Loire Valley Lodges - Hotel

From arrival to departure, where they gave us a small tree as a proper message to plant trees - it was a unique show of careful protection of trees, and forest management It’s only 4 years old, and took 7 months to build - but 4 years in planning and paperwork with the local councils, to ensure proper protection of the forest which you feel in abundance on arrival The stilted cabins are the perfect balance of eco, paired down luxury, authentic touches - all built in wood, stones basins, wall to wall windows each end for maximum nestled in “top of the trees” feeling. Super comfortable beds and bedding, artworks, books on trees, wooden but modern furniture The terrace attched has a winch where you pull up your breakfast in a basket and sit on your terrace to have it in the tree tops, with the birds and squirrels - the room has a coffee plunger and lots of teas, made from the garden, in test tubes - nothing is “packaged” - there is also no wifi or TV which is a total joy (but you can when you at the main hotel) The grounds are right back at the 100 Acre woods - you can bike around, see the stunning 5 trees in the lake, cycle past huge and brilliant sculptures There is a charming kitchen garden and bee hives. The pool is also stunning (22meter long) surrounded by olives trees, comfy loungers and loungy chairs and sculptures - close to the bar for drinks at your lounger They have two restaurants - we only were able to do one, so went for Ardent & the tasting menu restaurant - choice of 4/6/8 courses - very nice - each dish had a nod to the forest, the pines, the bark, the vegetables grown on the garden and some of the dishes were outstanding and the flavours were great & unique - we also chose the pairing wine which bought some surprising flavour combinations- local wines and unusual “drinks” that weren’t wine but were alcoholic (including a Mead made from the home grown honey) We would have liked to try the other al La carte menu as there was a barbecue outside that had huge pieces of hung steak, that I think might have been more our vibe - but it was by no means unenjoyable, but you have to be into that “surprise 6 dishes” dinner Finally the staff were great - the two girls who welcomed us and got us to our cabins and introduced us to the property, were the most charming front of house staff I have met in France ( I feel sad I didn’t grab their names as they most certainly deserve name checks!) also the restaurant manager was hilarious and lots of fun! I would HIGHLY recommend - close by to lots of Chateaux’s and such a unique experience - I felt super proud of what they had achieved - it feels like a proper labour of love, dedication and it will only improve and mature in years to come

A true haven. I highly recommend for anyone looking to resource themselves in nature, while also enjoying a unique luxury experience. The room was very comfortable. The private jacuzzi and sauna outlooking into the forest was absolutely divine.

The lodges are a good idea and work well unless it's really hot as no air con and broken fans. Lodge 2 gets over 40 degrees inside and is unbearable. We stayed in lodge 5 and this was OK and very clean but the deck is basic and not luxury by any means. The pool area is very good, the bikes are good to get around the immediate area but the roads are too busy and dangerous to go anywhere. The breakfasts were very good although not delivered till nearly 9am one morning. The woods have boar and deer in and you will probably see these at night and early morning. The worst part of the holiday was the Ardent restaurant. We had the garden taster menu with wine. This is probably some of the worst dish's I have ever had in France or anywhere else for that matter. Two of the courses came with a bowl of vinegar which added nothing to the dish. The bread was half a loaf and had been put in the oven to refresh which was fine but it was sliced and the burnt hard end was served as a slice. The pork was over cooked to the point of burned and as this was such a small sliver made it very dry and tough. The worst course by far was the pudding, this was strawberries and fried onion YES fried onion. One of the wines was so sour that none of our party could drink it. Believe me its not good despite the reviews. Overall we enjoyed our stay in the lodge but the restaurant was a joke. There are many good eateries nearby the best being Le Clapatis which was amazing.

A piece of heaven on earth and a paradise for nature lovers. The settings, the decoration of each lodge, the attention to detail along others are made for you to feel unique and blessed. Everything was perfect except for dinner on Day 1 where the Chef (and his cuisine) was below average (which is why we could not give this unforgettable experience a 5-star rating).

My partner and I needed to unplug from the burn out of our busy day-to-day routine. We wanted to create a special weekend to reconnect. Loire Valley Lodges pulled all the stops and delivered! We lived ! These amazing artsy lodges are 20 minutes from the famous Chenonceaux castle. We were dazzled by the sensory experience. Truly! Everything has been carefully cured and thought of for your enjoyment. The owners here are behind every detail like we have never seen in the world. We travel extensively and nowhere can you find this level of passionate customer service. Ask and thy shall receive ! We walked the forest trails with the birds singing in our ears, rode the bikes around and outside the lush property gates to enjoy the sunflower fields, we swam in the gorgeous pool, and had a heavenly massage in the privacy of our comfortable artsy lodge. Absolutely, positively everything you eat, touch, look at has been carefully considered! Even the roses are oversized and smell divine ! The food is from the home grown “potager” for a farm to table fine dining experience ! Absolutely everything on site is a delight to your eyes, nose, ears, and an unforgettable feast to your mouth. Splashes of red, yellow, purple, with a soft embrace accompanies your every step. This is the antidote to our overcooked, sterile Disney World ! Come here to refresh, rejuvenate, reboot, feeeeeeeel! And try to meet Bertrand & Anne Caroline, they’re super heroes in the flesh, what an amazing couple. Give them a pat on the back. Hats off and bravo! I’ll be back.

This is a quite unique hotel experience which I would recommend to anyone. Wonderful secluded location, thoughtful and helpful staff throughout. The chalet's are individual and equipped with everything you can think of and quite a few things you didn't! Looking forward to a return visit.