“Bijou hotel hidden in the heart of France”

Moulin De Chameron is a bijou hotel, tucked away from any hubbub in the centre of France. Our room was comfortable and recently renovated. There is a swimming pool and a relaxing lawn/garden. In the evening we were greeted by Cyril and Roxanna who took great care of us during our 2 night stay. T… Plus

Moulin De Chameron is a bijou hotel, tucked away from any hubbub in the centre of France. Our room was comfortable and recently renovated. There is a swimming pool and a relaxing lawn/garden. In the evening we were greeted by Cyril and Roxanna who took great care of us during our 2 night stay. The evening meal (Head Chef Cyril - not the same!) prepared a gourmet meal which was enjoyed on the terrace overlooking a small pond. Breakfast was continental and had everything that one would expect. The intra day was spent cycling through the empty country lanes, where one can happily lose oneself in the picturesque rolling countryside interrupted by the odd château or 19th century farmhouse.

Moins

“Haven of tranquility”

I spent ,unfortunately , only one night as a stopover on a drive to the South of France.The hotel is situated about 10 minutes drive off the autoroute.The setting is rural and very peaceful.Our room was comfortable and well prepared.There is a nice sized outdoor pool which we were delighted to use … Plus

I spent ,unfortunately , only one night as a stopover on a drive to the South of France.The hotel is situated about 10 minutes drive off the autoroute.The setting is rural and very peaceful.Our room was comfortable and well prepared.There is a nice sized outdoor pool which we were delighted to use after some hours driving.There is ample parking in the grounds. We had a really nice set menu dinner on the terrace.A great plus was the no smoking even on the terrace.Good food should be enjoyed without second hand smoke!!!The food and service was exceptional.The waiter was really helpful in explaining exactly what the food was and how it would be cooked.He made the meal an experience without being stuffy or obtrusive.We had a good breakfast before we left to continue our journey. I can strongly recommend this hotel and restaurant and would certainly be delighted to return to it if in the area again.

Moins

“Good for silence, but not for much else”

The Moulin at Chameron, a few km south of Bannegon, used to be a “Relais du Silence”, and rightly so, for this is where it scores highly, located in the middle of nowhere and far from any noise pollution. The picture-postcard old building, the old mill, now serves only as the reception and breakfas… Plus

The Moulin at Chameron, a few km south of Bannegon, used to be a “Relais du Silence”, and rightly so, for this is where it scores highly, located in the middle of nowhere and far from any noise pollution. The picture-postcard old building, the old mill, now serves only as the reception and breakfast/dining room, so don’t expect any creaky, olde-worlde bedrooms here. Some of the mill machinery is visible in the reception area, but walk over the bridge and you will see the delapidated mill-wheel, a real shame. The dining room also has been stripped of its old characteristics (apart from beams) and now looks like a characterless seminar room with tables. It has no sense of age or ambience - another pity. So the rooms are all in two much newer buildings, joined by a horrible modern spa and fitness suite. Three types of room available - standard, superior (basically more space and upstairs) and de-luxe (a real misnomer). The latter are all on the ground floor and have a small terrace, but this is not a friendly space, and the rooms are pretty mediocre and dark. Some have baths. There is free wi-fi, but I found connectivity variable. You can sleep with the windows open, but the rooms are then an invitation to insects, especially moths, unless you are careful. There is a disobliging notice in bedrooms asking you not to use your shoes to kill insects on the walls - or you will be charged! The bed was not of great quality (mattress) and we did not sleep well on either night. There is no a/c or fridge in the rooms. But the silence was wonderful. The breakfast, a buffet at 14€, is over-priced in my view. Classic sins - items running out too soon, coffee (urn) not hot enough, tea (hot water flask) hopelessly far from boiling point. Some sad-looking scrambled egg and sausage were the only hot items. With dinner the Moulin has you over a barrel, because unless you are prepared to drive for at least 10-15 minutes, there is nowhere else (see my review of Le Pont d’y). So there is basically no choice with a single menu of 45€ (not justified by the food quality), and even then 3 of the 5 main courses attracted a 5€ supplement. The wine was expensive, with no good-value options available, and a litre of Badoit cost an eye-watering 6€. There is a good pool at the hotel (towels at reception), but it is in need of some TLC. The water is opaque, so you cannot see the bottom. There are no depth markings and in particular no indication of where the shallow end starts to drop away. In my view all these issues should be addressed, and not simply dealt with by a “the hotel takes no responsibility....” notice. There is also a games room with pool table. We were disappointed by this experience, and we are very seasoned travellers. The website is well presented, but it oversells the property. Most people stay one night en route to a destination, and it is fine enough for that. If you book 2 nights directly through the website you get an immediate 15% discount.

Moins