Lettres de recommandation

Mme. Dormignies & Entourage, Paris - 2 semaines en août 2004

"Dès les premiers instants à CLERAC, nous avons été touchés par la dimension humaine de l'accueil que vous nous avez réservé et qui n'avait rien à voir avec une relation purement commerciale. Vous nous avez véritablement donné le sentiment d'avoir été privilégiés ! Hormis le confort dont nous avons profité et au-delà de ce séjour, nous vous avons réellement appréciés, et ne manquons pas d'évoquer les moments partagés avec vous à CLERAC à tout notre entourage (au travail, en famille, aux amis…) en espérant ainsi que d'autres viendront vous visiter. A très bientôt, vous entendre ou vous lire avec toujours beaucoup de plaisir.

Christelle, Constantin, Isabelle, Marc, Mathieu, Michelle, Philippe et Viviane
Et les enfants : Eva, Gaëtan, Loïc, Naomie, Nell et Rémy."

La famille Wheeler & amis, UK - 2 semaines en juillet 2004

"Bonjour Debbie and Fergus,
Thanks very much for providing us all with such a wonderful holiday at Chateau de Clerac and for your excellent company as our hosts.

It’s rare for a group of people with so many different interests and varying ages to all be ccommodated in the same place for a holiday and really love it. We recently got back together to view photos and recap and all agreed we had the best holiday we can remember.

It’s been very hard to kick back in to the different pace of life here and we’d much rather be back dipping in the pool and relaxing with a glass of wine. We would love to come back and enjoy another holiday in the future and have recommended the Chateau to our friends and colleagues. Hope you and the children are well and enjoying life.

Warmest thoughts,
Steve, Jenny, Aaron, Ben and Jonathan.
Phil, Heather and Robin"

M. Sauders & Groupe, USA - une semaine en juin 2004

"Your chateau easily and comfortably accommodated all 13 of us, and you were so helpful arranging things. With a little imagination one can visualize life at the chateau a hundred or more years ago--but you all are making it a contemporary experience, taking off the formality, and letting guests experience the past and the present in the peace and quiet of a charming village. You are well located for day trips to Bordeaux, wine towns like St. Emilion and Cognac, and other sights of the region like nearby Blaye. The tour you helped set up at the Chateau des Tourtes winery was absolutely unforgettable and so informative. It made a huge difference to us as Americans to have the tour led by a fellow countryman--we were his first American group! His enthusiasm for his family, the Bordeaux region, and his family's life work was evident: the wine was excellent, the special lunch buffet delicious. Friends back home could not believe it when I said we arrived at 10:30 a.m. and did not leave until nearly 3 p.m! Getting 13 grown people to agree on anything is sometimes difficult but we all comfortably managed to make breakfast and a couple of other meals in your spacious kitchen and dining room. And we enjoyed the local Auberge des Lacs Bleus--twice! The strolls along the rural roads of your area were so relaxing. And to see a patisserie-boulangerie going in is a wonderful sign of the vitality of your village. We are passing on the word of your success to others who might enjoy the experience of your hospitality for themselves. Many thanks again.

Sincerely,
Don Saunders
Blowing Rock NC USA"

M. & Mme. Arnason & amis, Canada - 1 semaine en avril 2004

Upon our arrival,our hosts, Deborah and Fergus welcomed us,and during the week were always discreetly available when we needed them. We made glorious use of all the rooms....with leather couches and chairs in appropriate places. The beds were excellent in large, airy bedrooms, wide windows opening on to the quiet countryside.

Chateau de Clerac is a remarkably beautiful and comfortable home!

M. & Mme Wald, USA - une semaine en septembre 2003

We spent a delightful week at the Chateau L’Espie and were enchanted by the quaint village of Clérac and the truly outstanding Auberge within walking distance of the chateau...it is a very nice place to get away from the hustle and bustle of urban living and have the opportunity to enjoy the French countryside.

There is television (local) and an excellent library of movies to keep you occupied if you just want to vegetate ... Cell phone reception is excellent unless you happen to run out of French telecard minutes as we did. Fortunately, the proprietor of the local Auberge (see above) came to our rescue and was able to connect us to civilization!

We explored the surrounding areas, including days trips to Arcachon, Blaye, Aubeterre, St. Emilion, Bergerac, and Montinac. Although the roads in the area are fairly well marked, the maps we brought were not terribly helpful.

M. Trender, UK - 2 semaines en juillet 2003

As far as local amenities go the Water Park in Montguyon is great for families. The Auberge in Clérac is just wonderful - we had several nights just in the bar and some good meals in the restaurant. The drive up to and including St Emilion is perfect for some chateau visits with free tasting at several! Bordeaux is a really easy trip but be aware that the whole city centre is being knocked about in preparation for a tram system - I wouldn't let that put you off though - still a great city. La Rochelle is a bit of a trip as are Limoges and Périgueux but if you have the time I would recommend at least one of the three.

The Chateau itself is imposing to say the least - you can spot it from about 5 KM away on one of the approach roads! The accommodation is huge as one would expect, the added advantage of super thick walls and tree-top ceilings being cool indoor temperatures even when outside is scorching ! The lay out is very user friendly for a large group, having 2 huge sitting rooms and a dining room with could comfortably seat 20 (we had one evening with 14 at dinner with plenty of room to spare).

For our particular groups needs the Chateau was close to perfect, the fact that it wasn't fully furnished with expensive antiques was most likely an aid to relaxation with children about! ...
The only things I would like to add are our thanks for a great holiday and a reservation for the same 2 weeks next year !

Many thanks - Mike Trender and friends

M. Lundsgaard, Danemark - une semaine en juin 2003

"We where very pleased for the stay at the chateau... All in all we had a very pleasant stay at the castle, and all 7 of us will recommend it to our friends.
Thanks again and Best Regards - Søren Lundsgaard"