Spending two or three days in the Loire Valley next summer en route to Provence from Paris by car. Have looked at a bunch of places to stay and Chateau des Ormeaux looks pretty great - anyone been there and care to share? Other thoughts? Don't want to spend a fortune (duh!)

Merci!
-msm4

I stayed there 4 nights about 6 weeks ago and loved it. We had room Rameau. The Chateau is very pretty in itself and the location outside of Amboise is fine as long as you have a car. Hosts are personable and will help out with area info and making reservations. Brekky is in a beautiful dining room at one big table with the other guests. It was great fun for us although it meant we never got out of the chateau as quickly in the morning as we meant to, due to the gabbing.

Two dogs (nice big yellow lab - Vick- and a quiet little pug) and two cats (tuxedo Olga and grey/blue Misty Grey) share the chateau with owners and guests and I thought it wonderful, but could see that those with fears or allergies might have an issue.

We thought the experience was fabulous and so did every other guest we met while there. Emmanuel, especially, was warm and friendly and had a few moments to sit with us and a couple of other guests one night with a few bottles of the chateau made wine.

We paid 120e per night for our room and considered it a good deal!

Thanks, Cheesehead for your helpful post! We love animals (have dog, cat, lizard, frog at home) and so cats and dogs are a big plus. Sounds perfect, and thanks again!

I just returned from a week in the Loire Valley and stayed at Le Manoir des Minimes which is spectacular. The manor is just beautiful (drove to Chateau des Ormeaux as I was deliberating between the two. Def prefer the location of Minimes as it;'s very central, yet away from the tourist centre (which is tiny) of Amboise. The hosts are lovely, the attention to detail amazing, and their recommendations for restaurants in the area is great. Would def recommened Le Pavilion de Lys which has an exceptional tasting menu at a very reasonable price (34 Euro). Good luck and happy travels!

Just wanted to chime in with another positive review of Chateau Des Ormeaux. We absolutely loved it-- I'd go back in a heartbeat. Gorgeous grounds and rooms, very gracious service, great location, wonderful food (be sure to make reservations for their bi-weekly dinner). This place is in a class of its own. If you end up staying there, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Thanks, again, everyone! After having to skip a trip to la belle France last summer as well as this one, we are still thinking of Ch. des Ormeaux for next summer. Really appreciate your insights and will keep you posted.

Does that mean they only serve dinner twice a week?
Can one reserve dinner out there if you are not staying there?

Dinner at the Chateau is sporadic, to say the least. It depends on how many of the inn keepers are there, and how many guests are interested. We would have liked to have dinner, but it was not offered in the April timeframe we were there.

The website says "Candlelit supper is proposed exclusively to our guests in the dining room of the Château", so I suspect the do not offer a meal to non-guests.

It was a great spot for a stay even without dinner!

We were there in the month of October and they were offering the dinner on Weds. and Sat. nights. You should ask about it when you make your reservation, because I believe they only do the dinner if enough guests are interested. The chateau owners cook it themselves- multiple courses, served with local wines, so it's a special thing. There was also a reception before the dinner where the owners introduced all the guests to each other and started us all chatting, which was great.

bookmarking!