Château d'Audrieu

5 stars is not enough. Booking Chateau d'Audrieu was the best decision, and unquestionably one of our favorite parts of our 10-day trip around France. About a week before our arrival, I called the hotel to ask about bedding and was nervous because I don't speak French. I believe it was Fabien with whom I spoke. He immediately (and warmly) spoke to me in English and assured me that the beds are excellent quality and very comfortable. When we arrived very late, Nelson was so kind to run out to us and help us with our luggage. He gave us several tips on how best to enjoy the Chateau what to expect during our time in Normandy. He then walked us to our room. It was incredible. We have stayed at many 5 star hotels, but I don't think I've ever been as charmed by a hotel room as I was by our Junior Suite. The ceilings have to be at least 15'. The hot air balloon decor was so pretty. The wood floors were beautiful, the bathroom was very modern, and the bed was very comfortable! Everything was perfect. One thing I want to mention is the personal attention to detail. When we first arrived, there was a bottle of wine, a welcome note, and a jar of cheese crisps. Over the course of our stay, we didn't really eat the cheese crisps. One day when we came back from our outings, I noticed that they had placed a new jar next to the bottle of wine, with butter cookies (having noticed that we weren't eating the cheese crisps.) Another such moment was when I had taken a small bottle of apple juice from the mini fridge. It was delicious, from a local orchard. Later that day when we arrived back at the chateau, a larger bottle had been placed in the fridge. I should mention that these items were a gift and free of charge. I know I'm giving a lot of detail, but I used to work at the Ritz Carlton; these acts of attention were trained into us as something guests should expect from a 5 star hotel. But not all luxury hotels are created equal, and to be honest, I haven't seen it much over my years traveling. However, I was very pleased to notice it at Chateau d'Audrieu and was very appreciative. We never had a chance to eat dinner at the Michelin star restaurant, Le Seran, on property, however we did have breakfast each morning and the food was very fresh and delicious. I had a delightful avocado toast each morning and my husband had a custom-made omelet. He requested some sort of hot sauce. They didn't have any on hand, but went out of their way to make one with a special type of chili pepper. Alexandre Le Grand, Nazar, and another man with blonde hair (I wish I had gotten his name), were so kind in serving us at the restaurant! Everyone at the hotel whom we encountered was lovely and kind. Nelson, Fabien, Alexandre Le Grand, Nazar, Anna Marion, the nice blonde gentleman, (and one other lady whose name I didn't get)...thank you! You truly raise the bar for kindness, hospitality and luxury. We can't wait to come back again.

Loved the building, the grounds and the wonderful welcome - the gift for our little girl was particularly well received as was the engagement with her