Spacious village house with private pool, near Salies-de-Béarn, Aquitaine Reviews

We stayed at Maison Mailhes for 10 nights in August; family of 4 plus our dog. This is a fantastic property - the pictures really don't do it justice. Spacious, well laid out, and nice blend of traditional simplicity with the modern bits you need. Lots of small things like having ample good quality crockery and glassware, BBQ things, everything you need in the kitchen make a big different. It really wants for nothing and makes for a relaxing experience.

Lovely pool and big garden so we spent a lot of time just playing and relaxing at the house We loved the surrounding area for walking, cycling and river swimming and most of the time didn't need to venture too far from the local villages and small towns with fantastic markets. We took 1 day trip to San Sebastian which is well worth a visit. The owner was fantastic and very prompt and helpful in communications, as was their property manager out there.

Highly recommended!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Perfect family holiday house

5 of 5

Our holiday in this really lovely house was everything we'd hoped for and more. The attention to detail was amazing and everything we needed had been thought of, even to the point of having two coffee machines - one for filter and one for espresso (not forgetting the milk frother if we fancied a Cappuccino!). Everything is really good quality. The beds and the sun loungers round the pool are really comfy, towels are fluffy and the owners seem to have thought of everything so that it feels like a real home from home. We really couldn't fault anything.

It was hard to tear ourselves away from the house but we did have some great days out in this lovely area and ate at some great restaurants. Salies is just 10 minutes away and is incredibly pretty and has an authentic market. The atlantic beaches are close by and we went there a couple of times, but with the lovely pool we found it hard to tear ourselves away.

We really appreciated the owner's help beforehand answering all our questions, and we were grateful for the clear driving directions and the advice to avoid the coast road south from Bordeaux which we were told is always extremely busy on summer Saturdays.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

A really super property, lovely location



We stayed here for a week in early September 2015. It's a really super property - it dates from the 19th century and has a historic feel about it (oak beams, original staircase etc) but it is totally modernised. It's very tasteful, but more to the point, everything is done to a high standard and everything works, including the wifi; and the owners have provided useful things like a pack of information about the village and the local area, maps of the region etc. It is amply big enough for the advertised 10 people and it's genuinely set up to accommodate 10 people - enough plates and cutlery, enough table space and chairs, enough sun-loungers round the pool. Nice garden too; there are even fresh herbs (including a huge bay tree)!

It would be difficult to be more positive about the property.

The region is rural and scenic, with lovely picturesque and historic towns. The nearest town (Salies-de Bearn) has a good supermarket, as well as shops, a genuine local market and a spa! Also excellent restaurants. It's also within striking distance of the Pyrenees - and apparently there is skiing in the winter though obviously that's not something we sampled.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Perfect time in the real south of France



We (2 families with kids) had a wonderful holiday in this house. There is plenty of space and as well as sleeping ten the downstairs accommodates 10 too. We've stayed in places with enough beds but dining chairs for only half that number so you have to eat in shifts! The owners really have thought of everything from supplying pool towels to providing very clear instructions for how all the appliances work, and we have never had such a well equipped kitchen.

Everyone was happy. There are lots of activities around for teenagers and much to their relief the wifi worked. The little ones had a wonderful time in the garden and the pool, and the adults had lots of lazy lunches and dinners. There are several markets nearby to get delicious local produce and it's a pleasure to prepare it in the lovely kitchen. We sampled some of the local restaurants too and enjoyed them all.

A really perfect place to stay and a true flavour of real France.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Superb house and superb holiday

Please accept a big 'thankyou' for the use of your idyllic property and its wonderful facilities. When we arrived everything was very clean and everything is well-maintained. We really appreciated all the space and the village location is convenient for the baker and cafe as well as sightseeing and activity trips.

We thought your house file and area information were fantastic. Having a 'quick reference' for all appliances, etc means you settle in really quickly and the area information enabled us to have some great days out eg kayaking, etc.

The youngsters loved practising their French on the baker at the corner, and we all loved the scrummy bread and croissants as well as all his delicious cakes and tarts. We over indulged in all the delicious local produce from the nearby markets too.

Your house is a superb place to stay and we all had such a relaxing holiday. Our only regret was only booking for one week instead of longer.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Outstanding House



We have been visiting France as a group for 10 years now and this is by far the most fantastic house that we have stayed in. 10 of us shared this house and in no way did it disappoint. A beautiful, open plan, fully equipped kitchen and laundry room, combined with reading room and separate sitting room (with Wi-Fi and television) made the downstairs space perfect. The kitchen opens onto a lovely terrace where many happy meals were consumed. Also you had a great view of the alarmed pool which was perfect for our children to swim for hours. The garden is enclosed and safe. The bedrooms were lovely, all spacious with ample hanging and storage space. Our girls loved sharing the second floor loft space. The beds and linen were all great quality - something that everyone commented on. The location is super a small village with one of the best bakeries a few hundred yards from the house - gorgeous bread and cakes. We also enjoyed some great trips - a day trip to San Sebastian (where we had some of the best tapas I have ever tasted), water rafting and kayaking, a trip to Biarritz, Lourdes, as well as visits to local fetes and towns. Our son has learning difficulties and this house was perfect - an enclosed garden and the most lovely pool - safe and visible from the house. We loved this area of France and this house. Debbie was lovely to deal with and from the moment of enquiry was incredibly helpful. We cannot wait to return to the area and hopefully to this lovely house

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Fabulous House, Huge Enclosed Garden, Stunning Pool

The property is so spacious, the garden was completely secure for my little dog. The pool was a lot bigger than it looks but has a shallow end with steps down into water. The pool is secured by an alarm if a child or a dog fell in. The House is fully equipped with everything you could possibly need. It has a massive kitchen. A TV with British channels. The House is a two minute walk from a bakery and a short ride from main town. It was centrally located to the sites that we wanted to visit ie Biaritz, Loardes, San Sebastian etc

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

What more could you ask for?

We (grandparents, children, grandchildren - ranging from 2 to 76) have just spent a fantastic time in this wonderful house. It is so well equipped and everything to make our stay perfect had been thought of. Both the inside and outside eating areas were superb. The pool was, of course, the biggest hit with the younger generation. The children loved going to the village boulangerie every morning to practise their French. The supermarket in Salies-de Bearn and the local markets had everything we needed. I couldn't believe that there were even fresh herbs in the garden. The owners have been helpful from the day we booked and were accommodating throughout to any special wishes. I would highly recommend Maison Mailhes, especially for families.