Really, I want to give this place a 3.5 rating. We read all the reviews here and had high expectations. In some aspects we were disappointed, as it appears the increase in traffic brought on by the inclusion of this B&B in Rick Steve’s France book has started to take its toll. When coupled with a higher than quoted room rate at checkout, the place did not live up to expectations, and I cannot recommend the Chambre Marine at La Ferme du Pressoir.
Our stay started nice enough, with a warm greeting from Odile, the proprietor. The room we stayed in was large, and nicely decorated. The room will sleep 5 people, but there isn’t much room for the luggage and clothing for all 5. We got creative and put the 3 kids’ clothes in the baby bed. On further inspection, we discovered the bathroom was in poor shape with peeling paint and mold (see the photos). The window shades weren’t adjustable, so we had to put up paper towels to cover the windows (although it’s unlikely anyone would be looking in from the street below). Later that night we discovered that one of the double beds was incredibly uncomfortable and felt like a thin layer of fabric/cardboard over tight springs. (The other two beds were fine.) And in the morning we discovered that one of the radiators didn’t work, leaving the person on the single bed quite cold. (But it warmed up the other nights and we turned the heat off.)
Breakfast is quite good, and well above average for a B&B. We were offered omelettes made from farm fresh eggs, but not every day as others have mentioned in reviews. The B& B is centrally located in the Normandy Region and makes it easy to visit Mont St. Michel and the D-Day sites in one trip – but not the same day! Odile was happy to provide some recommendations for what to visit and where to eat. (I will agree with previous reviewers and recommend Le Vrai Normand.) We’ve always found the hospitality of B&Bs in France to be great, and this did not disappoint in that aspect. Our children loved being on the farm and getting to feed the animals and collect eggs. It was also nice to have a yard for them to play in after a day of sightseeing.
When we went to leave and settle our bill, Odile informed us that there’d been an error with the rate and we needed to pay 20€ more/night, but since we had stayed 4 nights, she would take off 10€/night. Someone else takes care of reservations for her and she told me that person made the mistake and quoted us the rate for 4 people instead of 5, and that she needs to charge more in winter to cover the cost of heating. I had the confirmation email that clearly stated the rate was for 5 people. In addition, we had confirmed directly with Odile by phone (we speak French) the reservation for 5 people. I do not understand why we were not told about the rate error until the moment we went to leave. It’s not a good way to end what was otherwise a really good vacation. I might have been able to overlook the problems with the room, but not for the additional cost and the way it was handled.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
24 November 2011
Thank you for your comments. With reference to our rates they are quite simple :
For 5 people sharing a Family room 140 euros per night. 3 nights plus = 130 euros per night
For 4 people sharing a room 130 euros per night 3 nights plus = 120 euros per night
For 3 people sharing a room 110 euros per night 3 nights plus = 100 euros per night
For 2 people sharing a room 90 euros per night 3 nights plus = 80 euros per night
For 1 person 60 euros per night
Rates include breakfasts.
Our rates are marked on the door of each bedroom. So if someone books a room for 4 and then arrives with 5 people, obviously they will be charged for 5 people.
The Chambre Marine is our original Bed and Breakfast room and so had it's last 'make over' about 8 years ago - we had noted that the bathroom needed re-decorating and the job is actually in hand right now. Obviously we could not start re-decorating it mid-season when we had lots of reservations already in place. The Farm is over 200 yrs old and has thick stone walls.
We are very sorry that you were not happy with your stay at La Ferme du Pressoir and would prefer if you had mentioned your grievances to us during your stay, we could have changed you to another room - our Chambre coquelicot is equally suitable for a large family and is in tip-top condition. We do have an English lady on hand to translate if needed.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC