As you well know, Arras is a city that harmoniously blends rich history with a festive, modern atmosphere. So it’s a wise choice to have chosen this city for the development of one or more gites for tourists. Now, the challenge lies in creating a welcoming space that takes advantage of the city’s unique ambience while offering all the necessary comforts for your visitors. In this article, we’ll give you a few tips on how to optimize your gite in Arras or the Arrageois region, so that everyone who comes here will have an excellent stay.
Taking care of your gîte’s living space
The organization of living spaces is always a point that requires the greatest care when owning a gîte. Ideally, this layout should promote conviviality and optimize the available space. To achieve this, it’s important to distinguish between different zones, such as resting, dining and relaxation areas. These areas should be laid out in such a way as to allow easy circulation within and between them, thus facilitating movement and providing a good experience for guests. 
The different rooms in the gîte
The living room must embody conviviality as well as comfort. It’s essential to equip the living room with comfortable seating, and to allow enough room for the number of people corresponding to the gîte. Color selection also plays a fundamental role in the room’s ambience: neutral tones and soft textiles help create a warm, inviting atmosphere. Finally, the integration of plants will enhance the aesthetics of the space while adding a touch of life to the gîte. Then there’s the decoration, to which we’ll return below. Bedrooms are one of the most important parts of the guest experience. Indeed, occupants often come to enjoy the city and the surrounding area, with the gite providing a base for them to sleep during their stay. Rooms must therefore be designed to offer maximum comfort and tranquility. You’ll need to choose high-quality mattresses, soft sheets and comfortable blankets to ensure a good night’s rest. Bedside lamps will enable habitual readers to read a few pages to relax before bedtime, while thick curtains or shutters can block out outside light to keep rooms dark, cool and conducive to sleep.
The bathroom should be designed to be comfortable, modern and easy to maintain, so that it remains spotlessly clean whenever new occupants arrive at your B&B. So choose furniture and fittings with easy-to-clean surfaces that will help keep the room in good condition, while also making it easier to clean up after guests. Don’t forget electrical outlets for electric toothbrushes, razors, etc.
The gîte as a whole
Modular furniture is particularly well suited to these spaces, as it offers the flexibility needed to meet the varied needs of occupants, ensuring maximum adaptability. Still on the subject of the comfort of those who will occupy the gite, the installation of double-glazed windows is important to insulate the gite against noise, especially in a busy town that also lives at night like Arras. Your guests are not necessarily night owls and may want to rest before making one or more visits the following day. This type of window considerably reduces outside noise pollution, enabling guests to enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep.
What’s more, double glazing also offers excellent thermal insulation, which is also essential for maintaining a comfortable indoor temperature all year round, keeping warm in winter and cool in summer. If you don’t already have double glazing, you’ll need to call in a company specializing in PVC window installation to renovate your windows. All you’ll need to do is dress the interior window sill, if necessary, for the finishing touch. Lighting plays a very important role in creating a welcoming and functional atmosphere. It’s important to combine natural light sources with well-thought-out artificial lighting to balance the atmosphere at any time of day or night, according to tenants’ desires.
Well-placed light fittings can enhance the gite’s architecture and/or decorative elements, while dimming options allow guests to adapt the lighting to their activities.
If the gite has a garden, it’s time to think about its upkeep, and why not start with more professional landscaping by hiring a landscaper to make it a haven of relaxation for your guests, weather permitting. Choosing local, low-maintenance plants can make your job a lot easier and keep your garden looking beautiful all year round.
Emblematic decoration of Arras, the Arrageois region or Hauts-de-France
Incorporating decor that reflects the heritage of Arras or the Arrageois region, or indeed the Hauts-de-France region, into the design of a B&B can greatly enhance the authenticity of the experience offered to visitors.
Using local decorative elements not only decorates the B&B aesthetically, but also prolongs immersion in the region’s rich history and culture. For example, enlarging a photograph of the Place des Héros and/or the Grand’Place in Arras can serve as a reminder of how emblematic these two squares are of the city. It could also be an aerial photo of the Arras Citadel… it’s up to you to find the symbols of the city you want to hang on the wall. In addition to paintings, the inclusion of decorative objects specific to the region can add a personal and unique touch. This could be a miner’s lamp, a decorative object representing a belfry, etc.
Promoting the region’s tourist attractions
If they’re not coming on business, your guests will be delighted to have information about Arras’ tourist attractions in the B&B they’ve booked. Brochures and detailed maps of local points of interest, which you can obtain from the Arras tourist office, are an effective way of enhancing visitors’ experience of your B&B. Make sure these informative documents are up to date to reflect current options and rates. In addition to brochures, establishing collaborations with local tour guides that you can recommend to your visitors can greatly enrich their experience. In addition to the squares, you can encourage your visitors to visit all the emblematic places in Arras, such as the Wellington quarries, the Arras citadel and the places where it’s good to take a walk, such as along the Scarpe river or the large meadows.
C.S
