Château des Grotteaux

We found the Chateau Grottaux on the Internet and didn't know what to expect. We were extremely surprised how beautiful the castle and the whole area is. The owners take great care of their guests and try to make their stay as pleasant as possible. The rooms are large and some of them are furnished in antique style; our room Zeus had old paintings from the castle's original period on the walls. The swimming pool is a dream; we will never forget our morning swim - all alone in a large pool. The breakfast is lovingly prepared and leaves nothing to be desired. Overall, we can only recommend the stay; it's a pity we were only there for such a short time. Good luck to the owners!

It was our fifth hotel in five nights, and while it wasn't as expensive as some of the other hotels, we saved the best for last. We pulled in through the private gated entrance and drove down the long driveway to find the breathtaking, Chateau looking better than it did online. The staff welcomed us and made us feel at home. We were given a quick tour to see the beautiful, charming decor of the living room (with casual Hermes blankets draped over beautiful sofas) and breakfast room. Our room was beautiful, clean and serene. The views out every window were calming. We could see the river from our bedroom window with a vineyard behind it! My wife took photos of the room to use as inspiration for our own house. The bed was really comfortable with clean, soft linens and great pillows. The bathroom didn't feel dated at all and gave my wife space for all her stuff! The breakfast the next day was delicious. There was a full spread that was better than any of the previous hotels at which we stayed. The owner came out and visited with us. He offered to make recommendations and made us feel like we were at home. He spoke perfect English and was patient with me as I tried to speak French. After breakfast we walked the grounds and had another cup of coffee in the garden behind the Chateau with the river in the background. We wish that we had stayed there another night, so we could have spent the day by the pool. The area around the pool was beautifully kept and inviting. We will return to this hotel on our next trip to France. I don't write reviews often, but when expectations are blown out of the water, it's hard not to celebrate people who are doing things right! The owner and staff work hard to provide their guests with memorable experiences, and I could not recommend this hotel more!

The highlight of our six weeks in France culminating with a week visiting the Loire chateaux was our three-night stay at Chateau des Grotteaux. We chose the chateau because of it's proximity to Chateau de Chambord and it's elegantly furnished rooms, but what made our stay most memorable was the gracious hospitality of our very affable hosts Gael and Cecile du Halgouet. We felt very special and simultaneously like family. Gael's excellent tour of the chateau transported us back centuries with its historical connections to Chateau de Chambord. The breakfast, augmented by Cecile's home-made baking, was sumptuous and our accommodations in the chapelle were extremely comfortable. Riding our bikes from the park-like setting of the chateau, down the country lanes to Chateau de Chambord was a real treat and highly recommended for riders who are transporting their own bikes. We would also like to thank Eleanor, an art history major who helped manage our visit, for her wonderful support. In summary, our tour of Chambord was totally enhanced by our stay at Chateau des Grotteaux which is the dream that this wonderful family of note-worthy French lineage loves to share with their visitors. Andy and Lee

Spend a weekend at a chateau in the Loire - hard to find anything that sounds much better than that! But this exceeded expectations. The property itself is lovely and genuine, but what really makes it is the hosts. The owners were essentially a fantastic concierge service - they gave us great advice both before and during our stay on what to do in the area and then helped us carry it out. We speak a bit of French, but their English is perfect and so language was definitely not a barrier. They recommended restaurants, found a guide for a tour of Chambord, and tried mightily to find some wine tasting for us on a Sunday afternoon (when all wineries are closed). They also spent nearly two hours giving us a fascinating tour of the chateau. I would definitely recommend and also return!