I’m off to France for 10 days in a months time, no real route planned, I’m just going to wing it, but what would be handy is some hotel recommendations from anyone that has stayed in some nice hotels over there. I’m a foodie, so think chateaus with fantastic restaurants, the hotel has to have a swimming pool, and decent parking. Ideally in the middle of nowhere, town centre hotels leave me cold. I’ll be on my own, so don’t have a budget to stick to, so what stand out hotels would you guys recommend, and I’ll see if I can add it to the list?
Here are a few… Hotel de la Poste, Corps, on Route Napoleon just north of Gap. Corps is a small village. Great food. No pool, but big lake nearby. Domaine de l’Orangerie, Bonnat, north of Gueret in the Creuze region. Has a pool. Great food. Near a motorsports circuit! Hotel le Bourguignon, Bezes, Dijon. No pool. Rural. Great food. BIG on meats. Probably not suitable for vegans or veggies. Auberge de Barronies, L’Epine, Serres, west of Gap. Tiny. Nothing to look at. Definitely no pool. Boy, can the owner cook! Hotel La France, Aubusson, west of Clermont-Ferrand. No pool, small town centre, very old. Great restaurant. A pool is not very high on my list of requirements. Good food on the other hand…
Pools in France are becoming an issue. Drought and all that means that many were empty last year. Don’t expect this year to be any better.
If you are going far enough south, and are flush, The Lowes Hotel in Monte Carlo is ace. It’s now called the Fairmont. Roof top pool, casino, right in the Lowes Hairpin and built above the tunnel. Spoil yourself. https://www.fairmont-montecarlo.com/en/
Ive always enjoyed my stay at hotel de la poste in langres. Nice town too. Small. Inside castle walls. Very french. I like that. Oh has a pool and secure bike parking and the staff are all bike freindly. They also have cute mutts roaming about.
Thanks guys, I’ll Google those. With the amount I’ll be eating and drinking, a pool is 100% necessary each day! Keep ‘em coming.
Don't trust online information and book. We found France 2/3rd closed last week, with many hotel facilities, including restaurants etc closed. Some of my favourite towns have regressed decades since Covid. Just call before committing.
I've been to La Glycine in Benouville a few times. The Restaurant is very good. You can walk off the food by walking down to Pegasus Bridge. La Phare in ouisterham is another good one
The Logis chain is usually pretty good and they have different categories some of which with Gourmand restaurants. https://www.logishotels.com/en/
Château De Blavou, Normandy. No pool but quite an experience. Family run, great chef, away from it all. We stayed in Suite Pithiviers, the bathroom is in one of the turrets. Part of last year's tour to Corsica with my GF. The night before we stayed in a converted cow shed. A trip of contrasts...
Allow me to recommend this place in les Gorges du Tarn (St Enimie) called Château de La Caze. Absolutely fantastic place, food, location, swimming pool, etc… https://chateaudelacaze.com/
This is very nice, not a chateau but family run, great food, pool, spa etc. Well located for a run up the Lot valley, or enroute for Tarn Gorge ^^^ https://www.latruitedoree.fr/ btw, the river is full of trout. You can see them under the bridge, with some larger fish coming in at dusk from the main river.
Also used the Logis Hotel Des Sources in Troyes for an overnight on way to Alps. Good halfway stop. Not eaten there but theres a restaurant next door thats pretty good. Also has secure parking.
Bear in mind France is still in the throes of strikes re the pension reforms. It seems 6-8 June is going to be noisy and the Parliament will debate changes to the pension reform bill including doing away with it altogether. Might get tasty in the weeks after.
I stayed here some years ago when I went to the Ducati Club de France 25th Anniversary at the nearby Circuit Val de Vienne. Not a very picturesque building but has a great pool, next to the aforementioned Vienne river. South of Poitiers. https://www.logishotels.com/en/hote...F68JF6l44SwqrtpyF6iz8gRrJy1BR49RoCIuUQAvD_BwE
