Péniche le Hasard

This 1930s barge provided us with a lovely room and very comfortable bed. The location is gorgeous and there is a plunge pool on deck. Breakfast was also good. We ended up footling around Villeneuve two days running. It's a pretty, relaxing place and we enjoyed a visit to the monastery. We actually didn't go into Avignon at all! Two large, friendly Bassett Hounds share the boat with guests. There was a charming but steep spiral staircase into our room.

We were lucky to find this place in Avignon at 15 minutes walk across the bridge to the Palais des Papes. We had a free parking just next to us and enjoyed a breakfast beyond expectations - generous, delicious and served on the deck with amazing views!!! The barge is antique but it adds to its charm. The owner was very attentive to our needs. Very pleasant stay overall

This property has character plus. We went for the houseboat option purely to experience the river views. These views were absolutely lovely and the deck was the perfect peaceful spot to enjoy them. Not being aware that the boat was 103 years old we weren't quite aware of how much unique character it had. No complaints there, the character just added to the experience. We stayed in the captains room. We arrived a couple of hours earlier than the 4.30pm check in (the latest check in time I have ever come across). Quite reasonably the walkway on to the boat was behind a secure locked gate. There was no bell,intercom, contact details or information on how to reach anyone. It may just have been good luck that Jean-Mary happened past, saw us and checked us in straight away. He was very friendly and gave us a briefing about the boat. Unfortunately Didier, the other host who we met the next morning was not at all friendly or pleasant to deal with. Language barriers can be overcome with a smile, friendly tone, body language etc, but this was not the case with Didier. Interesting for someone who chooses to work in the hospitality industry. When breakfast was served we asked if we could have milk with our coffee. His response was an almost aggressive "what!?" Again when language is a barrier, tone is key. Coffee and tea facilities were in the room but this did not include milk. Either providing milk in the room or serving it with breakfast (pretty standard) could avoid such an awkward interaction. A few pieces of constructive feedback to the owners/managers: Please provide soap in the room rather than just sanitiser. I actually found this quite unhygenic and unpleasant. The two tiny sachets of body wash provided would not really be enough for full-grown adults to properly wash so certainly wouldn't have been sufficient for handwashing after using the toilet as well. I would suggest upgrading those provisions. Nobody expects things to be modern or pristine in a 103-year-old house boat, but I would really advise that it is time to upgrade the bedding. Covers that are not stained and falling apart and reasonably comfortable pillows that guests can actually properly lean against when trying to sit up in bed will not detract from the character. This does not need to be a huge expense. We love dogs and were happy to meet Oscar and Merry Christmas on deck the morning after our stay. However....we might have just overlooked it but I don't think there was any mention anywhere of dogs being onboard which could be a very unpleasant surprise for anyone afraid or or allergic. Just finally, we might have missed this being stated somewhere but the pool so beautifully pictured on Tripadvisor was drained and had just been painted. If you are hoping for a swim just check and confirm if it's pool season or not.