What is Lou Messugo?
Let’s talk about “Lou Messugo”. Sometimes I get the feeling people are confused about Lou Messugo. What/who is it exactly? Perhaps I’m too wary of promoting my own business on this blog that it’s not actually clear that Lou Messugo is first and foremost a gîte, a holiday apartment, a vacation rental, a self-catering holiday let with pool (sleeps 4), call it what you will, it’s a damn fine place to spend some time in …. And it is also a blog (but it isn’t me!)
Lou Messugo blog
Firstly let’s deal with the blog. I started it in 2012, a couple of years after opening the gîte as a way of letting guests know about things to do in the area, with a side of French culture thrown in. Never would I have imagined that it would be so successful and ultimately become a travel blog. And here’s the complication, my travel blog is still part of the gîte website despite growing all out of proportion. I want to do something about this, and have for quite some time now, but not being a techie it’s hard to know exactly what to do. I have some ideas, but they are all terribly complicated so being the procrastinator that I am, I bury my head in the sand and continue on as before. Hopefully 2017 will be the year I finally sort this out … watch this space!
Lou Messugo family villa
But in the meantime let me tell you about another “Lou Messugo”, yes, there is one more side to this baby and that’s the whole house rental. “Whaaaat?” I hear you say. It’s simple: we rent out the whole house, which includes the gîte and our family home (attached but independent) for 4 weeks every summer from mid July to mid August. This means the place sleeps 10, 6 upstairs in the “big house” and 4 downstairs in the apartment. And this tends to be ideal for several generations of one family holidaying together. Or two families vacationing together. Everybody gets together for meals (there’s space in the big house for this) and can enjoy the pool and garden together, but has the privacy to sleep apart. Over the years (we started this in 2012) 90% of our guests have been made up of two siblings, their partners, their parents and their children.
Want to know more?
If you’d like more information about this then obviously do get in touch through the contact page here or take a look at our Facebook page where you’ll find plenty more photos. You can also browse our online listings at many of the big well-known names, however I urge you NOT TO USE ONLINE TRAVEL AGENTS TO BOOK! I know that sounds absurd, why do we have an ad if I don’t want you to use it? Because we need the exposure the big names give us, in order to be found in searches, but if you’re already here, then come to us direct. You’ll save hundreds of Euros on commission and we’ll earn more too so it’s a win-win situation. ALWAYS BOOK DIRECT!
Book direct!
While on the subject of the big listing sites (Airbnb, TripAdvisor etc), I highly recommend if you are looking for a place to stay using an Online Travel Agency (OTA), to read the listing carefully to see if there are any clues to finding the place direct. For example I use our unique name Lou Messugo in all my ads in the hope someone will Google it. I also have photos with hints. If the place you are interested in has their own website, and particularly if it’s a small one-off independent place like mine and not part of a bigger chain/group, I’m quite sure the owner will appreciate being approached direct. Then 100% of your payment goes to the little guy instead of the big fat greedy corporation…see what I mean? For quality rentals and B&Bs in France and UK I recommend this Facebook group Book Your Holidays Direct with the Owner. (But overall I recommend us, Lou Messugo, of course!)
Villa details
Back to our house and summer rentals. Here are the basics: rentals are weekly from Saturday to Saturday from the Saturday nearest the middle of July for 4 weeks (up-to-date availability calendar can be found on Airbnb, remember though not to book there!) The price is on request (and will be less than through those OTAs!) I should make it clear that if you book the house there will be no one else on the property with you – we take off for our own vacation during this time, though we do leave a local manager in charge.
What others have to say
We have very few online reviews (for the house) as about 90% of our guests have come DIRECT! We used to use a different OTA which we no longer use but I have a screenshot of one of the reviews from there as an example of how happy our guests are (above). (On the other hand we have over 200 5* reviews for the gîte between Airbnb, Google and TripAdvisor).
I’ll leave you with the words of some very happy guests from Holland “what a beautiful house, what a wonderful place – we had a great time in Lou Messugo! We could easily spend a whole day in the garden/house – playing, swimming, enjoying the beautiful view, but we decided to visit a few beaches, villages and so on, and discovered: this is one of the best places on earth!! Imagine you would live here…you are so lucky!!”
We totally agree with them and know that we are indeed very lucky to live here. If you’d like to experience a little bit of our paradise, or know someone who might, please get in touch or share this with friends and family.
PS Don’t forget the gîte!
Don’t forget that the gîte (in “one of the best places on earth”) is open all year, sleeps 4 and apart from the first half of July and second half of August when it’s a week, the only limitation is a 3 night minimum. We are flexible on arrival and departure days. You can find out more by browsing through our website, Facebook page and Pinterest boards.
I hope that’s cleared it up and if you were at all confused, that you aren’t now. I hope also that we may have the pleasure of seeing some of you at Lou Messugo gîte or villa sometime in the near future. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like more information, I read and answer all comments so you can contact us here if you like.
Find out what “Lou Messugo” actually means here
PIN it for future reference
That’s good to hear Kate.
You can drive here too, it’s a fun road trip from UK.
Oh I’d love that Michele, I really hope we meet one day too. Thanks for recommending us to your friend.
A few summers ago, I did refer someone to your place. Your blog makes it seem like a wonderfully relaxing place to visit. I hope to meet you in person at Lou Messugo some day.
What a fabulous looking place. I’d so love to visit with the kids when I’m brave enough to take them on a plane
Oh it looks lovely! We’re planning to take the kids abroad next year so I’ll keep it in mind for then!
That’s great news Kara, don’t hesitate to get ask us any questions if you have them…
I was always gutted that you only sleep 4 as we want to visit but now I know you sleep more I shall be looking into a holiday with you in the summer
Come and create some of those memories for yourself Rosie!
You must come and stay sometime Carolynne, I’d love that!
It’s weird because although I know your name is Phoebe, my brain tricks me into thinking that Lou Messugo is your name hehe! What a lovely place I will have to rent it one year!!! 😉 ps You must be incredibly busy! x
This looks amazing, the perfect canvas for creating those family memories of lazy summers in the sun…
You’re right, I probably should have put something in about what the name means, though I have already written about it years ago. Thanks for reminding me, I think I’ll link it in after all.
Thanks Nadine, I do get lovely clients it’s true!
You weren’t the first and won’t be the last Nell! Thanks for sharing, can’t I tempt you here yourself?
The beginning of your post made me smile – I remember when I started off an email to you with ‘Dear Lou’! 😀 I’ve always thought your place looked gorgeous. I’ve jsut scheduled to share this post about the villa in particular – hope you get plenty of fab guests this summer. x
It’s lovely to hear more about you and the business itself. You have a fab business there and obviously a good clientele. I hope that you get to put your travel blog plans into effect this year – go for it!
Nice post! I am lucky enough to have met you but have not (as yet) been lucky enough to visit Lou Messugo … but I know from reading all your reviews what a great place it is.
I couldn’t agree more about booking direct (thank you for the plug to Book Your Holiday Direct) as it saves the holidaymaker a wad of cash and means more money goes where it deserves to go – the family who runs the holiday property. Book through an online agency and you are simply lining the pockets of fat cat CEOs and shareholders. As you know, supporting independent holiday home owners is something I am passionate about but I will refrain from going on about it too much here as this post is about Lou Messugo.
I reckon there is something else you should have mentioned too – what the name Lou Messugo means. My plant background means I know … I wonder how many other people do?