2/10 Terrible
Pascale d.
12 September 2022
Disliked: Cleanliness
In desperate need of maintenance.
Ancienne Ecole is scruffy and run down but it could still be a charming, rustic place if it was just being looked after in the basics. It isn't though. The owners told us they weren't using a management company anymore and they were finding it difficult to deal with maintenance issues remotely. I'm sure it is tricky but it's no fun to rent it for your family holiday and have to deal with constant problems such the pool not working, and the stench of sewage from the drains in the ensuite bathroom making a bedroom unusable. It was uncomfortable and a bit sad. Especially when you have to drive past the neighbouring old houses that are being well looked after. We did have a few nice days in the second week when the pool was working again, but we really had to make an effort to be upbeat as I squashed into the kids' bedroom and more things fell apart due to lack of maintenance.
Nearby Saint Antonin is a lovely town and if you do rent this place I strongly recommend checking whether they've addressed these issues and hired a management company again. Here are some of the issues we had to deal with: 1. Pool didn't work for first week. Their pool guy told me the cleaning system was ancient and he had been telling the owners they needed to buy a new filter for ages. 2. The place hadn't been properly cleaned. Ant traps bursting full of dead ants were in every corner and doorway and the floor was dirty and sticky. 3. Sewage from the drains in ensuite bathroom filled the bedroom too. Horrible. Impossible to sleep there. The owners told me to run the taps in case the pipes were dry. I did. It got worse. They didn't get a plumber. 4. There were two dangerously loose steps on the stairs going down to the bedrooms. They weren't fixed. 5. The washingmachine didn't work when we arrived. When I messaged the owner and asked if there was a trick to it, maybe there was a switch I hadn't found, he didn't ask anything about it but delivered a new one. That was nice but also weird, it made me think he already knew it was broken. They dumped the old one in the garden. Then there were small things that made it uncomfortable or unsafe: There was only one fan working in one bedroom and it was so hot. There were no mosquito nets but tons of mosquitos. Where there should have been railings to stop anyone falling off the balcony there was chicken wire pinned up instead. All a bit...rubbish.
Pascale d.
Stayed 14 nights in Jul 2022