Château de Ternay — Hotel in Châtellerault

We stayed at the Chateau de Ternay as part of our Loire Valley trip. We wanted somewhere on the west side of Tours to explore the chateaus on that side and then stayed east of Tours for the more eastern chateaus. We drove from Mont St. Michel via Saumur and we were happy to have the GPS as we used a lot of backroads. Upon arrival to the chateau we were wowed at how beautiful it was on the outside. The owner, Loic, was working outside and showed us where to park our car and then we rang the bell and Caroline, his wife, greeted us. The chateau is built around a lovely courtyard. Caroline showed us the room where we could sit in the evening as well as the breakfast area and said we were their only guests that evening. Then we went up 60 steps of a beautiful stone staircase to our lovely room in one of the towers. We really loved the room which was spacious and had a lovely view of the grounds. The bed was large and comfortable and there was a large desk which we later found out had belonged to one of Loic's ancestors. The bathroom had double sinks and a small but adequate shower. We felt like we were going back in time as the chateau is not new and shiny but is old and authentic. We loved it. The only drawback of the room on the third floor is that if you need something downstairs you have to all the way down to the ground floor. There is no phone in the room or any way to reach the owners except to go down to the courtyard and ring a bell. I believe there are ground level room(s)? however. If you are unable to handle 60 steps then it would probably be good to make sure you have a ground level room as there are no elevators. There was a nice guide in the room about the walking trails around the chateau along with a map. We really enjoyed exploring the beautiful grounds and loved that the two beautiful dogs went along with us. The breakfast was in the beautiful and very old dining room with heaters pumping as the chateau is a little chilly in May. The chateau is out of the way so if you want to eat dinner outside of the chateau you would have to drive several mies to get to a restaurant. We opted to have dinner at the chateau (40 Euro pp) on our second night. Count Loic and Countess Caroline joined us in the sitting room for the appertif which consisted of chips and nuts and sparkling wine (at no extra charge). We really enjoyed chatting with them and loved learning more about the chateau. We ate at three different chateaus on our trip and this was really the best of the three (the others were good but this one was outstanding). Caroline is a wonderful cook. We had veal stew with rice, a lovely salad, a cheese plate and a tasty tart for dessert as well as a carafe of red wine (again at no extra charge). We ate in the sitting room at a small table by candlelight off of the family crested plates and used the old siver cutlery. It was all delicious and oh so romantic. I forgot to mention the bread that we had with breakfast and dinner .....it was omg good!! Loic explained that all of the family treasures had been hidden in a hidden room in the chateau when the Germans occupied the chateau during WW II. The last morning Loic took us on a private tour of the chateau. So much of the chateau is historical and hasn't been modernized. We especially enjoyed the chapel and the artwort and we really loved this place. If you are looking for a modernized chateau with room service etc. that has been totally restored then this isn't the place for you. If you are looking for an authentic chateau that shows some wear and tear because of its age with a family history of 600 years then you will...

I had to write a review for our stay at the Chateau since it seems there have been several low star reviews that were not accurate. We had a long drive from Paris that put us at the chateau very late in the evening. We were kindly accommodated and warmly welcomed! At breakfast the next morning (a wonderful, traditional French breakfast of pastry, baguettes with a variety of jellies, options for yogurt, juice, tea and coffee), we were given helpful advice about things to do in the area as well as maps and literature. The following day we enjoyed a leisurely walk around the paths through the woods on the property (accompanied by the owners sweet dog, which we loved). We were also given a personal tour of the chateau which was made even more interesting because our guide was actually able to say “this is a portrait of my great-great grandmother”! It is true there was no television or internet in our room (it is available in the main sitting room), but who cares? Our family came to France to explore, see history and be out in the beautiful countryside. This place was so beautiful and peaceful, and for the large rooms, which are so beautifully decorated with stunning views, the price was absolutely a bargain. Our three day stay at Chateau de Ternay was our family’s favorite stop of our two week tour. I cannot recommend...

When we had an overnight stay in 2017,we decided to return for the next special occassion. So my big birthday proved just right. Arriving on a hot June day, we were pleased to enter the coolness of the chateau. Our room faced the park and gave us plenty of space, even with the enormous bed. The bright and modern bathroom also was roomy.Down to have our pre-dinner aperitifs on the terrace with the Count and Countess. They were as charming as we remembered them from our previous stay.The Loire sparkling wine and nibbles went doen well. Then it was time for dinner.||Over the two days we had a beautiful selection of dinners prepared by the Countess. These ranged from parawn and smoked salmon starters to duck breast, and another day coq au vin.Desserts like tarts onto local cheeses, and all accompanied by Saumur wines from a grower in the village.All excellent and enjoyed in the medieval dining room on histotical plates with added candlelight.||Before leavbing on our last morning we enjoyed a tour of the chateau given by the Count. A few centuries of history came alive before our eyes. What a storyuteller. This had been a wonderful stay and we highly recommend it to anyone who wants something different from the normal modern hotel.Thanks again...