Domaine de la Corniche - Vacanceole

We had a nice holiday, but we will not be returning. This holiday park has lots of potential with a nice pool, and nice little chalets, and nice friendly staff, however it is poorly maintained and in need of a deep clean. There were cracks in the walls of our chalet, and the power kept turning off. Whilst the kitchen area and bathrooms were clean, the floors and skirting boards were dirty. The bed was really flimsy and uncomfortable, I hardly slept for a week. There is a nice little playpark for little kids but it needs repaired.

A disappointing stay. The mattress was knackered which we pointed out on the first morning. However nothing was done other than a bloke having a cursory look and agreeing with us.. The sofa was okay but could do with replacing. There was no storage room for crockery and cutlery or for clothes. The apartment was small, the pool was out of commission and the site is somewhat remote. Not good value for money. We left a day early.

We really liked it here when we arrived. The apartment was a good size, it was clean, there were lovely walks in the area, there's a bowling alley within walking distance that we intended to go to, we were happy. Until we encountered a problem. On our second evening in the apartment, we were watching TV when a little bug came wandering over the back of the sofa. Fearing it may be a bed bug we caught it and started examining underneath the sofa bed where we found a load of eggs and a couple of dead bugs. I suddenly understood what had bitten me. I called the out of hours number and the woman said he could move us tomorrow, but tonight we would have to stay in this apartment. I said we couldn't stay there with the bugs so she asked me to call her back in 20 minutes. 20 minutes later she said she still couldn't help until tomorrow so suggested we leave, find somewhere else to stay and email requesting a refund. I called the booking agent instead. The booking agent called me back after a few minutes and said the woman I had spoken to had arranged an apartment for us for that night and then would put us in a new one in the morning. He said she would call us with arrangements. After not hearing anything for an hour I called the agent (Interchalet) again and was told by another person that we should go to a hotel for the night and Vacancecole would refund the cost, we would then be given a new apartment in the morning. In the morning I called the out of hours woman again and she said there was no apartment for us. We should return to the apartment, get our things and leave. I called the agent again and they said that until Vacancecole agreed to return our money, they could not help. They agreed to call me back. 2 hours later I called again and they had not been able to get through to anyone at Vacancecole but said they would call when they heard back. By this time we had to leave the hotel and return to the apartment. Another hour passed so I called again. I was told we would be refunded but that they could not find us alternate accommodation. I pointed out that there was plenty on their website in the area, there was even availability in the Vacancecole property. I could have booked it the previous evening, but they do not allow bookings on the day. I was just told to find somewhere else and email asking for a refund. I have been told I will be refunded for the hotel, apartment and the difference in price between that and where I manged to find at short notice in the area, plus £130 but it does not make up for ruined holiday. It's a shame. I would have liked to have stayed there again but I am not willing to take that risk!

The whole complex is very nice and the pool is great. The pool has a sliding cover that the managers close during the chilly nights at the end of summer to keep the water warm. The two towns nearby, Villers-Sur-Mer and Houlgate, have superb beaches and amazing restaurants.

Very good and comfortable