Tried booking Hotel des Recollets in Sarlat for 5 nights in mid-to-late September, but they are fully booked (a group booking apparently).

They recommended to me the Hotel la Couleuvrine. Does anyone know this place? Any comments please? It is less central than des Recollets (by the NE wall of the town), but I guess Sarlat is not so big that that's necessarily a problem.

I have approached them and they have rooms available, but all they offered me was a half-board option (bed+breakfast+dinner) even though their website says they have "room only" rates as well. I've gone back to them about this, but meantime would appreciate anything people can tell me about this hotel.

We stayed here in September 2007 and really, really enjoyed it. It is a family run place. And though their English was pretty limited, they were very accommodating and the food was high quality. We wouldn't hesitate to stay here again.

Just a 5-10 minute walk down the little back street filled with wonderful food aromas (charcuterie with roasting chickens on the spit on one side and a Coffee Torefaction on the other)and you are on the main square. There was unmetered parking just across the way, which we really appreciated.

We just stayed there one night so I don't remember getting the benefit of a demi-pension, but that is generally a better deal, and I don't think it is unusual in August for most highly touristed places to require this... not so sure it's the norm come Sept. Formal dining room is very charming, cuisine "Terroir" and breakfast was fresh and had a nice selection.

I would highly recommend Room #1. It is a little more expensive, but is a large room off on the side of the building which has its own gated entry with balcony/patio from which you can sit with your breakfast or an apératif and watch the world go by. It is handicapped accessible so the large bathroom's shower is not "contained"-if that might bother you.
It has a second bed in a separated area that would ideal for a family situation. We liked that it also had the full length "volets" that you could close/lock at night and keep the door open for air if you wished or close to block out any street noise (or sunshine if you're light sensitive for sleeping)

I would be glad to email you pictures. Just let me know at [email protected]

We had always stayed at Beynac before, and were very happy this time in Sarlat. It's what everyone says it is.

Thank you Klondike for your reply. La Couleuvrine does indeed look a very nice place, and the person I am corresponding with by email seems friendly. However, since my first posting I have heard again from them. It turns out they are not “offering” us a demi-pension – they are "insisting" on it! (For 25-29 September?)

Unfortunately this is not acceptable to us. I take your point about it being good value, but it would seem an incredible waste to us to travel halfway round the world (we live in Australia) at tremendous expense, and be touring the Dordogne region every day, only to have to rush back from wherever we might be, to our same hotel for dinner every night. We want to be free to enjoy different dining experiences - in different villages even - each night.

I have responded to la Couleuvrine offering to commit ourselves to bed and breakfast every night, at an appropriate rate. Hopefully they will see a 5-night booking on that basis as business worth having. If not, I regret we shall have to look elsewhere. A shame, but the commitment they are seeking really would be unthinkable.

Now that my first choice (des Recollets) and their suggested alternative seem to be out of the picture, I would welcome any other suggestions for around the same price range but without the demi-pension restriction. Thank you…

Hello! I just thought I would let you know that we are staying in Sarlat at les Cordeliers. We are going in May, so I cannot tell you we have stayed there yet, but it got great reviews on Trip Advisor, and our correspondence with them has been very kind. They offer a bed and breakfast option. Good luck and have a great trip!

Ash39

Some years ago, I stayed at the Hostellerie de Meysset, about 2 miles NW of Sarlat in the hamlet of Argentouleau. It is a lovely inn/restaurant in the hills surrounding Sarlat. Great food, lovely dining room and fabulous views of the Vezere Valley.

http://www.hotels-sarlat-perigord.co...requestedPdt=5

Hope this helps..

I have stayed at the Hotel de la Madeleine and while I would not gush about the place, it was just fine for us. The in-town location is fantastic. And because it is at the edge of the old city, it is easy to reach by car. If you want more details let me know..


http://www.hoteldelamadeleine-sarlat.com/

We've stayed at the Couleuvrine and have had several meals there. Highly recommended. Not fancy, but comfortable if small rooms, and a GREAT dining room. If by any chance the chef/owner puts a lemon tart on the menu, well...

Hi T,

>It turns out they are not “offering” us a demi-pension – they are "insisting" on it! (For 25-29 September?)

Sept is still high season for that area.

Have you considered the properties listed at www.logis-de-france.fr/uk/ for Sarlat and surroundings.

We look for 2 chimneys and 2-3*

We loved Beynac-et-Cazenac.

La Rocque Gageac is also on the river.

Also Domme, Castelnaud la chapelle, St Cyprien and Vezac.

Hope this helps.

My husband & I have also stayed (twice) in the Hotel de la Madeleine and were satisfied with the accommodations. We asked for a quiet interior room. La Madeleine served a lovely breakfast buffet which included fruits & full-bodied French coffee! When we stayed there last (2003), they had a private parking garage (fee) a few blocks away. We were in Sarlat in busy July so it was great not to have to worry about parking!

Good luck!

2010

And they also have a very good restaurant. In May we were able to find free parking on the street.

Many thanks everyone for your helpful suggestions. I have heard back from la Couleuvrine and they have rejected my B&B compromise. A pity, but....

They recommended la Lion d'Or - because it has no restaurant! Why they think our reluctance to be committed to dining back at the same hotel every night means we don't want a restaurant in our hotel at all, I can't imagine! But I can find little on the internet about la Lion d'Or in Sarlat, and I think I would rather pursue some of the options people have suggested here on this thread anyway. So again, thanks.

Hello twoflower,

I stayed in Sarlat for two nights in May 2007 at Hotel de Compostelle. It's modern, and well-placed in regards to the city centre, with a laundromat just down the street, and a lovely restaurant just across the road. (Forgive me, I've forgotten the name) There is also a decent crepe place just up the little side street beside the hotel.
This hotel has a generous breakfast, that you can take in a very nice room, or out on the lovely terrace. The Web address is www.hotelcompostelle-sarlat.com.
An added bonus: there is AC in the rooms.
Unsolicited Sarlat restaurant recommendation: Le Presidial. Yummy food, with a quiet outdoor seating area. There was a chocolate dessert on the menu that I would have crawled through the dessert for.

Bon voyage!

Sorry, that's "crawled through the DESERT for". Just when you think you've done enough proofreading...

The meal that we had at the Hotel la Couleuvrine fell short of the mark for us. I give the chef props for trying to be original but the menu didn't quite work IMO. The hotel is central enough..very short walk from the centre.

We fell in love with the town of La Roque-Gageac. The Hotel Belle Etoile is another Logis hotel I believe. We had two very nice meals there. It is well placed to visit the main sites of the area.

Good luck with your search

We, a party of two couples, stayed at La Madeleine and appreciated both the location and the convenience of a car park. I thought our stay at the hotel was very comfortable.
Deborah

Hotel des Recollets (it had been our first choice) has recommended we try the Hotel Montaigne. Does anyone know it? It is at the S end of the medieval town in the Place Pasteur. (There are several hotels there, I believe, including a Logis-de-France establishment called Saint-Albert).

OK - it's done! We've gone for les Cordeliers. Looks beautiful on the website.

For future reference, for anyone interested. The matter (above) of la Couleuvrine insisting on half-board rather than room-only?

Well, I got on the logis-de-france website and by chance discovered la Couleuvrine there. (I hadn't known it was a ldf property). As a matter of curiosity I began an online booking (right through to the credit card stage) through the ldf's booking system, and it confirmed availability of a room on a B&B basis only for the dates I wanted.

Seems there may be rules they have to follow to be listed as a ldf property, and they just apply the more rigorous half-board conditions only to those booking via other channels?

Worth noting for future reference?