After spending a night in another hotel in the walled city of Beaune where we were kept awake by the hooting and hollering in the square, we started looking for another hotel for the next 2 nights. We came upon the Abbaye de Maizieres and were intrigued. First we had to duck our heads as we headed down the stone steps into the former abbey wine cellar which now serves as reception/dining room (very dark. but loaded with atmosphere - back wall dates to Roman times) We told Bruno (owner) that we wanted a quiet room. He told us all we would hear were the pigeons and the church bells. Good enough for us so we hauled our suitcases up the 39 stone steps in the spiral staircase to our large room. We loved it there, Bruno is a lovely man and we dined there on our last night and regretted not doing so all nights we were in Beaune as the food was fabulous and reasonably priced (for France). If you are looking for an American style hotel, this is not it but for a 12th century building, it was great.

This hotel was amazingly charming and the staff were very helpful and pleasant. I am so glad that I was not turned off by the negative comments that I read on this site. I would have missed a truly unique experience.

Yes, the hotel is old - it's from the 12th century!!!! Yes, it is difficult to drag your luggage up the steep spiral staircase. But all accounts indicate that the rooms are at the top of this sprial staircase and that there are no elevators. If you cannot get around easily, then this is not the place for you. But if you are adventurous and looking for an authentic, old world accommodation - this is the place. We have stayed in scores of "cookie cutter" hotel rooms and it was so much fun to spend the night in a truly unique place. Our room, as well as the one the couple we were traveling with stayed in, was sparsely yet comfortably furnished. Everything was clean and we had everything that we needed. The bathrooms looked like they had recently been redone and were exceptionally nice.

We decided to eat dinner in the restaurant and although it was not the best meal we've ever had, it was good. The atmosphere was so inviting that I would recommend it to everyone.

I would certainly recommend this hotel to anyone who is traveling to Beaune and I will definately stay there again if I am fortunate enough to visit the area in the future.

Having been to the restaurant a few years back and had enjoyed the meal we decided to stay one night on our return journey from the south of France. On booking in we were given a key to room 8 and advised that the room was on the second floor. The key didn't fit and so I had to go back to the 'reception' area. How many steps there are to the second floor I don't know but there are 50 to the first as that is where our room (number 4) was finally to be found.

A loyal employee advised that the hotel wasn't yet fully opened until the middle of May and that the owner has 'plans' to update the facilities. Our room, complete with cobwebs and a powerpoint hanging off the wall, could best be described as spartan. The walls were painted in two colours, taupe and sand, which gave the room a decidely institutional look and feel. The choice of furniture completed the scene - perhaps the management could visit a local charity shop to update the room.

Our meal was uninspiring and certainly didn't need a chef to prepare it; reheat and serve was all that was necessary. The final highlight was the winelist. There we were in Beaune, in the middle of the world famous Burgundy wine growing area and wine list comprised three reds, three whites and one rose!

Apparently the hotel has been under the same ownership for last 19 years or so and thus there has had plenty of time to sort the problems out. It is a very old building and accordingly has its own maintenance problems but our room wasn't ready for the 2009 season and I doubt if it ever will be.

I didn;t actually stay as I walked out as you will see. The entrance, an undercroft which was in total darkness, was perhaps a warning. You have to descend re 6 steep steps (no rails) to reach it. I knew that there was a spiral staircase to the bedrooms and had warned them that I had reduced mobility. OK they said we'll take your bags upstairs for you. That did not prepare me for the lack of rails or even ropes on the steps of varying height. The room when I reached it hadn't any real window - only an arrow slit in an alcove behind the bed onto an inner courtyard. When I refused that room another room was presented which had a window onto the same courtyard but was still very spartan. On asking when dinner was I was told the restaurant is now closed. Luckily I had all the documentation with me to prove what they had offered and then moved on to another hotel. Later when I passed the hotel the doors were closed and a notice directed all enquiries to another hotel nearby I onlybooked here because it sounded good quality but quirky - it is anything but but perhaps it has been closed anyhow.