Maison d'Autrefois — Hotel in Orléans

We were looking for somewhere to stay overnight in Orleans but did not want the usual 'motel' experience. We were very fortunate to find the Maison D'Autrefois and it's kind hosts Francois and Olga. The rooms are amazing with so many fascinating antique items, each carefully labelled and Francois is ready to discuss any you might find interesting.||The room was ideal for our family of four (2 adults, 2 children) with ensuite bathroom. A delicious breakfast was prepared and ready for us at 08:00 as requested and included many home-made conserves.||Although we arrived quite late in the evening, we were made welcome with a drink on the terrace. It was very easy to make the short drive (10 mins) into Orleans to see the cathedral and have dinner - and Francois kindly waited for our return. Parking was easy and included in the room rate.||I should also mention that we happened to forget something very precious in our room. Francois kindly called us on our journey south and we arranged to collect the items on our return later in the week. This completely took away any stress from something that could have been quite worrying - and it was nice to see the hosts again when we called in to collect.||Any downsides? The only thing that made me slightly nervous was with young children, I was concerned that we might damage any of the antiques but that said, I'm sure Francois would be very understanding.||All in all, I would very much recommend this place as somewhere that well situated for Orleans, has far more character than your average hotel and kind hosts who offer a warm welcome to...

I truly cannot decide if we loved or hated the place. On the PROs side, the host has an extraordinary collection of antiques, including such rarities as Edison phonograph, a Victor, variety of other music machines and all kinds of tools, instruments, decoration, etc. The place is pleasant enough, dinner was served with candle lights, breakfast was abundant and healthy. The courtyard is very cute, with antique signs and hens(fresh eggs!) and a rooster. Our room was clean and interestingly decorated, but the getting under the shower is an exercise in agility similar to Medieval torture – it's very difficult to get in and out and there is serious danger of slipping and/or falling. But what made it really difficult for us to like it, was the character of the host – ill-tempered, sulky, irritable, cantankerous, peevish, all apply. His wife is very sweet and tries to limit the damage, but I don't envy her. We had reasonably good dinner there and the wine was extra as well as overpriced: a simple local Pinot noir should now cost €13, it's ridiculous. I wish I could recommend you this place, so you can see the antiques collection, but in all...

We stayed for three nights so that we could visit some local chateaux. François and Olga were very welcoming even though we arrived extremely late in the evening. The house is full of collections of gramophones, coffee grinders, clocks. François is quite the collector. I would not recommend staying with young children, there are too many breakables around. François is quite the raconteur and has quite a dry wit, he loves to be the showman whereas Olga is very sweet and attentive, a gentle soul who prefers to stay in the background. The room was clean, the bed a little hard for my liking but that's just my opinion. The food was delicious, portions extremely generous. A great base for...