Gite owners on site and intrusive

[NoiseinFrance]

our family of four have taken first trip in a long time. Staying in a gite in central France:m. Understood owners live in a separate part of property and May use pool etc

we were hoping for a relaxing break, two small children. Our gite is lovely. What was unclear was proximity to road. Very quiet but living area looks directly out on to road. Last night house opposite sat on balcony and could see into ours. Pictures on w site only show (rear) rural views whic are not afforded to our property.

they Have two teenager children. Today another family are staying in their own house. Commandeered the pool and made out two children feel unwelcome and intimidated.

i sat on patio earlier, their doors open and people looking in. Each time their guests walk past their peer in. Finally, they and guest are now having dinner maybe 20/30ft from our open doors? Noisy already so worried will be late and noisy. Also same issue of peering in ours.

what can we say? Are here til Sunday so don’t want to be awkward and in any-case have nowhere else to go. Aibu to feel they are taking the piss as owners?

please don’t vote based on typos!

Is there anything in the holiday property description which is inaccurate?

You can definitely raise that with them if there's something they're breaching.

How exactly were the other family making your children feel uncomfortable?

Going by the other thread about French people staring at an autistic child, I suspect there may be cultural differences at play too, but there's something wrong if you're finding you can't enjoy the holiday you booked as described.

YANBU to be disappointed that all is not as you hoped but I'm not sure there's much you can say. You could certainly ask them to keep it down later tonight. Any curtains you can close to deal w the peering? As your kids are small I assume you are with them poolside so just don't let anyone displace you.

Just boisterous teenagers as opposed to younger children. No adult supervision, took over pool, cannon balling in, splashing them, balls hitting them type thing.

not intentional or aggressive but a long way from considerate also.

Owner family are British as are we

I'd raise the teenagers' behaviour with them for definite. It wouldn't be allowed in a public pool as it's inconsiderate at best, dangerous at worst.

Will do tomorrow, good advice thanks

You're a paying client don't forget. Make sure you leave fractal and honest reviews wherever appropriate - booking platform, Google, TripAdvisor if they're listed on all of those.

*factual!

This is my concern, and this year it wasn’t cheap (not a brag, we haven’t been away for ages, just a sign of costs!)

Did you ask many questions about the pool and usage before you booked? Did you look on streetview re proximity to roads/other buildings etc?

There's no way I'd book a place with any hint of pool sharing because this scenario is exactly what I envisage - a loud Alpha family taking over.

I do suspect people aren't "peering" though but looking/glancing. Weirdly, I feel way more unwatched and unjudged in France than I ever do in the UK or I just tune it out. Please just sit on your patio and enjoy your holiday - you're there now so you may as well.

YANBU

The peering in sounds really irritating. As for the boisterous teens at the pool, you could maybe suggest separate pool slots eg the teens have 10 am to 2 pm, and you have 2 pm to 6 pm for example. That way the teens don’t have to tone down their behaviour, but you also have your privacy (and don’t have to worry about them being too inconsiderate around your dc).

On site owners are a PITA. I had this at a large group booking. They were always unexpectedly “popping by” and taking strolls slooooowly past our windows.

We were a big group with a taste for unconventional dressing and a fondness for board games and role playing games, but we’re well behaved genuinely.

It’s so frustrating when the owner won’t let you be and is around all the time. I’d avoid that kind of site in future.

If you feel you can't say anything, then leave a frank and honest review. As a gîte user, I'd really appreciate your review and would give this property a wide swerve.

Folk book gîtes for privacy and total peace and independence. Failing to state the shared aspect would utterly do my head in.

Did the advert for the gite say the pool was shared or exclusive use? Sorry if you’ve said this already but I couldn’t see it. Your course of action obviously depends on what was advertised.

Hmmm booking.com stated private pool

Email confirmed (after payment received) said shared pool, so really is on me for not have pushed back at that point

I Google earth where we stay to avoid this. Owners staying close by is my nightmare!!

Did you say anything at the pool to the teens?

Do you have a screen shot of the booking.com advert? Or better still does it still say private pool?

If you have evidence that’s what you understood when you booked I’d go and talk ti the owner and assert your rights. You could possibly agree a time for their teenagers to use the pool which is convenient to you. But you’d have the upper hand.