jsd125

My wife and I will be spending 5 days in the Loire Valley. We would like a hotel that is in Blois or Amboise (other suggestions are welcome too) rather than on that is in the countryside. While we will have a car, we want to be able to walk to shops and restaurants rather than be dependent on the car for everthing we do. Any suggestions out there?

Thanks,

Jay

Travelnut

Amboise:
Le Manoir les Minimes
www.manoirlesminimes.com/

My review:
Le Manoir les Minimes is very well located for car travel, just off D751 in Amboise, with guest parking. You can walk to pedestrian center of Amboise, the chateau and Clos Luce very easily. LMLM is a very nice inn, warmly decorated and the staff is very cordial and efficient. The 11E breakfast is a glorified continental but we still took it as we prefer to eat and have coffee before leaving hotel for the day. (the breakfast was very good - breads, jams, honey, coffee, juice, grapes, cereal, yogurt, etc). There is a giant dog on the premises (Briard?) but he is very calm and quiet. Our room was a king bed with a bath (wc in a separate 'room'), minibar, table w/2 chairs, armoire, chest of drawers, angled beams (watch your head!), etc. View of chateau from dormer-style windows. Very roomy and immaculate.

Others' comments:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34592217

nonnafelice

We're just back from a stay at Le Clos d'Amboise, which we'd highly recommend. It also has free parking and is well located in Amboise. It doesn't have river views, but is a good bit cheaper than Le Manoir, and our rooms (we were with another couple) were beautiful. You can see my trip report here: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34622843
and photos, including pictures of the hotel here:
http://www.rozault.com/France2005

The URL for the hotel is:
http://www.leclosamboise.com/

Laidback

We stayed at Le Vieux Manior in Amboise and loved it----www.le-vieux-manior.com ------You can walk all around the city and leave your car parked at the manior. We stayed in Colette while our daughter and her family stayed in Le Maison de Gardien. The breakfast was wonderful. We want to go back but we haven't headed in that direction lately.

cmcfong

Add my vote for Manoir de Minimes. We stayed in room 11 and loved it. Glorious views of the river and bridge, especially at night. Very charming. One suggestion, skip the hotel breakfast and have your coffee, etc in town. Bon voyage.

cmcfong

PS the Briard is Olga and she is a love.