Val de Loire hotels: the most beautiful charm and luxury hotels

The best hotels in the Loire Valley

1. Fleur de Loire | Christophe Hay's new hotel and restaurant (2* Michelin)

On the banks of the Loire, close to Blois town center, this 5-star hotel was one of the highlights of 2022 in France. Initially famous for the gourmet table of 2-Michelin-starred chef Christophe Hay, in the restaurant he previously occupied 10 kilometers away, the establishment, housed in a historic building, makes a statement with its U-shape overlooking the river, its new outdoor pool and gardens. On the menu are superb modern rooms and suites with uncluttered decor, a cosy bar adorned with period stone pillars, a vast spa and indoor pool, an outdoor pool facing the Loire, an exceptional pastry kiosk and a second restaurant, "Amour Blanc", which completes the gastronomic offering.

What do we love? The masterly decor of the entire Fleur de Loire hotel, from the restaurant halls and public areas to the rooms and suites.

Good to know? Chef Christophe Hay is one of the most committed chefs of his generation. An ambassador for the Loire region, his gourmet restaurant uses fruit and vegetables from his extensive organic kitchen garden, meat from his own wagyu beef farm, truffles from his own truffle farm, game from the nearby Sologne region, and Loire fish (carp, pike, perch, but also barbel, catfish, roach, bleak, asp, mullet, etc.) bought from his own fisherman. He is committed to a remarkable ecological approach, limiting the impact of his restaurant on the environment (recycled crates, organic crockery, etc.).

Fleur de Loire
44 rooms and suites. From €350 per night.
Quai Villebois Mareuil, 41000 Blois

2. Château de l'Épinay | A château hotel in Anjou

Château de l'Épinay enjoys a privileged location just a few wheel turns from Angers. A member of the Hôtels & Préférence collection, this romantic 4-star hotel is housed in a 15th- and 18th-century château, parts of which date back to the 12th-century, no less! All this in the heart of a century-old park dotted with rose bushes, hammocks and even a large natural swimming pool. As part of an ecological approach, the water is filtered using plants and no chemicals.

Inside, the 23 rooms and suites boast a refined decor combining antique furniture, exposed beams, shimmering fabrics, Persian rugs, stone fireplaces, 18th-century paintings and a few contemporary pieces. On the culinary side, L'Orangerie restaurant, whose walls have preserved the original stonework, is a delight, with fruit and vegetables from the château's permaculture vegetable garden prepared with brio by the chef.

What do we like?

• The splendid grounds: lavender fields, tennis court, large organic vegetable garden, rose garden, hammocks and swings...
• The wide range of activities on offer: canoeing on the estate's private pond, hiking, biking and yoga classes on the grass, billiards or cinema...
• The gentle way of life that reigns throughout the establishment, from the rooms to the wellness area, from the terraces to the outdoor heated Jacuzzi
• Ecological commitment: natural swimming pool, fruit and vegetables from the permaculture garden, zero waste approach...
• The vision of luxury embodied by these premises: very human, gentle and in tune with the times.

Good to know? The spa, located in the former 15th-century bakeries, offers treatments by Les Jardins de Gogane and Douces Angevines, 2 natural French brands.

Around the hotel? The area is a mecca for wine tourism, with the neighboring appellations of Savennières (Louis XIV's favorite vineyard), Coteaux-du-Layon and Quarts de Chaumes (less than 15 km away) and their world-renowned white wines. You can also visit Nicolas Joly's La Coulée de Serrant estate in Savennières, and discover the special terroir of the different coulées - valleys perpendicular to the Loire - each with its own particular climatic and soil conditions.

Château de l'Épinay
23 keys from €175 per night.
L'Épinay, 49170 Saint-Georges-sur-Loire

3. Les Hauts de Loire | A hunting lodge between Amboise and Blois

Member of Relais & Châteaux, Les Hauts de Loire belongs to the H8 Collection (Hôtel Mont-Blanc in Chamonix, Mathis in Paris, Ermitage St. Tropez). It comprises two buildings: the main one, a hunting lodge demolished during the French Revolution and rebuilt in 1860, and the second, with its typical Sologne architecture. They dominate an idyllic park, punctuated by impeccable lawns, overgrown with hydrangeas and rose bushes, and featuring a pond inhabited by ducks and swans..

The 31 rooms and suites, each different from the next, have the look and feel of an elegant family home: fine fabrics, antique furniture, period tapestries and a living room with a fireplace. Two restaurants are available for gourmets. The Restaurant, a gourmet restaurant, whose neoclassical menu (ocean produce, local meats, fruits and vegetables from the kitchen garden) is now designed by Arthur Peta. Or the Bistrot with its rustic decor: exposed beams, Thonet chairs... None of this is flashy and smacks of tradition, while offering all the comforts of an over-equipped luxury hotel (beautiful outdoor pool, tennis court, Clarins spa, Kids Club for families, etc.), which explains the historic success of the estate, a veritable institution in the region.

What do we like? The homemade honey served at breakfast, straight from the estate's beehives.

Good to know? Inaugurated in 2018, the Spa by Clarins houses a hammam, sauna, individual or duo treatment rooms and a relaxation area.

Les Hauts de Loire
31 rooms and suites. From €199 per night.
79 Rue Gilbert Navard, 41150 Veuzain-sur-Loire

4. Loire Valley Lodges | A hotel perched in the trees in Touraine

Sleeping in the trees? A childhood dream that can be fulfilled at Loire Valley Lodges. Opening in summer 2020, the hotel features 18 tree houses of 55m² each with spacious terraces, perched four meters off the ground in the heart of a 300-hectare forest, as well as a swimming pool, a restaurant, a bar where natural wine is king, and a concept store in an old farmhouse.

The project was the brainchild of Anne-Caroline Frey, a contemporary art specialist with a passion for alternative medicine and sylvotherapy. And yes, apart from the "back to nature" effect, contemporary art is also at the heart of the hotel's concept. This is clear from the entrance, where the monumental sculpture " Lost Dog " by artist Aurèle stands guard. The park and forest are dotted with works of art, and you'll also come across numerous wild animals on your walks.

What do we like? The bay window occupying an entire wall opposite the king-size bed, and the terrace with its Jacuzzi. Watch out for a goose with its young or a deer..

Good to know... Carte blanche was given to various artists to decorate the lodges. The one designed by the owner as a tribute to Serge Gainsbourg, and named Lucien, is particularly commendable.

Loire Valley Lodges
18 lodges. From €440 per night.
1 Allée de la Duporterie, 37320 Esvres-sur-Indre

5. Les Sources de Cheverny | By the creators of Sources de Caudalie

Inaugurated on September 1, 2020, in the heart of the Loire Valley, Les Sources de Cheverny is the second opus in a collection inaugurated in 1999 with Les Sources de Caudalie, the only luxury hotel in the Bordeaux region. This atypical group of buildings, beautifully named Maison des Fleurs, Maison des Fruits, Grange aux Abeilles, Hameau du Marais... all stand in front of a late 18th-century château. In all, there are 49 keys, 13 of which are in the château, and we're particularly fond of the suites set in wooden sheds reminiscent of ancient longères. The gastronomic restaurant Le Favori serves Michelin-starred cuisine that reveals the pure essence of local produce. The atmosphere in the second restaurant, L'Auberge, is friendly and convivial, and the dishes generous and authentic.

What do we like? The dozens of Aigle boots available for guests to explore the estate's forest with dry feet!

Good to know? The spa at Les Sources de Cheverny is a model of its kind. The walls of the reception area are adorned with a stunning mural by Claire Blaser, evoking the surrounding nature.

Les Sources de Cheverny
49 rooms and suites. From €270 per night.
23 Route de Fougère, 41700 Cheverny

6. Le Bois des Chambres | Ecological and poetic hotel

Le Bois des Chambres is a Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire establishment designed by Patrick Bouchain and Loïc Julienne. A restored former farmhouse, the art and nature hotel features 39 atypical rooms: alcoves, perched rooms, garden rooms and bush rooms. Ecological, original and poetic, Le Bois des Chambres features a 50-seat restaurant with terrace, living spaces open to the outdoors, and hosts sculptures, installations and photographs by renowned artists, magnifying the architectural creation on this estate known for its annual garden festival.

What do we love? Its restaurant, Le Grand Chaume, with its high ceiling that covers the space like a celestial vault.

Good to know? Open all year round, the eco-responsible establishment houses two multi-purpose areas for seminars and meetings.

Le Bois des Chambres
39 keys, from €145 to €280 depending on season
41150 Chaumont-sur-Loire

7. Le Relais de Chambord | The only hotel within the Domaine de Chambord

Inaugurated in 2017 in place of the Hôtel Saint-Michel, Le Relais de Chambord, a 4-star member of the Small Luxury Hotels group, has been redesigned in the style of Jean-Michel Wilmotte, and benefits from a new wing. The 55 rooms and suites, some with views of the château, are all different. The contemporary decor, with its high ceilings, is nonetheless warm and inviting, featuring elegant materials, brightly-colored pouffes and armchairs, photographs of emblematic château motifs, fireplaces and turrets as headboards. Winks to the castle's prestigious neighbor abound, such as the salamander, emblem of François I^er, adorning the fireplace in the living room. The restaurant offers refined semi-gastronomic cuisine, a cosy bar and a wellness area with two treatment rooms, sauna and hammam. Last but not least, you'll find antique garden tools such as watering cans and pruning shears adorning the lobby.

What do we like? The breathtaking location overlooking François I^er's castle.

Good to know? It's possible to enjoy an extraordinary experience: sleep in a "toue cabanée", a traditional Loire River boat, with a 30 m² bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and terrace facing the Château de Chambord!

Le Relais de Chambord
55 keys from €236 per night.
Place Saint-Louis, 41250 Chambord

The best hotels in the Loire Valley, Sologne side

8. Grand Hôtel du Lion d'Or | A must in Sologne

A little way from the Loire Valley, in the heart of Sologne, this Renaissance manor house built in 1540 by the lord of Montgiron was the residence of Romorantin's first aldermen and master drapers. In 1774, innkeeper Pierre Boiffard purchased the building, which became the Grand Hôtel du Lion, a hotel, café and restaurant, one of the oldest establishments of its kind in France. Now a 4-star hotel and member of Relais & Châteaux, the historic address offers 16 rooms, dressed in wood panelling and adorned with sunburst mirrors.

In the restaurant, which has been awarded a Michelin star, classic wood panelling complements a meander-patterned tapestry or a designer chandelier. Enjoy the refined, original cuisine of Didier Clément, who runs the place with his wife Marie-Christine and their daughter Hélène.

We love? Clémence's delicatessen and tea room. The products on display are the result of the Clément family's "coups de cœur".

Good to know? Electric bikes made in Romorantin are available for hire, so you can explore the many hiking trails in the area.

Grand Hôtel du Lion d'Or
16 rooms and suites. From €221 per night.
69 rue Georges Clemenceau, 41200 Romorantin-Lanthenay