Château Laborde Saint-Martin — Hotel in Blois

When we drove up to this pretty chateau hotel, right on the banks of the Loire, with several acres of gorgeous gardens running right down to the river and a charming hostess and host, we thought we had found a very special place. Unfortunately, not so. We had booked a double room which was billed as "Double room with private exterior bathroom". There was no ensuite room available, but we assumed that "private exterior bathroom" meant that the bathroom would be next door or just across the hall from our bedroom. What a mistake! When we checked in, we found that the bathroom was, in fact, shared with two other double rooms and was located about 30 feet away, down at the other end of a long corridor! There was no bath, just a tiny and very basic shower room. Back in our bedroom, the eaves were so low and sloping that we had to walk doubled over not to hit our heads on them! There were also a great many beams held in place with thick wooden pins with very sharp points, simply left sticking out and potentially very dangerous. In the UK, "'Elf and Safety" would have condemned the place immediately as too dangerous for overnight guests! We had to drag the bed into the centre of the room so we would not bash our heads on the very low eaves and ceiling when trying to get in or out of it! And the mattress was so hard, we had to cover it with a spare duvet to make it possible to sleep on it. This was all a great shame, as the French host and hostess are incredibly friendly and hospitable and speak excellent English. And, to be fair, breakfast was excellent, with delicious fresh baguettes and croissants, home-made jams and excellent strong coffee, and with our jovial and friendly host, who was constantly on hand, providing refills of everything. What a great pity about the sub-standard...

We had such a lovely 5-day stay at the Chateau. Our hosts went above and beyond to ensure we would feel comfortable. We truly felt like at home. The room was nice and tidy. We could even borrow a portacot, high chair and change mat during our stay which made things a lot easier. Our breakfast were delicious every morning. The Chateau is just a short drive away from the main town where we had dinner. We also enjoyed the Chateau's domain a lot where we could go for a walk, relax with our feet up in the grass, feed the chicks and the goats. Our hosts gave us great recommendations as to where to eat, have drinks, buy local wines, etc. Highly recommended and will definitely be back! Merci...

We just spent a very memorable weekend at Valérie and Nicolas' Château Laborde where we enjoyed their warm hospitality, the quiet of the Loire countryside, restful accomodations in "le petit parc," and a terrific French country breakfast served in the main house. Valérie and Nicolas can advise on the châteaux to visit (Amboise, Cheverny and Chambord are not far). And the charming Chaumont sur Loire is right nearby! We recommend a meal at the venerable but unpretentious Lion d'Or restaurant, just a stone's throw from the château! Superb foor, wonderful dining room, with a terrace for when the weather warms up! A marvelous stay, we recommend it for a visit to la...