HOTEL REVIEW: AIRBNB'S LA NORMANDE

In my previous post I told you all about my birthday; the months before in which I only felt stress and despair about my thirties and the day on which I celebrated the best birthday ever. In this post I wanted to share with you more in depth details about the Airbnb that hosted my birthday.

When you think of a birthday party, what kind of location do you imagine, besides for something with a lot of balloons? I guess that most of us would choose a bar or an event location for a birthday. That’s the easy way to go and I think that in most cases it would be fun too. This year however I wanted my birthday to be cozy and initially I had the idea of just inviting some of my dearest friends for a weekend getaway. However, eventually me and my mom decided that thirty should be celebrated a bit bigger and I chose to invite all of my friends. I still wanted the “sleep over party/weekend getaway” vibe, but also wanted the “DJ and party” vibes. I had no idea what to do and how to do it. Eventually it was the location that made it all possible. And that’s exactly why I think that Airbnb is the place to be for any type of getaway you are looking for, whether it’s a short stay with your family in the city center or a weekend trip with a group of 14 people.

The location that I found was part of a holiday farm on the countryside, somewhere between Amsterdam and where I used to live with my parents. The place actually used to be the cowshed, but the owner had transformed it into a cozy little palace consisting of a living room area on one side and 4 bedrooms with separate bathrooms on the other side. I felt at home right away, not only because of the warm wooden decor, but also because of the sweet host that helped us think through all possibilities for our stay. “I’m booking it,” is what I said right after I saw it and I am happy I did. Here’s why…

FROM 1 TO 10. AIRBNB’S LA NORMANDE ON SCALE

Location: 8
Although this Airbnb is quite far from any city center, the place is easy to reach by car or public transport. You could call it the middle of nowhere, but it’s the perfect hide away for those who are looking for comfort, peace and privacy. Behind the farm hundreds of hectares of land stretch out with here and there a cow or a sheep. Although the owners live in the farm right next to the accommodation, there is a lot of privacy.

Room: 9
The accommodation is spacious and offers a lot of possibilities. It can be seen as just a big living room + dining room, but it can also be transformed into an event location where the couch an tables make room for yoga mats for example. I moved away most of the tables and placed some standing tables instead. There’s a small kitchen with bar which really compliments the authenticity and ambiance of the room. The place has 2 toilets, 4 bedrooms with each their own bathroom and every single room has it’s own color scheme and look. Maritime, countrified. It’s all too cute!

Food & Drinks: 8
Since this is an Airbnb, food and drinks were not included. However, La Normande does offer B&B services like breakfast on request. We brought our own food & drinks and I was just very happy that there was a kitchen with everything we needed and more. Hence the 8.

Service: 9,5
What I love so much about Airbnb’s is that in some cases you get to meet the owner who can add a lot of value to your experience. For one thing by their help and warm welcome, but also because of the information and tips they can give about the area, both the accommodation itself and the neighborhood. The hostess of La Normande was such a sweet woman. She really made us feel welcome and everything we wanted was made possible. At the end of the day I ended up giving her a small present and I was surprised to see that she, too, had a small present for me. Can’t say otherwise than that this was a perfect match!

Recommendation Rate: 9,5
I would give it a 10, but there should always be room for improvement, right? I would definitely recommend going here. If you are looking for a wonderful place on the countryside for a relaxing couple of days or to celebrate what ever kind of party, this is the ultimate place to be. You’ll have the freedom to make it to what you want and there’s place for many guests (up to 16). I loved it and will definitely consider going back.