THE MEDIA'S POINT OF VIEW
We warmly thank the journalists for their impartial reporting of our unique concept: many thanks to you all!
(radio reportage) | (julio 2007) |
Press the green play button just below to listen to the report.
France 2 report |
July 08
CELIVACANCES
Three holiday cottages, situated in an old farm in the Charente-Maritime, accommodating depending on the cottage between 5 to 12 people ... in a community. Mixing is considered 'de rigueur', but girls and boys have separate bedrooms ...
A cook prepares meals on site, and supervisers take charge of the activities such as jet skiing [etc.]. A real adult community! Your only obligations: to be single and smiling! And as the manager Estelle Steffen says, "the possibilities of leaving here as a couple are high!"
A new villa [...] will open in Djerba (Tunisia) at the beginning of August [...]
www.celivacances.com
2008 - 2009
Célivacances: The alternative for singles!
Finally something new for singles ... ! Both long stays and weekends are offered by this new company : Singles holidays, but with a completely relaxed atmosphere!
No obligations and no large groups, just a specially designed small community having their holiday far from the usual 'package deals'. Quite simply: the holiday you've been waiting for...
Célivacances is situated no far from Royan in the Charente-Maritime, at the heart of the Cognac region. The holidays take place in an entierly renovated old farm to house singles. A cottage with an exposed stone wall, and tradional decoration. What a nice idea!
Throughout the year, you will be able to participate in personally organised events, or have an adventure, and who knows - you might even meet your soul mate. But that's not all, the site founder has thought of the smallest of details: guests sign up and are then classed according to their profile (20 years old, 30 years old, 60 years old, single parent family) in short, everything! And once you are there, no constraining obligations are imposed, you choose the type of activities you want (sporty or not).
Attention all singles, jaded by a club atmosphere and who just want to enjoy themselves on holiday without having to worry about who is going with who, or who is single and desperate!
Célivacances offers simple and friendly holidays that group together a small community of people, and perhaps allows singles to meet their soul mate...
www.celivacances.com
(March 11th, 2008)
Holidays for singles
Weekends reserved for “solos” by Myriam Faure
... discovering Charente -Maritime's beaches and other destinations: this is the suggestion of some websites as Celivacances. Their mission: organising holidays or weekends reserved for singles. This concept has not been invented by travel agencies but by individuals who just thought about it one day: “I was myself single when Celivacances was created and I noticed that there was no holidays made for us”, explains Estelle Steffen, who founded a holiday centre in Royan. In Celivacances, nobody is put on the side: community is the most important, based on the summer camp model but for adults in a ancient farm renovated in lofts. No need to go shopping, the organizers take charge of everything. It is about 500 euros a week, with the meals, the accommodation, and about ten activities included. Celivacances also organizes holidays reserved for single-parents with their children.
Personally adapted program
In Celivacances, the “all inclusive” does not exist, everybody is free to choose the activities he wants: your holiday is made-to-measure... the goal is simple: to enable you to invent your own holiday, with nothing imposed to you. On the beach, the singles can try canoeing, jet skiing or sand yachting whereas in the country they would rather try tree climbing, cycling or quad biking... In a friendly atmosphere, mealtimes are shared in common, and the singles have also some free time to get new relationships. Celivacances warns up: “We are not a flirting supermarket; our goal is to help single's to get new relationships so they can break with their daily routine and enjoy activities they don't use to do because they are alone”. No speed dating or other kinds of games to look for your better half: sometimes magic is here ... or not!
Holidays for singles, this is the new era of holidays personally adapted for singles. The good addresses to get some romance in your holidays.
Some advice to enjoy your holidays
“great atmosphere”, “lots of laughs”, “welcomed concept”, ... Coming back from holiday goes with lots of kind of thanks. For some of them, a mere dating becomes a surprising love story. Laura and Anthony can testify. They met in july 2006 during their holidays in Celivacances. Despite a 600-km distance which separates them since the end of their holiday, a great love story is born that will be materialized by a wedding in July 2008. The future bride advices: “just come as you are with no goal, except having fun...”
(sept. 2008)
Holiday fun for singles
If you're single and your idea of a great holiday is making new friends, check out Célivacances. Based near Royan, Célivacances offers weekend breaks and longer holidays for people all ages who want to enjoy good food, try a new activity and be part of a fun group.
Groups are evenly split male/female, with specialised breaks on offer for lone parents.
Submit your profile at www.celivacances.com to sign up for breaks with like-minded people !
(sept. 2008)
In good company
Holidaying alone in France can seem a bit daunting for some but with the help of singles holidays company Célivacances it need not be case.your profile at www.celivacances.
Year-round weekend breaks and holidays, geared at a variety of age groups, are on offer at the accomodation which is based near Royan in Charente-Maritime.
For full details log on to www.celivacances.com
(2006)
Tell your neighbour
30 guys and birds in a loft... What happens? Well, welcome to the first holiday centre just made for singles, sorted out according to their age bracket, and having fun and perhaps find their beloved for a week end or a week! It's Celivacances, it's new, it's funny and ideal when you want to come back with somebody when you are alone! You can't get bored in Celivacances, that suggests sporting activities, classic or sensational ones... but you can choose a similar program with your partner if you are involved in a love affair. The program: sand yachting, cooking class, plane piloting initiation, discovering the area, wine-tastingÂ…Everything is possible and there are many activities! The centre is located near Royan in Charente-Maritime and divided in 4 lofts that can accommodate 30 persons(*)! The goal is not to be transformed into a business of love, but just to offer an ideal and private place to meet people! Excellent summer plan for a love story!
> Read the article on NightLife website.
(2007)
Green spaces, good table with good food and mates...
(...) Nature is your passion? Here again, traveling professionals have thought about everything. Celivacances and its famous concept, suggests singles to hire a house on the beach or in the country. With that concept of loft houses shared with the other singles, Celivacances enables single people to meet new friends who share the same concerns. To make easier the exchanges, mealtimes, which are made by a chef with organic products are shared in common. Celivacances also proposes holidays reserved for single parents with their children so that everybody can enjoy his holidays peacefully and complex free.
(2006)
Friendships and perhaps you will find a match
Everything has been thought for the singles eager to meet people, even friendly relationships. You were dreaming about Big Brothers, Celivacances realized it. In an ancient farm renovated in lofts, 5 to 10 singles of same generation live together, 24/7 during a week end or more. An attractive experience for all the work addicts who are too short of time to organize their holidays.
(may 2006)
Thanks to Celivacances, come as a single and come back with your beloved!
If you are looking for the destination of your next holidays hoping that the Prince Charming had the same idea, just try Celivacances, the first holidays centre that accommodates singles according to their age bracket for a week end or a week. The menu: sporting activities, from classic ones to sensational ones. Initiation to piloting, cultural visits, discovering the region, wine tasting, everything is possible! Located near Royan (Charente-Maritime), Celivacances has 4 lofts that is to say a 30 person accommodation at the most. The goal is to create a private and friendly atmosphere. There are also special offers for single parents with their children.
(july 2007)
A holidays center just for singles
Nights in family are organised, so why not nights for singles? It is the credo of a new business: Celivacances, in Saint André de Lidon in Charente-Maritime, one hour and a half away from La Rochelle and Angoulême, 45 min from Cognac. The singles participating choose according to their taste, wine tasting, cooking, sports, sand yachting, walking, jet skiing... the accommodation is right there in an old farm renovated in lofts.
(20/07/07) |
Like Big brother but between the videocameras
By Frederic Zabalza
Gilbert has left. The woman he fixed his choice on chose a younger man. Deeply hurt, he packed his suitcase and left earlier Celivacances, the holiday organism reserved for singles in Saint André de Lidon, a few kilometers away from Royan. “You must behave a little like a psycologist. Here, the adults become teenagers again. Sometimes, there are broken hearts, like the teens” says Estelle Steffen, the manager of this “summer camp” reserved for big kids.
Put at ease
Celivacances opened in 2005 and found quickly a public. Internet, a few press articles in (women) magazines and the word of mouth attract every week singles from all the parts of France in this peaceful and quiet place near Royan. The centre welcomes 5 age brackets (20-35, 30-45, 40-55, 50-65, and 60-70 years old) and also single parents with children. “We have a few of them. It is still a taboo, single parents do not dare to bring their children” notices the manager. Gilbert's group is in the 40-55 age bracket. Before this unlucky man decided to leave, equality between men and women was rigorously respected. “I found Celivacances on the web” explains Pascale. “I was looking for people in the same situation. I gave a ring to Estelle and she put me at ease immediately. Here, the time goes by very quickly. We do whatever we want, we are groomed and everybody respects each other”. The ice is quickly broken between the singles, who share (men on one side and women in the other side) bedrooms in an old renovated farm, where before was produced Cognac. “It is like Big Brother but without cameras and without any scandal! ” jokes Estelle Steffen.
Cool attitude
No swimming pool, there is no use when the beach of Royan is a few minutes away by car. Celivacances suggests more than thirty sporty or cultural activities: Ildleness in the garden, sand yachting and tasting of typical products in Oleron Island. “Last year, I went to a camping reserved for singles in Ardèche” tells Laurent, 41. “The manager was an ex service-man and you could feel it in the atmosphere. Morever, we were 32 and had to be in charge of our needs! Here, we chill and enjoy”. People meet during the activities or the meals prepared by the chef Alain Bridier. “I did not come to look for someone but then... ” and then Patricia, coming from Brittany, found Laurent, “It is the icing on the cake”, Patricia says, “but for the future, I don't worry anyway. There is a great atmosphere and that's all that matters now”
Two weddings
May Gilbert be unhappy, his mates had great fun this week. On Saturday, day to leave, they exchange with a heartache, their photos, emails, and maybe phone numbers. “Since Celivacances opened, we counted two weddings!” declared Estelle Steffen. “12% couples were created in 2005, 30% in 2006 and more than 60 % for the moment. However, we did nothing to make that happen, the centre is not a matrimonial agency”
> Read the article on the blog of Sud Ouest.
(since 2005)
A few words form the manager (it is a woman!)
I noticed this problem with my friends, singles for a long time. They had no idea where to go, what to do, with who for the week end or for holidays. When you are alone, you are not peaceful. I wanted to find them an idea of holidays, matching with their profile. After research and thoughts, I found some villages/ night clubs existing, rather tendentious, but they were not meeting my friends' expectations, or they were overcrowded, so they would have found themselves all alone, drowned in the number of persons. I found them trendy clubs but either you have to be sporty to follow the rythm or you might accept to play gooseberry or to eat alone at a table as it is not reserved for singles.
With Celivacances, here it's done: women (as men actually) are more peaceful, they are with people in the same situation as they are. The singles can choose the activities they want. They cannot get bored but if they want to, they can rest. Celivacances won that bet!
Then I had to take risks, as I knew that my concept was new, and I had completely no idea of the result. I did not hesitate, especially because I was born on March 8th, Women's day: I had to take care of them!I decided to take care of single ones.
> Read the article on the website of Objectif Beauté.
(16/06/06) |
Le Figaro and you
(Â…) The most important is to make people meet instead of passing each other, as usually in clubs " declared Estelle Steffen, Celivacances' creator. Here, lofts are settled in an old farm with the possibility to welcome five to ten bachelors, gathered by age. People in their thirties or sixties, lone parents with their children, anybody can find the perfect week or week end. The fridge is full, more than thirty activities are suggested and nobody is left apart. We welcome many stressed and busy people, who have much work and have no time left to meet people. Here they find friends and sometimes even more. What they like most is being together 24/7. We are very far from virtual datings on the internet.
(from 10/06 to 16/06/06) |
Celivacances' concept reminds Big Brother's one but without cameras. The participants live all together for a week or a week end in a big house. The holidays are thematic, wine tasting, relaxation, culture and all the activities corresponding. The ones who miss summer camps can't miss it.
(from 18/02 to 24/02/06) |
In a farm renovated in lofts, groups of four to eight singles are welcomed according to their age. Just for a week end or a week, every one puts down his suitcases and gets to know each other, shares the same activities, tries the dating, organises a game or dance night ... The lofts' roommates are free to organise their stay just like they want to. The most important is to make relationships and why not more if there is chemistry ... “The customers can share they passion peacefully”; “Summer camp spirit (all in a loft in Royan) with nights... ”
(from 26/09 to 02/10/05) |
Everybody is back to work? Take advantage of it to go have fun. Perhaps you will find your beloved, (...) in this farm renovated near Royan, the first week of the month is reserved for the 20-30 years-old, the second for the 30-40 years-old etc... During the day, six activities are possible from karting to stretching. By night, dating and dancing nights...
(from 26/09 to 02/10/05) |
For singles only
A better way to find your beloved than speed dating: Celivacances. Week ends or holidays in an old farm in Charente-Maritime in a friendly atmosphere. Stays are classified by age brackets.
(*) Error: Celivacances has 17 places, 27 from May 2008,
so 3 lofts in which this great atmosphere is already there!