Luxury holiday accommodation with heated pool in a former vigneron estate - Gite Coquelicot

Visited La Maison Des Vignes with a group of friends, ages ranging from 13 to *ahem* older...We booked all three gites for a week's holiday and had a really lovely time. Jonathan and Suzanna looked after us very well - with spotless communal spaces and well appointed accommodation. The pool area is perfect for lazy relaxation, and as a fair skinned Brit, I very much appreciated the cool and shady "outdoor room".

A profusion of basil and other scented plants in the garden is a nice touch, and there are plenty of umbrellas, loungers and sofas to sit on. The pool itself is gently heated and a good size for the space. It worked well for impromptu games of volley ball as well as more sedate laps.

The accommodation is comfortable and well thought out - plenty of books, cushions, lamps, seating etc. Towels for bathrooms & poolside are provided, along with the thoughtful touch of bathrobes. Only quibble would be a plea for a straight bladed knife that could be sharpened, and perhaps the addition of one large oven dish (as someone who likes to cook!). Otherwise the kitchen is well equipped with coffee machine, toaster, kettle, microwave, dishwasher, washing machine etc.

Location is excellent - short drive to various places of interest such as Narbonne, Carcassonne, Olonzac, and Minervois. Local markets provide great produce, Les Halles at Narbonne being a particularly good one to visit. There is also a local shop literally on the doorstep, which can provide you with fresh bread and basics as well as a good cup of coffee. Everyone in the village was friendly and welcoming.

Would happily recommend this as place for friends and large families to rent outright but the singular gites would also work well for smaller groups - each has its own private outdoor space to enjoy as well as the communal pool area. Jonathan and Suzanne have put a lot of thought and care into this place. Really enjoyed my visit.

This was our second visit to Maison les Vignes. It is a very comfortable gite in a nice very french village. The location is good for the beach and also the lovely surrounding villages and National Park.

Friendly owners who can give help with local wine restaurants etc. A very enjoyable welcome evening is provided.

The gite is very well equipped especially if you fly. Very nice pool area My one tiny comment was the gite could have been cleaner, all the important areas sinks toilets kitchen were clean some other parts needed a bit of a better clean.

Don't go to the beach every day though the surrounding hills and villages are really beautiful. We will visit again.

Following the recommendation of friends, we first went to La Maison des Vignes in 2007, and we have been back four times now - so maybe that says it all. The owners, Suzanna and Jonathan, who live on site, are always warm, welcoming and a mine of useful information about the area and in particular aspects that as a visitor one might not get to know about... dinner cooked by the Mayor of Tourouzelle in his home, local peaches from a house tucked away in the village, lunches in out of the way (and not so out of the way) restaurants, markets, vineyards, the best beaches and the best places for seafood, fantastic cycling routes - the list goes on. It is a beautiful region, with so much to see and do.

Suzanna and Jonathan organise a welcome evening every Sunday, a good opportunity to meet the occupants of the other gites and to exchange information. We have always got on well with the other guests - including this year, when we all got together for a spontaneous and highly enjoyable farewell evening (on the terrace of Coquelicot).

On our first visit we only stayed for a week but quickly realised that it wasn't long enough. We have always stayed in Gite Coquelicot and having at one time or another looked around the other two gites, know that it is characteristically well maintained and equipped and tastefully decorated and furnished - in fact way beyond other holiday apartments that we have stayed in. The pool is perfect for relaxing (and exercising), and the arrangement with Karen, who offers various treatments and massages is a bonus - there is nothing like a massage after a long drive down.

Ultimately we know that the question, 'Would you recommend this to a friend?' is a good indicator of the value of something. Well, La Maison des Vignes was recommended to us, and in turn, we have recommended it, and as I write this friends are staying there now.

It really is France at its finest.

Coquelicot was our tranquil home for a week & as two adults, a teenager & a child, we were very comfortable there. It was spotlessly clean and full of everything we needed. The beds were comfy & there was plenty of storage. Our balcony overlooked the beautiful & very well-tended walled pool area and we enjoyed many evening BBQs there with the swallows swooping overhead.

The 3 properties were well spaced out & the overall space cleverly designed, so although full, it never felt it.

Jonathan and Susannah were prefect hosts - welcoming & there if you needed them, discrete if you didn't. On arrival night they treated us to drinks & canapés (home-made!) before inviting us to join them at Tourouzelle's Bastille night celebrations. It was great fun & an introduction to the village & it's characters which we carried through to the last night when we had a fabulous dinner with the mayor (in his dining-room!)

Tourouzelle is well located for visiting the coast, some of France's major cities, umpteen vineyards, the medieval ramparts of Carcassonne & the Canal du Midi. (Try the electric boats for an hour is you have small children.) It is a stunning area & there is so much to do here for families and couples alike, that I recommend two weeks rather than one!

Our group of 4 adults spend a fantastic week at La Maison des Vignes, Coquelicot gite, in late June. The apartment was perfect for us with plenty of space to stretch out and not get in each others way. The kitchen was very well equipped and we made good use of the barbecue on the patio. We could imagine getting good use of the beautiful pool and deck loungers, had the weather been a bit warmer. Jonathan was a terrific host who provided us with lots of useful information about the area. They have also compiled a wonderful binder full ideas. I would not hesitate to recommend LMDV to friends and family.