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BEWARE; CHATEAU DE FRETAY!!

53 replies

laurawaterford · 17/08/2006 16:33

We have just returned from Brittany and stayed at this 'site'. We booked it in February after fairly extensive searching, accessing their website, speaking to them etc.. When we arrived, expecting a ninehole golf course, go-kart track, tennis, private swmming pool, restaurant, as well as our accommodation which was a converted 16th century chapel, our accommodation had bat droppings on the bed daily, and bats flying around our bedroom at night, a dead GOAT in the unusable go-kart tract, our private swimming pool was a raised plastic tub. The general indoor heated swimming pool didnt appear to exist, there was no tennis court, we only found 3 golf holes, the restaurant didnt open at all, open cesspits, burning hot water out of the taps, no water in showers or loos for hours, on different days. The setting was idyllic, on the edge of a lake. However the chateau had been demolished in the 1970s and what is referred to as the chateau is in fact a poorly converted stable block. Our furniture was shabby and there was lino on the floor, and broken door handles, doors that couldnt close, leaky showers, broken handrails on the stairs, the list goes on and on . The owners, I think, are probably nice people but cannot cope, and are dishonest about the way they market the place: I dont think they deliberately lie - just use poetic license. We are shattered from lack of sleep, too much usual cooking (no restaurant and no barbeque as promised), and the sheer disappointment of coming all the way from Ireland to that. We paid 2600 euro for the accommodation alone for the two weeks. Not cheap.

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Pamina3 · 17/08/2006 16:36

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

laurawaterford · 17/08/2006 16:51

thanks pamina3. We did take photos! As soon as we arrived, we knew something was WRONG. NO-ONE around, barn full of rusty machinery, and old cars. No reception. However when we owner arrived after 30 minutes or so (and we only seeing one other person in that whole time) he wouldnt give us our money back. We agreed a compromise - he would give us following week back if we hadnt been "won over" (??!!) by then (beaten into submission by exhaustion from sleepless nights with bats more like). We went to the tourist board in the nearest town. They were VERY helpful and took our details with a view to making it a formal complaint. They told us (good tip this!) that we are always entitled to a FULL refund if the facilities/accommodation do not meet our expectations. We left a week later, with cheque (that cleared), to other accomm tourist office had found us - but had to have two separate studios, APART from each other, cos we are a family of 7. one of our children is special needs, and the new site was busy busy busy, and he was totally out his depth and caused us a lot of worry. Hence our careful handpicking of the medium sized, chateau de fretay facilities - he loves the action, but we need to know he is safe!!

OP posts:
CountessDracula · 17/08/2006 16:55

Report it on Tripadvisor

Do you have a link to their website?

laurawaterford · 17/08/2006 17:00

Good idea! Can i do that cos i assumed they only reviewed hotels etc that they advertised?

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CountessDracula · 17/08/2006 17:01

No I think you can post anything

laurawaterford · 17/08/2006 17:04

Right. Thanks I will definately do that. Months of anticipation (we even had family 'meetings' to chose holiday that suited us all (how sad is that?!), months of saving money and days of bloody packing!!! all for that!!

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CountessDracula · 17/08/2006 17:07

here is is you can also attach photos

Twinkie1 · 17/08/2006 17:07

What a nightmare - glad you got your money back - although I bet that small recompense really!!

Put it on Holiday Truths.com though - we always look on there - except this year but I wish we bloody had!!

laurawaterford · 17/08/2006 21:59

I have just done my review of tripadviser. Its very long!! twinkie1, why do you wish you had looked at holidaytruths (I have sent my review to them) was your own holiday not great?

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noonar · 20/08/2006 12:46

chateau de fretay

noonar · 20/08/2006 12:54

sorry dont know what happened there, must be going mad..posted too early!

laura you wont believe this, we stayed there in 2002!!!! it was pretty tired then. dd was 4 mnths old. come to think of it thae accom was CRAP! i was such a downtrodden , shellshocked new mum at that time, though, it didnt occur to me to complain. i particulaly remember the beeding and matresse...yuk. had the feeling of an unconverted barn. grounds were pretty but unmaintained.

the silver lining for us was that we had a second week in a beautiful cottage in dinan. this helped to rescue the holiday.

laurawaterford · 28/08/2006 13:44

Hi Noonar,

Sorry a bit late responding. I had family staying and have only just got a turn on the computer!

I have posted on tripadviser now. Hubby simply put in 'chateau le Fretay' in the search engine and my review came up straight away - he hadn't even put in tripadviser. So 'ouch' for the owners - anyone looking up their website will get a poor review. It would be easy to feel bad about it, but truelly they marketed themselves incorrectly and ruined our holiday - and many others, if the private messages I am receiving are anything to go by.

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lillabean · 28/08/2006 20:43

You really should report them as bats (and their droppings) in human accomodation is not only upleasant- it's a down right health risk!!!

That is absolutely unacceptable.

You should report them to the local health inspector who monitors tourist accomadation.

laurawaterford · 31/08/2006 21:36

Hi lillabean.

I have just found out that bats are a health hazard - apparently they carry rabies? I very naievely, believed the owner when he told me bats were fine to have around (that sounds as tho I put up with it - I didnt and we left after our first week. We stayed as long as we did because we are a party of 7, and tried hard to find other accomm and couldnt. Also we had already paid)

Just out of interest, what other health hazards do bats pose? (as I quickly go down hill thinking about it..)
Actually, we have reported them to the french authorities and they have taken it very seriously. Altho the owners got into my the other day threatening legal action if I didnt remove my review (including pics!!) from tripadvisor.co.uk. He told me the authorities had been round and all was well in eden. (the french authorities assured me this wasnt the case)

sorry about this very garbled message.

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HeidiBlake · 07/09/2010 09:39

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Hassled · 07/09/2010 09:44

There's been a murrderrr! Bloody hell Shock.

Heidi - this is a very old thread but I think laurawaterford is still on mumsnet - there's a contact poster link on the right of her name.

happyland · 07/09/2010 09:44

What a way to resurrect a thread! Wasn't expecting that. What happened?

Portofino · 07/09/2010 09:47

Oooh - a murder!! A MN Mystery!

thatsnotmymonkey · 07/09/2010 09:54

Holy shit, marking my place!

orangina · 07/09/2010 10:15
Shock
Hassled · 07/09/2010 10:15

I love how apt the thread title is now.

I still can't get my head around the bats flying around the bedroom. I suspect that doesn't reflect well on me - more horrified by the bats than the murder.

jenpet · 07/09/2010 11:15

This is all over the French local papers as well Confused

BenignNeglect · 07/09/2010 11:20

Place marking here too

JacquesTestard · 07/09/2010 12:29

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