In quiet countryside just outside Amboise, this homely chateau hotel is ideally placed for exploring the castles and gardens of the UNESCO-listed Loire Valley, or perhaps making a gentle sortie along the Loire a Velo long distance cycle trail.
Owners Graziella and Ludovic Laurenty have a long history of running hotels and restaurants in the area, buying this elegant 18th century building in 2014, and turning it into a boutique hotel.
There’s no public bar or a la carte menu, but a set meal each evening – available on reservation only – served at separate tables in a spectacular high-ceilinged dining room. And what a meal! Ludovic held a Michelin star between 2008 and 2013, and he brings the same flair to his private castle kitchen, using local and seasonal produce in dishes that are visual works of art as well as treats for the tastebuds. Meanwhile, Graziella is ever-smiling front-of-house and in the dining room.
Chateau de Perreux is built right up against a cliff of typical local tufa stone and to reach the bedrooms from the side car park or front of house, you walk almost into the base of the cliff and take a lift which means that all bedrooms are accessible.
Rooms come in three grades. We opted for Room 6 in the Standard category, simply because the photographs on the website indicated that standards at this chateau are clearly very high, and we weren’t disappointed. Our spacious room with hardwood floor and soft natural colours overlooked the front lawns. The garden continues on the opposite side of the quiet road and includes a 60-foot outdoor pool for summer days. For something even more special, go for Junior Suite and Privilege. Three rooms have also been specially designed for families.
From Chateau de Perreux, it’s just a few minutes’ drive into Amboise, 2km away across the river. Here we enjoyed exploring the Royal Chateau, perched on a high cliff above the river, and the nearby Chateau de Clos Luce, final home of Leonardo da Vinci. Compare his engineering drawings with scale models and, outside in the park, gets hands-on with some of his most ingenious inventions. A half-hour drive east will take you to Blois and another Royal Chateau, as well as to Chambord, entertainment palace and hunting estate for Renaissance king François 1.
In fact whichever way you head from Chateau de Perreux, there is another sumptuous castle or fabulous garden waiting to be discovered – the graceful arches of Chenonceau, the glorious gardens of Villandry, and the wedding venue for Edward, Duke of Windsor, and Wallis Simpson at Chateau de Cande.
But stay here at Chateau de Perreux and you can experience the lifestyle yourself in a relaxing atmosphere of friendly informality.
Chateau de Perreux
Nazelles-Negron (Amboise)
Loire Valley
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