Gayle and Frederick have created a stylish and comfortable haven in Ventenac. From an 19th century wine store and stables the Morvans have conjured a 5 roomed B & B with high quality fittings and furnishings. A good place to base yourself for the Carcassone region.
A superb B&B with stylish rooms, wonderful bathroom & great hosts. The buildings have been beautifully restored & converted to a comfortable place to base your stay in the Carcassonne area. Thank you for the superb restaurant recommendations - we've had a wonderful stay. We'll be back!
We chose Le Relais de Ventenac for our long weekend to Carcassone and we were delighted with our stay. It is ideally situated 15 minutes drive from the old town but has a rural feel to it being in a small village surrounded by vines. Gayle and Frederic made us feel very welcome from start to finish and could not do enough to cater for us and our 1 year old daughter. The accommodation is first class with the largest rooms we have come across in any B&B and we had the smallest room! The breakfast was traditional French fayre with fresh pastries baked every morning. The pool and gardens are wonderful for relaxing around and the house benefits from having the sun all day long so is brilliant for sunbathing.
We would recommend Le Relais de Ventenac to anyone and will definitely return in the near future.
After a brief flight from Bournemouth airport, Gayle met us in Carcassonne a short drive followed through vineyards and a small town, we then arrived at Relais de Ventenac.
The entrance greets you to stables on the right (being converted) and a large enticing pool, the entrance hall is simply stunning, with beautifully stone walls and glass balustrade stair well, the rooms and communal spaces are so spacious and very clean, all finished with such elegance and to a high specification.
Gayle and Fred made us and our ten year old feel so welcome, they were fantastic warm hosts. The day trips were also thoroughly enjoyable and included a trip to the cite of Carcassone, ancient medieval town brimming with shops bars and restaurants, magnificent Cathedral and Castle, ' a must see for everyone', not to mention the nearby ,breathtaking'. caves!
The whole experience from start to finish was both stimulating yet so relaxing in beautiful surroundings, we will visit again.
So, the B&B itself was very nice. The rooms were nicely decorated with a DVD player, free wifi (that had a little trouble connecting to an IPad) and plenty of space. The pool was excellent (and essential in the hot summer days) with comfortable lounging chairs and plenty of space to spread out. So why good and not very good? Well, to begin with, after the exceptional service that we received from Abi at 15 Grand Rue, we did not receive the same warm service from Gayle. Gayle and Frederic have a young family and when we arrived at lunch time (a little earlier than expected), we felt as though we were imposing on the family. Further, there was no access to a refrigerator or ice. We asked if Gayle could cool off a bottle of wine for us - which she was happy to do - but when we went to retrieve it later, it was bath time and after knocking on the door several times, she greeted us looking somewhat exasperated. Finally, we had asked for restaurant recommendations in advance and were told we would be helped upon arrival. This assistance was never offered and after being made to feel unwelcome, we were reluctant to bother anyone again. Maybe these details appear to be petty but we have had such great experiences with the B&Bs recommended on Trip Advisor - receiving stellar service from couples who seem to go beyond just providing a bed - that the lack of hospitality was noticeable. Therefore, while I totally recommend this B&B as a great place to stay for its facilities, the service was not as great as the other B&Bs at which I have stayed. Also, a couple of other points - after visiting Carcassonne for one evening, I was relieved that I was not staying in Carcassonne itself. Saying that, Le Relais de Ventenac is located in a town without any restaurants within walking distance so you should be prepared to drive everywhere.
When we booked with Gayle and Frederic and we read on the internet that the B&B actually used to be a wine cellar we did not expect to find such a modern and exquisite place. We had the Cabernet room, which was huge, spotless and beautifully designed and decorated. Gayle has an excelent taste on that! The small private terrace in front of each room, which faces the pool, is delightful. Breakfast was rich and healthy. We would have liked to stay longer to take advantage of this wonderful place and to explore the serene surroundings.
