Some comments from Mums and Dads who have stayed at Le Castel:
Pretty much perfect
We stayed in Le Castel first week August 2011
and had a great time, two adults and two children (7 & 3). The house is
lovely and the rooms spacious and comfortable. John and his team did a great
job of making us feel totally at home and yet were there to offer a beer or
very good advice on where to go and where to avoid.
The children absolutely loved it and it was great to see all the children
staying there playing together in the safe environment of the house and grounds
but giving them plenty of freedom to explore and of course stay up late. The
few hours child care that is offered was great to start the kids off but not
too regimented.
All in all we all had a superbly relaxing time in great surroundings and with
great company and I would highly recommend it, although I think best suited to
children under 12.
One word of warning is that although our adult bedroom was massive, it had a
beautiful but standard double size bed - with a footboard. If you are much over
6ft tall this might make the sleeping a bit of a squeeze! I believe only one
suite has this.
The most relaxing family holiday we have ever had
Every holidaymaker has fallen victim to the reality not quite
living up to the promise. Websites are good these days and often you can
realise all too late that it doesn't do what it says on the tin. Not so at Le
Castel in Normandy.
From first minute to last we were looked after, welcomed, hosted and
entertained by the larger-than-life owner Jon Barnsley. Despite its beauty and
grandeur, there's no fussiness about sticky fingers, or discarded sandals, or a
dropped ice-cream. Jon and his team keep the place spotless while all the time
making the holidaymaker feel like this is their home. A fantasy which lasts as
long as your stay.
This was the most relaxing family holiday we've ever had - and we've been to
some places.
While there are three suites in the main house, we stayed in one of the
cottages in the grounds to enable us to have a bit more privacy as and when we
wanted it. It worked well for us but others with older children loved being
part of the chateau and the ability to come down to dinner in the main house
knowing their kids were safe upstairs. My wife and I did the occasional tag
team over dinner but we did take advantage of a babysitter for the amazing
five-course 'show' dinner on the Friday night.
There is childcare for two hours in the morning and again in the evening and
this takes place in the giant marquee/circus tent on the lawn. For those with
clingy children you may find it difficult to make the most of this R 'n' R but
there is such a lovely atmosphere around the place that most of the parents
just got involved in whatever was going on.
We go on holiday to be WITH our children so I suppose for us it was perfect as
we could make the most of the fabulous play space and grounds while enjoying
the company of the other families.
This is a social holiday - a great chance to mix and meet new people, for both
adults and children. Our group got on famously and it made the holiday all the
sweeter.
The food for the adults was superb in the evenings (we all decided to eat
together) and the kids got involved in making cupcakes and pizza. Naturally the
kids food is less a la carte than the adults but they devoured everything from
spag bol to local sausages.
I suppose the acid test is whether I would go again. Three letters say we
would....Y E S.
Room Tip: The rooms in the main house are beautiful but if you want a bit more seclusion have the cottages a short walk from the front door.
A review on Mumsnet
http://www.mumsnet.com/Reviews/TravelShortHaul/5307-Le-Castel-Manche-Normandy-France
From: NancyMumsnet on 23-Jun-11 09:38 Overall rating 9.0
We stayed at Le Castel for 7 nights for an all inclusive break. We have a
5 month old girl and 3.5 year old boy. We all had a lovely stay. My son
loved the toys, marquee, CBeebies, food, apple juice literally on
tap(!), and the wonderful huge stuffed tiger in his room. It was lovely
for him to have other children to play with and also great attractions
nearby whether rain or shine. We enjoyed the beach at Granville,
Coutances, Zoo de Jurques, Cherbourg Aquariam with brilliant submarine
simulator - my son is still asking to go back to France to see the fish!
We experienced very good hospitality, in particular the excellent wine
that was also on tap, my wine glass never seemed to empty thanks to our
attentive host Jon. The extra touches are what really made it - getting a
special cushion to help wedge our daughter in the high chair, my
husband's birthday made very special with many touches including a
fantastic cake, batteries provided for our monitor and packets of wipes
every where (very useful with two small kids!). Our bed was so
comfortable, the suite was perfect with our son in a different room, and
an excellent well equipped little kitchenette for all our baby needs.
Jon and his staff were all
excellent, friendly and very helpful. It was good to have the option
whether or not to eat with other guests. We had some lovely meals with
the other guests – very much like impromptu dinner parties where you
don't have to do any of the cooking or washing up! Jon read the guests
well and was there as a dutiful host when needed and left us to it if he
thought we’d get on. I must say he got it right every time!
Overall though we felt very rested at the end of our week and it really did feel like a home away from home.
Stayed June 2011.
Latest comments from Le Castel's guest book - 2011 season
Aug 14, 2011
Jon et al. Thank you we had a fabulous time. Ab fab
The sun always shines when you’re having fun
Jumping on the trampoline
Swimming in the pool
Eating far tooo much!
Merci
Aftab family with two lads aged 7 and 5
We had a wonderful stay. Thank you. It is a real skill being a great host. You and your team made us feel so welcome, relaxed and pampered
Ricci family with lads aged 2 and 7
Thank you so much. Fantastic house, wonderful food, everyone so friendly…a real relaxing stay. You’ve created a perfect place for parents and kids. Xx
Lambert family with two girls aged 5 and 8. Cottage all inclusive
A great week. A very relaxing stay with lovely hospitality. A super place for the kids. Thank you
Bromage family with lads aged 2 and 6. Cottage self catering
Aug 6, 2011
Thank you for a fantastic stay. The kids thoroughly enjoyed the garden, activities and socialising with other kids. The food was a real treat.
Price family with three kids aged 3, 1, baby
We had a fantastic time here. The children have loved the freedom, space and the chance to be children and run about and play and be noisy!! A beautiful place with great hospitality and superb food. It was all gone too quickly
West family with three kids aged 8, 8 and 11
Dear Jon, we had a great time. One of the best holidays we have had. Everything was great. Food was great and tasty. For some reason everyone is nice, kind and friendly. Children loved it and did not want to leave! Our bedroom was very nice and comfortable with beautiful atmosphere. A big thank you
Garrett family with two kids aged 4 and 10
Thanks for such a relaxed and comfortable stay. Every whim was catered for so a huge thanks to you and the team. See you all soon..I hope. As Sir James Saville would have said “A thousand thanks- Jon’ll fix it”
Rouss family with two kids aged 2 and 10. All inclusive cottage holiday.
July 30, 2011.
What a fabulous week! Thanks to everyone at Le Castel for a proper family holiday in a wonderful house.
Thomas family with three kids aged 5, 3 and baby
Thank you for a wonderful week. Great venue, lovely company and charming hosts. Excellent in all respects
Rowson family with three kids, aged 12, 7 and 4
We had a wonderful holiday. Excellent company and fabulous hosts. Thank you.
Lee family with two kids aged 6 and 4
July 24, 2011.
We were the first Belgians to have the Jon experience..and it was great. Thank you for everything
Nielandt family with two children
Thank you! It was lovely.
Rossi family with two girls aged 5 and 2
July 16, 2011.
Thank you for a wonderful stay in your beautiful house. Fabulous breakfasts!
Williams-Grays family with two kids aged 3 and 1
Thank you for a thoroughly enjoyable stay in your wonderful Normandy Retreat.
Neville family with two kids age 3 and 1
Thank you for a wonderful week. Great fun and entertainment for all. Great advice on local beaches.
Turner family with two children aged 3 and 1
July 9, 2011.
We all had a great time. Lovely surroundings, fun company
McIlroy family with three kids aged 10,9 and 7
June 11, 2011.
Thank you for a lovely week. Great food, wine and plenty to see and do. Kids enjoyed the daytime, we had great evenings – my wine glass never seemed empty! Recommend zoo and aquarium for rainy days.
The Wright family with two kids aged 3 and baby
Thanks for a wonderful start to our holiday
Murphy family with triplets aged 6
June 5, 2011.
We had a wonderful break with lovely food, very relaxing surroundings and great hospitality. We hope to come back soon.
Stott family
Some comments from Tripadvisor
****
Just returned from a wonderful stay at Le Castel, a superb and very
peaceful location, excellent food and hospitality and one of the best
five course dinners we have had for a while.
Jon is a superb host and
has the chateau spot on for kids (ours are 1 and nearly 4) --our
daughter did not want to come home! Our garden in Cambridge is somewhat
smaller than Jon's acreage, which is a superb environment for the kids
to play (lots of toys and play areas).--we will definitely be going
back. We did not expect to have such a peaceful break as a family but
everything was near perfect.
We stayed here as a family of 4, with 2 children aged 9 and 4, plus 2 grandparents. Our rooms were superb, with every degree of comfort considered and a wonderful luxury feel, as well as being perfect for the kids. The suites have a small kitchen where you can make drinks, kids milk etc and a fridge for storage.The food was great and John goes out of his way to make it easy for the adults to enjoy an evening meal, having fed the kids earlier. They can safely sleep upstairs as you eat, as the hotel is small enough for you to hear them (and baby monitors are provided if you want extra reassurance). There's lots to do within about an hours radius and if you just want to relax, the garden is perfect for the kids to play and you to sit! I'd say this is a great place for families with children up to approx.8 years old. The pool is not as big as it looks on the website, so don't bank on that if swimming is a big requirement for you.
We did not know really what to expect - maybe that the children would have to be seen and not heard. This expectation could not have been further from reality. Jon and the staff were very accommodating and kind to the children and to us harassed parents providing DVDs and children's satellite channels and a HUGE garden so that we could get on with being adults again, eating, drinking & reading while the children were safe and happy. It is a beautiful and comfortable place to stay and attracts very interesting guests. House party is definitely how it feels and we really would like to return. We loved it.
***
This was our second time visiting Le Castel and it was just as wonderful as the first. There was quite a crowd this year since in addition to our family of 4 (including 2 teens) we had invited some old friends. Jon took care of everything with both style and substance - wonderful dinners, plenty of wine, a day trip to St Malo and Mont St Michel, and of course with the chateau itself in the somnolent Norman countryside. It was perfect. Thanks.
****
My family and I stayed there for three nights in April. We had intended to stay for a couple of nights and drive on, but the whole family loved it so much we extended our stay. Le Castel is simply the most gorgeous chateau-like house to stay in that we saw. Everything from Jon's hospitality to the gourmet evening meals he cooks are superb. I can't recommend it enough.
****
There were three generations in our party, comprising nine
adults and three babies under two, and all of us had a wonderful time. Jon’s
special early suppers for the two older babies were devoured eagerly, and later
the feasts he prepared for the grown-ups were despatched with equal enthusiasm.
The small wine list is well chosen, and sensibly priced.
The special gala dinner Jon produced
for my husband’s birthday was truly memorable, and he went to a great deal of
trouble to make it a festive and happy occasion, with champagne and a splendid
chocolate cake. It was not his fault if the children “stole” the balloons and
burst them all before dinner!
****
I stayed at Le Castel with my husband and our one year old
and four year old.
We chose Le Castel as we specifically wanted to hire a gite attached to a small
Hotel/B&B where we could have Dinner in the Hotel having tucked the
children up in bed.
It worked like a dream. Jon is
incredibly welcoming and helpful.
We had dinner at the hotel on two evenings and wished we'd done it every night!
The house is really beautiful and the whole experience was elegant and lots of
fun. The food was fabulous, it managed to satisfy both my vegetarian needs and
my husbands carnivorous desires. We particularly enjoyed the shared dining
experience. ( i.e. everyone staying at the hotel sits around the same table to
eat, which could be hideous but works brilliantly: a sort of pot luck dinner
party with Jon as a very accomplished host/ringmaster.)
The gite itself was perfect for us,
very chic interior with everything we needed. Child friendly often means wipe
clean and ugly but not in this case. Both bedrooms are beautiful and really
comfortable. (such a lovely surprise to find two gorgeous huge sleigh beds in
the children's room instead of the usual poky bunk beds.) From travel cots and
stair gates to thoughtful touches like pretty children's bowls and cups and
proper blackout blinds (an absolute must for children's bedrooms!)
My husband would say that I am a very
fussy control freak (i.e. female) so for me to say that Le Castel was perfect
for us is high praise indeed.
We very much enjoyed our time at Le
Castel and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone. We will definitely be
returning.
****
We stayed at Le Castel when we had a chance to take a week's
holiday at late notice. We were very glad that we did. As we arrived with our two small (1
and 4) children, Jon was there to greet us. We stayed in the
self catering accommodation which was probably the best of its type that we
have come across. Good galley kitchen - with complimentary wine and basic
provisions, breakfast area, sitting room and bathroom downstairs. Upstairs two
big bedrooms with additional corners to hide a cot and feel like you were
getting some privacy as well as a bathroom with a shower that kept our daughter
amused for hours. My wife, a theatre designer, confidently informed me that it
was the most stylishly finished place we had stayed in.
We had dinner in the Chateau on a
couple of nights and this was probably one of the most entertaining hosted
dinners that we have been to. Jon is highly sophisticated and entertaining, an
excellent host and has lots of stories about his time hanging out with the A
list stars in a former life in the world of show business.
There is tons to do in the area with
great beaches, an indoor swimming pool at Coutances (although it did have some
odd opening times), beautiful countryside.
****
We went on holiday with no great expectations but thinking it would be nice to find a new (to us) part of the world that was easy to travel to with children that we could visit and get to know over the years. Much to our surprise (and delight) this part of Normandy hit the mark. More than that, Le Castel was a place that we would come back to again and again.
****
We spent 2 lovely nights in Le Castel and were thrilled with
the experience.
The atmosphere was relaxed and
welcoming, the venue stunning and the food a must... a big recommendation is to
stay in for dinner.
Jon is a fabulous host and after
eating out on the second night we really regretted not staying in again.
Jon is terrific and goes out of his
way to make sure your stay is exactly what you want.
All in all this is one of the best
experiences we've had while travelling through Europe
over the last several years. A must getaway for anyway with a spare weekend.
The next guest comment is actually an article from the Manchester Evening News but I have included it here because the family, who stayed in August 2011, paid full price for their holiday and then wrote this lovely article for their local newspaper. I couldn't ask for higher praise.
Home from home in France
Manchester Evening News - Jan 14, 2012
It was the first night of our holiday in France and the guests at our table had only been introduced to us earlier that day. But we all had one thing in common – we were eagerly awaiting the final members of our party as our host prepared a lavish cake and champagne to celebrate a special birthday they were marking.
As the good humour bubbled alongside the champers with suggestions one of them have a birthday every day the following week, our eldest son had even more reason to be delighted at their arrival.
David and Wendy came complete with their own two sons – aged 11 and 12. For our 11-year-old that was the moment the holiday really started. And that kind of sums up Le Castel, an imposing chateau in Normandy.
While the backdrop is stunning and the facilities fantastic this newcomer to the world of all-exclusive family breaks is really all about people and making those face-to-face connections that have somehow got lost amid all the social networking and multi-media platforms of the 21st century.
So let’s get the proviso out of the way first. If you don’t talk to your neighbours, barely know what age your colleagues are or their spouse’s name and in all honesty prefer the kind of catch-up that is the Facebook newsfeed or Twitter timeline, then this is not the holiday for you.
There is no escaping socialising the old-fashioned way at Le Castel and it’s exactly why we loved it. I mean, for starters our host and the owner of Le Castel, Jon Barnsley, is a former showbiz editor of the now defunct News Of The World.
It was great fun checking out his famous gallery featuring pictures of him with the likes of Kylie, Elton John and Victoria Beckham and his career certainly made for interesting dinner table chat.
Yes there was the odd bit of scandal and gossip served up with the delicious culinary delights, but more than that there was a healthy dose of finding out about people you had never met before but took a leap of faith to spend a week’s holiday with them. Although that may be stretching the nature of the holiday a tad.
Of course, it is essentially your family holiday to do with it what you will but the format at Le Castel is to take breakfast and evening meals together and with only five families staying at any given time there is plenty of interaction throughout the day.
But there is also plenty to do as a family flying solo and for days out in the surrounding area, from the D-Day beaches to getting a closer look at the Bayeaux Tapestry.
Conveniently located just 90 minutes to the nearby ferry ports, including Caen where we travelled across the Channel with Brittany Ferries, also makes it a fairly easy jaunt for young families.
In fact, relaxation with your little ones is key – formality is a no-no at Le Castel. Stay in or go out the mood is laid-back and you do tend to switch off and enjoy.
There is no fussiness about sticky fingers, or discarded sandals, or a dropped ice-cream. Jon and his team keep the place spotless while all the time making the holidaymaker feel like this is their home.
This was the most relaxing family holiday we’ve ever had – and we’ve been to some memorable places.
While there are three suites in the main house, we stayed in one of the cottages in the grounds to enable us to have a bit more privacy as and when we wanted it.
It worked well for us but others with younger children loved being part of the chateau and the ability to come down to dinner in the main house knowing their kids were safe upstairs.
My husband and I did the occasional tag team over dinner but we did take advantage of a babysitter for the amazing five-course ‘show’ dinner on the Friday night.
There is childcare for two hours in the morning and again in the early evening and this takes place in the giant marquee/circus tent on the lawn packed with toys.
For those with clingy children you may find it difficult to make the most of this R ’n’ R but there is such a lovely atmosphere around the place that most of the parents just got involved in whatever was going on.
We go on holiday to be WITH our children so I suppose for us it was perfect mix as we could make the most of the fabulous play space and grounds while
enjoying the company of the other families.
This is a social holiday – a great chance to mix and meet new people, for both adults and children. Our group got on famously and it made the holiday all the sweeter. Firm friends were made during a wonderful week.
The food for the adults was superb in the evenings served after the children were fed and best efforts made to put them to bed (interestingly no-one at any time took the option of eating separately from the group even though you can if you want to).
As the perfect host, Jon does take his lead from his guests in terms of eating with or without the children but at least one night is devoted to all generations dining together.
Naturally, the kids’ food is less a la carte than the adults but they devoured everything, from spag bol to local sausages and having some adult time in the evenings was greatly appreciated by our group.
I missed Le Castel as soon as I got home. Would I go back – most definitely and would love to book it out with established friends next time just to give that same quality time to old friends that we thoroughly enjoyed with some new ones.
TRAVEL FACTS
For information, go to www.le-castel-normandy.com
All-inclusive breaks from £1,800 to £2,600 for a family of three or four for a week to include accommodation, breakfast and evening meals (except on a Thursday), drinks including beer and wine, unlimited ice cream with snack fridge also available.
Organised play sessions on most days for children aged three to 12, tented play area and five-course show dinner on Friday night.
For travel information, see www.brittany-ferries.co.uk
Tracey travelled from Portsmouth to Caen where return trips cost from £75 per person.
For days out information, go to www.zoo-champrepus.com/index.htm and www.tapestry-bayeux.com
.
