A renovated 19th century stone farmhouse with extensive landscaped gardens and terraces, set among the great vineyards of the Champagne region.
The space
The three-story house has five bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms with beds for eleven guests. The home is fully renovated for comfortable modern living while maintaining the character and ambiance of a French country residence.
With original tiled floors, exposed stone walls and wood beams, and several working fireplaces, La Ravenne is an ideal home base for touring the vineyards and countryside of Champagne and tasting the local wines. The well-landscaped garden includes a small fruit orchard, expansive lawns, large trees, three terraces, a protected courtyard, and the original barn.
On the ground floor, a spacious living room has comfortable couches around a large fireplace, a game table for six, and large French doors that open onto the terrace and lawn. In the dining room, a chandelier with candles hangs over a dining table to seat ten in front of the traditional fireplace.
The stone-floored kitchen has been completely renovated and equipped with a dishwasher, microwave, and tiled countertops. It opens into the family room which features a dining bar, television, comfortable couches, and French doors to the courtyard patio and terrace. Also on this floor is a clothes washer and dryer.
Upstairs on the middle floor, the master bedroom has a king-size bed under a dramatic six-meter high ceiling with exposed beams. A fireplace, a balcony, and an ensuite bathroom with a shower make this a particularly luxurious bedroom.
Three other bedrooms are on the middle floor, sharing a bathroom. Two have queen size beds, and one has a pair of twin beds. Upstairs on the top floor is a family suite with a queen-size bed, pull-out mattresses for children, and an ensuite bathroom.
La Ravenne offers panoramic views from each of its windows of the surrounding Champagne vineyards, Surmelin valley, and the picturesque nearby village of Le Breuil.
Guest access
Guest access to the property is really only suited by car (we provide detailed instructions for how to access the house). There is a narrow road leading up to the house that is not suitable for street parking, however in the pebble driveway there is room for two smaller cars or one large car (refer to listing photos).
Other things to note
**(We cannot accommodate more than 11 people. Please use transparency when declaring the number of guests so we can arrange for cleaning accordingly. If you have more that 11 guests in your party you will be fined. Events are not allowed.)
Pet Policy:
We have had negative experience with hosting guests with dogs in the past. Although we do allow pets, because of this we are more selective of the renters we accept who will bring dogs. The property can accommodate small-medium sized dogs who are well-behaved. We ask that their owners take extra care in tending to their needs in a tidy fashion by wiping muddy paws before entering the house, not allowing pets on furniture unless there is a self-provided towel or sheet beneath it, and finally picking up after their waste in the garden before leaving. If guests cannot commit to these requests fully, it is likely not a suitable fit. In addition, because of the extra work it takes to clean up after the stay, we charge a 150 euro fee per animal (depending on the circumstance). Please have a discussion with Charlotte about your unique circumstance of your pet before your stay so we can arrange accordingly.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR WINTER/SPRINGTIME RENTALS:
Alongside the charm of the 19th century stone home, there are several uncontrollable factors that the home provides. As the weather warms up in the springtime (particularly during the months of February- April) and occasionally in the months of December and January, some bugs including flies and ladybugs (occasionally wasps) come out of the stone walls and into the house. Unfortunately, as homeowners there is not much we can do about this problem, however, we provide insect repellent which is helpful. Because of this issue, at times we worry about renting the house during these months but we leave it up to the guest's discretion to their desire to rent at this time. The reality of the situation is variable each year and hard to predict. Rest assured that in recent years most renters have not made negative comments about this since we take all the precautionary steps we can to minimize their presence, however, if you think the presence of these small insects would have a negative impact on your stay and comfort, we recommend renters choose another time to visit the home that is best suited to these needs. Please don't hesitate to contact me for more information and guidance regarding this issue.
Wifi & Remote Working:
The house is equipped with WiFi. Due to the location within a rather quaint rural village, a strong connection at all hours of the day is not always available. I understand that for some guests, working from home is essential and I hope to ease worries somewhat with the comment that during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have hosted many people who have worked remotely. For most groups, the internet has been strong enough to support several people using the network to some extent, some others have had difficulty with more complex tasks that require lots of bandwidth. For out-of-town guests, I recommend supplementing the connection with a SIM Card (Orange is the brand that works best) that can be connected to devices as a personal hotspot. For more information about specific information tailored to your group please send me a message.
Co-Hosts - Owner and Property Manager:
My family and I have owned this house for decades and we started renting it on Airbnb starting in 2017 despite our remote access to the house. I am based in California, USA, and manage the Airbnb page, bookings, and overall guest experience remotely. On the local side, dear friends and neighbors in the Village, Mr. and Mrs. Vignot help us to maintain check-in, house-based issues, and cleaning. Mr. Vignot, who solely speaks French, is extremely well-versed about the house and can answer questions and help out with problems during the rental period (his contact information will be provided after booking confirmation).
