Chambres d'hôtes du côté de l'Ombrière

Geay, Charente-Maritime
Bed & Breakfast
+33 (0)6 80 14 71 82

From
€135 - €150
per night

A long, limestone longère with a suite at either end, the Charentaise countryside surrounds and foodie hosts welcome you warmly

Bedroom

2 rooms

Sleeps

Rooms sleep 2

€135 - €150 per night

The Experience

The former farm hunkers between tall walls and electric gates, thrown open for your arrival. Low windows peer over a beautifully maintained garden and one room has outdoor steps down to the terrace. Vines and trees envelop the house on all sides, with patios front and back for sundowners accompanied by wide, farmland views and a pool for cooling off.

You’ll be very well looked after by Françoise and Alain – she’s the chef, he plays sommelier. Sip an aperitif of pineau made from their own vines before four fabulous courses. Breakfast is served beside the swimming pool in summer, or on the big table in the dining room: pastries, breads, homemade jams, fromage blanc, eggs on request. Everything is organic, homegrown or very local.

The velvety pastures of Charentes spill out around you in a patchwork quilt, with the coast just 40 minutes away with the twin isles of Oléron and Ré to discover.

Chambres d'hôtes du côté de l'Ombrière - Gallery

We think you'll love

  • The sense of peace
  • Homegrown produce prepared by Françoise
  • Morning laps in the heated pool
Chambres d'hôtes du côté de l'Ombrière - Gallery

You should know

  • Stairs aren’t suitable for those with mobility issues
  • There’s a grown-up feel that’s not ideal for young children
  • A cat lives on the property

Essentials

  • EV charger
  • Swimming pool
  • Hot tub
  • Garden
  • Open fire / woodburner
  • Breakfast included
  • Breakfast available
  • Meals available
  • Vegetarian meals
  • Oven
  • Parking on premises
  • Free parking nearby
  • Accessible by public transport
  • WiFi
  • Television
  • Spa
  • Central heating
  • Limited mobility
  • Wheelchair access
  • Mobile reception
  • Hob
  • Bar
  • Barbecue
  • Licensed premises
  • Paid parking nearby
  • Air conditioning
  • Relaxation areas
  • Washing machine
  • Tennis court
  • Microwave oven
  • No smoking
  • Credit cards
  • Working farm
  • Owner has pets
  • Dishwasher
  • Pets welcome

Family friendly

  • Baby monitor
  • Books and toys
  • Children welcome
  • Babies welcome
  • Stair gates
  • High chair
  • Fire guard
  • Cot available

Nearby

  • Pub/bar within 3 miles
  • Restaurant within 3 miles
  • Shop within 3 miles

Activities

  • Bikes available
  • Food courses
  • Kayaking
  • Other courses
  • Sailing
  • Surfing
  • Wild swimming

Accommodation

Pricing

Nightly price
from €135
Damage deposit
€50
Surcharges
Singles €115-€130.
2 Doubles
From €135

Information

Booking information

Check in
5-8pm
Check out
9am-11.30am
Other details
Minimum stay: 3 nights at weekends. 3 nights in high season.
Closed
Rarely.
No smoking
Smoking not permitted anywhere in the property.
Owner has pets
Animals living on the property
Meals
Dinner with aperitif, wine, cheese, coffee, €28 (on request)

Reviews

We had an amazing stay in this beautiful location. We were made so welcome by Alain and Francoise and enjoyed an excellent meal with them. The gardens are fabulous and we felt very relaxed and chilled on our departure. We are hoping to return soon

Linda, Warrington

Alain & Francoise are charming, very helpful hosts and made us feel at home as soon as we arrived. Both bedrooms and the whole house is beautifully furnished with style and flair. Every morning we had home made preserves and speciality breads served on their terrace with views into their lovely garden. We had a delightful 4 course evening supper together on their candle-lit terrace and Alain introduced us to his home made wine. Delicious! We found it a fascinating area to explore particularly the nearby Chateu La Roche-Courbon, and we look forward to a return visit.

Mike & Susan, Hitchin, Hertfordshire

Our visit here was quite exceptional. Over the years we have been regular visitors to Sawday-recommended B&Bs and can honestly say this was one of the very best. From the moment we arrived we were greeted as friends rather than guests. The house has recently been renovated to a very high standard and our bedroom was very comfortable and well presented. As well as having a flair for design, Francoise is a very good cook and provided us with a lovely evening meal. Both she and Alain joined us at the table. Alain makes his own 'pineau' and is a superb host. Highly recommended.

Shaun, Henley on Thames

Such a lovely property. Immaculate gardens and a heated pool that looked so inviting. Set in a very quiet location on the edge of a hamlet but with so much to do in the surrounding area. A lovely property both inside and out, providing all that you may need. The owners are so very welcoming and friendly.

Nicky, Sawday's Inspector

Read more reviews

Location

The neighbourhood

Tiny, immaculate Geay is a classically French hamlet of just 600 people – the longère is on the fringes, down a country lane with crop fields and cattle for neighbours. You’ll feel like part of the village with houses behind and to the side, but you’re separated by high walls for privacy and from the front there are glorious views of the Charentaise countryside. There’s a cheese shop and a post office in the village and it’s just 5-10 minutes’ drive to handful of delightful riverside auberges: Le Gabarier and Auberge de la Charente in Port d’Envaux, Le Bec Fin in Saint Savinien.

Local points of interest from Alain & Françoise Bry

  • Located in the center of the department, between sea and countryside, we’ll suggest you to walk between vineyards, marshes, islands, sea and beaches. Go all around our home to discover also some of the 13 charming "Stones and Water Villages".
  • 4 heritage sites of UNESCO are on the road of St-Jacques de Compostelle, and many beautiful sites are close to our home, like castles of La Roche-Courbon, Crazannes, Panloy, Trizay abbey…, or many beautiful roman churches in the Saintonge Romane country.
  • The cities of La Rochelle, Saintes and Rochefort (with the Hermione boat) are very attractive too. At night, you’ll enjoy "Sites en Scène", a summer festival of shows (theatre, concerts, fireworks, street arts) and heritage - close to our home.
  • You can also book places for the show "Un Violon sur le Sable", a beautiful symphonic music festival with fireworks, taking place every year in July on the beach of the seaside city of Royan.
  • Visit a local factory, to get good products like the “galette Charentaise”. And your day, come back home to enjoy the swimming-pool before a good meal in the garden in summer, or have aperitifs in front of the fireplace in winter with board games.
  • In our garden, there are many roses, flowers, fruit trees (4 cherry trees) and a vegetable kitchen in 3 whicker squares. We don’t use any pesticides so you can see many birds, butterflies, and hedgehogs that come to us every night to look for food!

Introducing

Alain & Françoise Bry

Françoise and Alain lived in Nice for 20 years and have brought the charm and hospitality of the south to Charentes – open, friendly, funny, they’ll invite you into their home and look after you. She’s the chef, he’s the wine lover, and they have two charming cats that share the longère with them.