As we come to the last week of our 9th season running La Villa de Mazamet, we look forward to having time to gain new insights, experiences & inspiration from our own travels.
Many guests who pass through our doors comment on our attention to detail. This is something we very much pride ourselves on and it is something we aim to improve year on year. We never assume that, because our feedback is positive and reviews are good, that what we provide is good enough – we want guests to leave feeling that both our service and facilities far exceeds expectations…and that we go above & beyond in what we provide for the price paid.
It is sometimes the smallest of detail that guests remark on – like us providing a small tray near the pool of complimentary sun creams & after-sun lotions. This was something we saw at an hotel in Penang many years ago. Inexpensive for us to provide, yet for the majority of guests arriving with only hand-luggage, and a restriction on carrying liquids, saves them a trip to the pharmacy and spending 15€.
Each year, we consciously stay in B&B’s which, like La Villa, have a high ranking on Trip Advisor and are within the same price range as us. Such stays help us to ensure that what we are offering our guests is current, relevant and what modern-day travellers expect (in addition to items that aren’t expected that differentiate us from others). Such visits provide us with both good & bad experiences from which we can learn; it is often the latter experiences from which you can learn the most.
Listening to our guests and anticipating their needs is also important to us. We actively seek feedback and ways to improve what we offer; the information we provide and the services guests expect. Return guests will notice and remark upon something they have suggested that we have initiated and it illustrates that we value their input and take action too.
This winter we are going to re-drive our 8 self-drive day tours to ensure the information is up to date and the places we recommend for lunch are still as good as we remember. We are installing air conditioning in all our bedrooms to give guests individual cooling and heating as weather patterns change. We will try-out new recipes for our table d’hote dinners, experience new local eateries to recommend, visit new towns and villages in our region to suggest to those not familiar with our region. We have invested in new pool-side furniture which is both more practical and comfortable…..and by the time we reopen for Easter there will be other additions too, that is guaranteed!
We are always inspired by travel. The places we stay, the people we meet, the food & wine we try… it is what enthuses us to do what we do, learning from others and help us improve our own business.
With our 10th anniversary season commencing on March 30th 2018, we hope that we will welcome many of our loyal guests back to La Villa as well as many guests for the first time who have chosen to stay at La Villa de Mazamet.