting outdoors too.
The property worked for us as a group, we got by, and we had a great week here, just a shame as the place itself could’ve been a lot better given a bit of care and investment.