In praise of chambres d'hôtes

Château d'Yseron

Over the past few years the French have really fallen in love with le bed & breakfast. Very often they offer much bettern value and a more interesting experience than staying in a hotel. Prices start from around 50€ for a room for two with breakfast normally included in the price. You can, of course, pay considerably more if you stay in some of the châteaux chambres d'hôtes.

Here is a small selection of recommended Loire chambres d'hôtes:

Pays Nantais
Château d’Yseron (Olivier de Saint-Albin), 44330 Vallet
Tel (mobile): 06.10.76.54.28
Email: ostablin@wanadoo.fr
Site: pagesperso-orange.fr/olivier.stalbin/
Comfortable rooms in historic château with its own vineyard. We stayed there last September. See report here.

Anjou-Saumur
Le Clos des 3 Rois
13 rue du Bellay
49380 Thouarcé
Tél. : 02 41 66 34 04
Mobile: 06 99 91 95 20
Email: infos@closdes3rois.fr
Site: www.closdes3rois.fr
I haven’t stayed here but visited this well-appointed chambres d’hôtes in the centre of the small town of Thouarce, which is in the heart of the Bonnezeaux appellation.

La Grande Maison d'Arthenay, maison d'hôtes, bed and breakfast & wine tours
Rue de la Cerisaie, Arthenay, 49700 Les Verchers-sur-Layon
Telephone: 02.41.40.35.06
Email: resv@lagrandemaison.net
Site: www.lagrandemaison.net
Run by Micaela and Sue, this is another place that I have visited but not stayed at. La Grande Maison is between Doué la Fontaine and le Puy Notre Dame and I’m sure is a great place to stay especially if you intend to take advantage of your hosts local wine knowledge and contacts.

Ami Chenin,
37 rue de Beaulieu, 49400 Saumur
Tel: 02 41 38 13 17, mobile: 06 68 05 57 98
Email: ami.chenin@wanadoo.fr
Web: www.amichenin.com
Semi-troglodyte home run by Parisian refugees, France and Xavier Amat. We stayed here last October, see report here.

Touraine
Château le Gerfaut
37190 Azay le Rideau
Tel : 02 47 45 40 16
Email: contact@legerfaut.com
Site: www.legerfaut.com
Imposing château built in 1910 set in its own park to the east of Azay-le-Rideau. Stayed here a number of years ago – very comfortable and well-run. Only open for a limited period.

Le Moulin de Francueil
28 Rue du Moulin Neuf
37150 Francueil
Tel: 02.47.23.93.44
Email: moulinfrancueil@aol.com
Site: www.moulinfrancueil.com
Long established, elegant address with swimming pool some four or five kilometres from Château de Chenonceau. Visited but not stayed.

La Villa Marguerite
8 quai de la république - 20 rue Sully
41400 Montrichard
Tel: 02.54.32.76.67
Email: lavillamarguerite@free.fr
Web: lavillamarguerite.fr
On the waterfront at Montrichard, overlooking the River Cher and run by more refugees from Paris. This chambres d'hôtes charmed my wine writing colleague, Ned Halley, in May of this year.

Central Vineyards
Les Logis du Grillon (Pascal et Nadia Charpentier)
3 - 5 rue du Chantre
18300 Sancerre
Website: nadcharp.club.fr/sancerre.biz/index.htm
A warm welcome right in the heart of the old part of Sancerre, reasonably priced, you get free wifi and it's a short hop from the Vacherons' cellars.

Domaine de la Reculée (Elisabeth Gressin)
18250 Montigny
Tel: 02.48.69.59.18
Email: e.gressin@wanadoo.fr
Site: www.domainedelareculee.fr/
Deep in the countryside to the south of Montigny. We stayed a night there a couple of years ago – the rooms are comfortable but not de luxe – and had a very enjoyable evening with good food (table d'hôte) eating with the group of strangers who were staying the night.

La Chancelerie
Jacques et Nicole Audibert
5 Rue Hilaire Amagat
18300 Saint-Satur
Tel: 02.48.54.01.57
Website: www.la-chanceliere.com
Luxurious and stylish accommodation in Saint-Satur, just down the road from Sancerre.Ideal for a special weekend. Visited but not stayed. Wifi access.

La Gaudière

La Gaudière (Catherine and Dominique Friedlander)
18260 Dampierre-en-Crot
Tel: 02.48.73.84.46
Chambres d'hôtes run by another couple of Parisian refugees, deep in the peaceful northern Berry but ideally situated for those wishing to dine at the excellent Le Lièvre Gourmand in nearby Vailly-sur-Sauldre. Just one drawback – all the rooms are on the first floor and the stairs are steep without banisters or support, so difficult for someone with reduced mobility. We stayed there last month, click here for report.

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Over the past day or so have been organising a week's trip in August to some of the Loire's upper vineyards – will certainly include some vineyard visits but it is also to get to know the area better. Most of the time we'll be in chambres d'hôtes, so I hope to have some more addresses to add to this list.