Le Pavillon de St Agnan

This is an unbelieveable vacation mansion, and we hope to return again in the future. This villa is especially wonderful if you have children -- our three year old loved the trampoline and the go-kart, in addition to the 2 pools and the free pony rides twice a week. The owners, Nicole & Guido, are very friendly, provide daily headline news & weather updates, and help you with just about everything before and during your stay. They even helped arrange for us to hire a private cook make us a 6 course gourmet meal and also there are more casual dining-in options. They were extremely accommodating and friendly and helped us with directions and reservations. The grounds are lovely and well-kept, and Hautefort is a gem of a town to be near, with excellent and affordable restaurants in addition to its famous and impressive castle.

A set of gites sleeping 4 - 8 situated round a chateau for 14, ideal for young children.

There is a playbarn, outdoor play area complete with trampoline, heated ( although not quite enough) outdoor swimming pool, a selection of tricycles and bicycles to use and free pony rides twice a week.

The accommodation is reasonably spacious and comfortable with lots of appliances such as kettle, toaster, juice maker and two different sorts of coffee maker. It isn't 5 star, but then the prices aren't either, even in the school holidays.

You can either order meals in 3 times a week at a reasonable cost or dine at a nearby gourmet restaurant that welcomes children. Failing that the gite owners teenage daughters will babysit for a very small charge. In fact Guido would arrange and sort out just about anything to make your holiday run smoothly.

Guido & Nicole the owners are Dutch and most of the other residents were also and whilst this meant I couldn't read the huge pile of magazines & books in the play barn it didn't deter our son from making lots of new friends.

There are a number of things to see and do in the area, including the amazing velorail, which involves bicycling on 4 wheeled contraption along old railway lines, our son loved it.

An amazingly relaxed place to come with toddlers, our son loved it and I hope we will be back some day.