WE WELCOME CLASSIC CARS AND THEIR OWNERS
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Making your stay relaxing and peaceful
Luxury gite accommodation set in rural surroundings in the largely undiscovered beautiful Charente region of France
About us
What we have to offer
If you are looking for quiet, friendly, private and peaceful accommodation in rural France, then our self-catering, 2 bedroom, luxury gite offers everything you could need. Set amongst farmland and cognac grape vines the views are truly stunning and the only passing traffic you may see is the odd tractor !!!
There is always a warm welcome and we are very happy to help as much as we can. On arrival we offer a refreshing drink following your travels. We also provide a welcome pack with some basic essentials to get you started, including coffee, tea, sugar, milk, bread and butter. However, if you have additional requirements then all you need to do is give us a list and your budget and your request will be waiting for you on arrival. For a modest charge we can also offer freshly home baked croissants, pain au chocolat and baguettes in the morning when pre-ordered the day before.
Our gite offers 2 good sized bedrooms. The main room having a kingsize bed whilst the second has two singles which can be made into a super kingsize bed, both are equipped with blackout blinds. We offer a well appointed kitchen area with all you may need to cater for yourselves with ease. The dining area has a good size extendable table which is capable of seating 6 comfortably. Seating in the lounge comprises a luxurious "L" shape sofa and a 42" Panasonic TV for your entertainment. The independent utility room includes a washing machine and dishwasher for your convenience whilst the ample bathroom has a stand alone bath and separate monsoon shower. All rooms have heaters, however you will appreciate how the thick stone walls provide cool temperatures inside even in the heat of the day.
Outside the gite is a very large private terrace for you to sit and look out over the stunning views. There is ample seating and loungers for all and a BBQ for you to enjoy that traditional outside cooking and eating experience on those lovely warm summer evening.
CLASSIC CARS
We also specialise in providing classic car storage and maintenance facilities in our huge secure barn. As classic car owners ourselves, we appreciate your requirements and that these can be hard to find. We even offer car washing facilities with the use of our jet wash and have low levels ramps for cars with a low ground clearance. Many standard and air powered tools are available for your use on request.
We are very confident that you will really enjoy your stay with us, Alex and Ali look forward to welcoming you to our home. You are welcome to use the family pool.
Amenities
As part of what we offer, we include a 42" smart Panasonic TV with freesat Sky English channels and Panasonic BlueRay DVD player, free Wifi although being rural France it may not be quite as fast as you experience in cities. Other amenities include a washing machine, dishwasher, Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffee machine, combination microwave and oven/grill, fitted oven and hob, fitted large fridge and freezer, bed linen and towels (including beach towels) so you can travel light where space is limited.
Heading out, our gite is central to many famous towns and cities, such as Cognac, Bordeaux, Angouleme and Bergerac, all of which are around a 45 minute to one hour drive. Head a little further east in to the Dordogne and you will find the stunning beautiful town of Brantome.
Head west to the Atlantic coast and the delights of Royan and La Rochelle await you.
Closer to home, our hamlet of Berneuil dates back to the 12th Century and has a beautifully simple Norman church which has recently undergone much restoration and is still used for services and weddings
PETS
Whilst we love animals, unfortunately we are unable to accommodate pets at this time.
Rates
We usually accept bookings on a weekly basis from Saturday to Saturday, earliest arrival time is 4pm and latest departure by 10am. We may well consider variations depending on availability. Minimum stay 3 nights by special arrangement.
On booking, 50% of the rent is payable immediately with a further 50% payable 2 months prior to arrival.
If you chose to cancel your stay within 2 months prior to arrival, then there will be no refund of the rent but your security deposit will of course be returned.
A security deposit of 500 euros is required at least one day prior to arrival, this is non-refundable if damages are incurred to the property and it's contents. We do not usually charge cleaning fees as we do expect guest to leave the gite more or less how they find it, however a deduction can be made from your deposit to cover extreme cleaning costs.
Please contact us to check availability.
The following are our standard rates:
Our daily rates for a minimum 2 night stays are as follows:
November to April - 150 euros per night*
May - 170 euros per night
June - 190 euros per night
July and August - 225 euros per night (Minimum 7 night, Saturday to Saturday only)
September - 190 euros per night
October - 170 euros per night
*Please note that for Christmas, New Year and Easter bookings, different rates apply and are available on request.
Luxury accommodation
Living area
The generous and luxurious living area will allow you to relax in comfort.
Main bedroom
Sleep in comfort in the kingsize bed.
Second bedroom
The flexibility of this bedroom allows for two single beds or one super kingsize bed, depending on your requirements.
Places of interest
Places to eat out
There are a variety of good restaurants for lunch and dinner within easy reach, some of which offer both traditional French and English menus.
In addition there are many patisseries and cafes, which, as you would expect ,offer a great choice of delectable delights.
Swimming
You are welcome to have access to our 9 x 4 meter family swimming pool so that you can relax and cool down, the pool has jacuzzi jets and a swim jet for gentle exercise should you feel the need. The pool has a shallow and deep end, there is also a shallow plunge pool with waterfall and is ideal for younger children . The pool is open from the 21st May 2022 to the 30th September 2022 and from 10.30 am until 7.00 pm.
In addition, the Charente region has many lakes and rivers which are suitable for swimming. About a 10 minute drive is the stunning lake at Brossac with beaches, a café and a restaurant. Some water sports are available here too, however if you prefer a pool and spar, then Les Antilles at Jonzac offer good facilities with heated pools and slides.
If, on the other hand, you prefer the sea, then the beautiful towns of Royan and La Rochelle on the Atlantic coast are about an hour away and have great beaches views and restaurants
Shopping
There are supermarkets and local shops within a 10 to 15 minute drive where you can get most of the essentials that you may need. Barbezieux-saint-Hilaire is the closest large town offering 3 major supermarkets and variety of shops and a beautiful Chateau on the hill.
Guest comments
Our guests have left us the following comments in our Guest Book:
2019
S & D from Nottingham - "Wonderful Holiday, excellent hosts. Thanks"
M & G from North Yorkshire - "Wonderful, luxurious 5* gite with personal service and attention to detail. Home from home with sunshine and pool. Highly recommended. Thank you to fantastic hosts."
M & S from Kent - "What a gem! Everything we needed for a quiet relaxing holiday. We'll be back again soon!"
P & S from Berkshire - "Fabulous New Year break in lovely surroundings. The gite was wonderfully comfortable and well appointed. Big thanks you to our great hosts."
2020
W & J from Belgium - "We just loved staying here. Wonderful hosts. Very cosy and luxurious gite. We will certainly recommend it."
F & B from Paris - "A very pleasant stay in an idyllic setting. Very welcoming and caring hosts, our daughters were thrilled.
N, V, O and C from Versailles - O wrote " I dont have exact words to describe this week in Le Gite Sereine, it was so marvellous, Alex and Ali are so wonderful, it was like my second family. I want to come back to this fabulous and calm place, thank you very very much" C wrote "Very kind hosts, beautiful landscapes, I loved the swimming pool. Thank you so much." N wrote "It was a very good surprise to discover this quiet place. Your gite is very comfortable and very well equipped. Everything is here to recover and spend a good time. Thank you for your availability and kindness. It was a pleasure to talk with you and share moments. One week was too short, next time we will come back for two weeks! V wrote "Marvellous place, beautiful landscapes, great hosts, everything for the perfect holiday. One week was too short! We have to come back soon for longer. Thank you for your kindness and all your attentions, it was a real pleasure to meet you. Hope to see you in Versailles one day!
P & L from Paris - "Thank you for this week so pleasant and relaxing. The gite was perfect, full attention to detail. We have enjoyed the swimming pool with our baby (who loved it) and visited the tourist sites in the region. Thank you again.
J, E, I and J from Guildford - "We have had a fabulous week in your beautiful gite, it had everything we could have wished for and more! The board games and personal touches were particularly appreciated! Thank you also for showing us your cars and introducing us to your beautiful kittens. We will definitely be recommending you to our friends.