Le Macassar Amiens

We stayed at Le Macassar September 19, 2005. We were curious to see if any place could live up to the glowing accolades on this site. When Ian first opens the white gates and you step in to the courtyard, you realize you are in a very special place. Our visit just went from one high point to another. The house is a treasure. I felt like I should be wearing a beautiful. silky gown from the 30s. Miguel prepared a wonderful dinner, and our breakfast was perfect. Our room was large, comfortable, and beautiful. Miguel prepared a route for us to follow the next day to see many of the World War I Memorials. We only hope we will be able to return to le Macassar in the future. Le Macassar surpassed our expectations, and we highly recommend it and thank Ian and Miguel for a lovely welcome and a wonderful memory!!

The title of my review says it all!!! This is the nicest place I have ever stayed and having travelled europe as cabin crew I have stayed in a lot of places. Miguel and Ian, our hosts, were fantastic and welcomed my husband and I into their home with a few glasses of wine (or two!). The house is unbelievable with art deco furnishings and spotlessly clean. They have a lovely private garden (pic attached) with a gorgeous dog called Spatz and musnt forget Sophie the cat. Breakfast was fit for a king/queen!! The bedrooms were really beautiful and spacious. The accommodation is only 1½ hours away from Calais so an ideal place to stay. We were recommended a few place to eat in Corbie in the evening which were also very good.

Cant wait to go back to this lovely house!!

Having read the various reviews of Le Macassar before heading to France my expectations were high. I wasn't disappointed I can tell you. It is truely the most wonderful place to stay with quite simply the most welcoming hosts. I have never felt so at home anywhere else. The courtyard is just beautiful on entrance and despite being given, wine, various cocktails and a bottle or two of Champagne I was amazed not to find it on the final bill, we tried to pay but they wouldn't let us! The setting was idyllic and beautiful, so much so that my boyfriend proposed! It really is now an even more special place to us and we can't wait to celebrate our anniversary there in years to come. Ian and Miguel are truly superb and I can't thank you enough for your kind hospitality.

Hello Ian and Miguel.



Having now settled back into our home scene, we are already longing to be back in that secret haven which is Le Macassar.



You made our stay with you such a successful climax to our holiday. Beautiful environment, wonderful company and the warmth of true friendship in your excellent hospitality.



Thank you both for your impeccable attention to all our needs. Also, we are still in raptures about the lovely dinner we had with you last Sunday evening.



You have clearly done a wonderful job on adapting the splendid house to your own taste so far and we hope the work goes ahead equally successfully. Keep that tiling going, Ian!



Bonne continuation. We hope to see you again ere long.



With grateful thanks and all our best wishes,



Judith and Victor.

Le Macassar doesn't do neon. Indeed, signage of any sort is almost non-existent. It took us three times round the quiet and leafy central square of Corbie, (just outside Amiens), and an enquiry at the local Boulangerie before we spotted the miniscule plaque at No 8. Even le bon Docteur, at No 6, has a larger sign. So we're relieved when Miguel greets us warmly and persuades us to leave going up to our room until later. Rather, we are invited over to some lounging chairs on the terrace, and offered a drink. I have a beer, Lorraine plumps for bubbly. We are looking out over a charming and totally private garden, part formal, part relaxed. An oasis hidden behind the walled exterior. It is 5pm and a wonderful antidote to the long car journey from Cambridge. Ian and Miguel are co-Patrons of the property. Ian is Canadian. Miguel sounds Spanish, is Portuguese and speaks perfect English and fluent French. You expect him any moment to yell inappropriately into an over-sized phone, so strong is the resemblance to Dom Joly!

The Le Macassar literature talks about taking a glass of complimentary bubbly before dinner. But by the time our drinks were enthusiastically re-charged for the third time, I was wondering whether only the first was on the house. I need not have given it a thought. Ian later explained that the Dinner Bed and Breakfast terms (120 Euros for the standard room, plus 30 Euros per person for dinner) were inclusive of our drinks - as it turns out before, during and after our meal. I don't know how long their pricing policy can survive. We must have had our 60 Euros in drinks alone. But while it does, the place represents extraordinary value, on all sorts of levels.

If the garden is an oasis, then the interior is even more of a surprise. Miguel and Ian chose the property because of its art deco architecture and interior features. They have lovingly sourced (and indeed still are lovingly sourcing) interior décor in keeping with the style. It is quite beautiful, complete with original macassar columns (hence the name) in the dining rooms, a Moroccan 'snug' for early evening drinks, and a perfectly restored art deco sitting room with a wealth of original features. In every room, bit by bit, the small details of the architecture and the carefully chosen interior décor slowly catch your eye. The bedrooms are also beautifully decorated and exceptionally clean. This is definitely a must for anyone interested in the period and art deco features, regardless of the good company and value for money we enjoyed here.

Ian and Miguel are wonderful hosts. It's Sunday and they suggested when I booked that, because most of the Restaurants in town would be closed, we might join them for dinner. This is not something offered every night, but on request or invitation. It is on the basis that guests eat what the hosts have cooked, but Miguel is keen to ask in advance about any preferences or special requests. Though he does not claim to be a chef, he cooks very, very well. A paperlight Tomato and soft cheese tart was followed by rascasse fish in fennel, cheeses, finished off by a chocolaty crunch with homemade armagnac and clove ice cream. The wine flowed and we ended up with home-made rose-hip liqueur and sloe gin!

I can't corroborate their claim to be just 1.5hrs from Calais. We left the Motorway early - a mistake - and spent more than that on the A-roads. Corbie is unremarkable, but only 15 minutes from Amiens, whose Saint Leu area is surprisingly attractive.

At the top of the house is a French billiards room. I feel billiards' attractions fall well short of those of its sisters, snooker and pool, but Ian is considering converting the table to a snooker table. Once that is done, it will elevate what is already an exquisite little find into something quite heavenly. We definitely plan to return, perhaps as a stop-off en route to Chamonix, perhaps for a weekend.

My daughter and I stayed here for over a weekend when travelling. Our only regret was that we had not booked for longer. The warm welcome and great service was of the finest and the atmosphere and decor of the rooms is truly beautiful. And what a breakfast!!!

Only an hour from Paris and only an hour and a half from Calais, the location is ideal. I can highly recommend and will return for sure.

We found this place to stay on our way back from the south of france to calais on tripadvisor.

I have to say that I found the town a little dreary (although it was raining!) and was a bit nervous about the b&b. However, I was not disappointed once we arrived!

The place is fabulous and has been superbly decorated throughout - every item seems to have been specially chosen. The owners are charming and welcomed us with much appreciated drinks - and there's a friendly dog & cat too!

Our room was spacious and well appointed with CD player, cosy chairs and some chocs. Towels were thick and luxurious. Perhaps a few more "female friendly" toiletries would be helpful (e.g. cotton wool) ... but really can't complain.

Breakfast was excellent with a lovely choice and "proper" crockery, glasses etc.

We did find a nice restaurant in the local town so it did redeem itself after the inital appearance!

It's a little expensive but a great stopover on the way to Calais - we left feeling refreshed and pleased we'd been.

We stayed at this great B&B during visit to the Somme area.

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Whilst expensive, the decoration and rooms are amazing. We had a great stay, although only for 1 night. I would stay here again for a longer period.

Positives

- Very friendly hosts who go out of their way to make you feel comfortable

- Good location in centre of town

- Stunning Rooms, very spacious and clean (Art Deco Suite)

- Excellent breakfast included

Negatives

- none!

Just returned from a long weekend in France, where we spent our last night at Le Macassar (as recommended by Trip Advisor forums!). My boyfriend and I were blown away from the minute we set foot inside the gates of the house - it really is a wonderful place to stay and our first impression did not let us down. The hosts are wonderful and immediately offered us a glass of wine in the garden where we proceeded to stay for the rest of the afternoon enjoying the sun, some lovely French wine and good company. The rooms are amazing - we booked the Art Deco suite which is very impressive, but a tour of the house showed us that we wouldn't not have been disappointed with any of the rooms. If you are visiting the area for a night/few days, this is the place to stay - you will not be let down!

We've just returned from a wonderful break in the Somme, which included several trips to Amiens. Amiens is a lovely city to explore with a wonderful cathedral and some nice riverside cafes, a superb indoor food market, and plenty of shopping. The region itself is great for quaint little villages and lots of WW1 memorials, all of which are beautifully kept and quite peaceful and moving. However what totally blew us away was our stay at Le Macassar, in Corbie which is a small town just outside of Amiens. Le Macassar is actually a large art deco house immaculately kept by two of the most gracious hosts you'll ever be lucky enough to encounter. The entire premises is a stunning collection of wood-panelled walls, gorgeous art deco furnishings, a baby grand piano, and a beguiling atmosphere of luxury and relaxation. The room we stayed in was very roomy with a large sleigh-style bed, (again) wonderful art deco pieces, and a jacuzzi. Each evening you'll be invited to join your hosts for aperitifs in the lovely courtyard, weather permitting. For around £100 per night it really is something else. We haven't stopped talking about the place since we've been back- it surely must be one of the most unknown- and hugely underrated- places to stay in the region. Take our advice: book now while you can, before it's booked up forever!