Our party of 2 couples stayed at this hotel for 2 nights on 8 & 9 Sept 2011. We have specifically requested for 2 rooms in the main hotel building (Mill House) & this was confirmed in an email from the hotel well in advance. Closer to our departure for our trip, we received an email from the hotel informing us that our dinner booking for 9 Sept in its restaurant could not be possible as the restaurant would be closed for a film project on that day. So we changed the dinner booking to 8 Sept.

Upon check in, we were told we've been upgraded to 2 junior suites in the Abbot House, which is across the river. While we appreciate being upgraded, we did not like staying at the Abbot House & that we've not been informed nor consulted before our arrival. It was worse when we arrived at the Abbot House & found out our room is on the third floor, over 60 steps one way. We are all in our mid-sixties & sometimes we have to (like in any hotel stay) return to the hotel room not just once a day, but may be 2 or 3 times a day. We protested but in vain as we were told the filming crew started setting up early in the morning & we were assigned the room in the Abbot House away from the main building so as not to be awakened up early. I thought the hotel should have at least informed us ahead of our arrival & let us decide if we would still continue with our room booking or stay at another hotel.

While in the room, we asked the receptionist who showed us to our room how to dail room to room & was told it was not possible.Yet there's instruction in the room on how to dial room to room. We also found out our room telephone had no dialling tone, same for the other couple's room. The unmanned Abbot House reception on the ground floor has a telephone but also not working.This persisted for our entire duration of stay of 2 nights, despite our repeated complaints to the reception. We were informed a telephone chip had been ordered but not yet arrived. So how could I contact the reception ? Should I walk across the bridge & back to do so ? What about morning calls ? I was not exactly staying at a cheap hotel. What if there was an emergency ? We've often stayed at Relais & Chateaux hotels before. But this was the first time we've stayed at one without telephone service for 2 full days.

For our friends' room shower, everytime the hotel guests in the room one floor above took a shower, water dripped onto our friends' shower.

Our dinner at the hotel restaurant was disappointing. Two of us had lobster wrapped in salmon as an appetizer but didn't finish as the lobster was not fresh.
One of us had cod as a main course which was also not fresh. Throughout the entire duration of our dinner, we've noticed the restaurant floor was wet all over. Perhaps, this was due to its close proximity to the river. But shouldn't something be done to the wet floor so that no one slips & hurts him/herself ? After dinner around 11 pm, we walked back to Abbot House from the main building in pitch darkness, otherwise a pleasant walk. We've noticed a hotel security guard walked ahead of us to turn off some lights along the way.

Brantome is actually beautiful & scenic. We like it & will return one day.The hotel has the advantage of being situated in a wonderful setting. But it has to improve its management. Will I stay again at the hotel ? No, not until it really makes an effort to reach Relais & Chateaux hotels standard.

My experience relates only to the restaurant and NOT the hotel. I am 45 yrs old/ live in France near Bordeaux and had decided to have a gourmet weekend away with my wife down in the Dordogne. This restaurant has alot of hype about it and it is supposed to be a MUST VISIT restaurant in SW France. The town of Brantome i last went to in 1999 and is beautiful but somewhat ruined by tourism but hey- you can't have it all. So after arriving at theMoulin d'abbaye on Friday evening we were shown to a table on the terrace...there is no doubt this is a great setting and the building is attractive. The menu was either off the a la carte or a special feast of the tastes ( rough translation) for about 70 euros a head without wine.This was the menu that was suggested by the waiter and seemed to be the natural choice. That's a fair whack for me but i had Great Expectations! What then came was one of the most disappointing experiences of my life and nothing short of a rip off..for a gourmet experience it was abysmal, a slice of fois gras-OK no probs there - but then a tiny piece of Cod in a watery broth followed by raw slivers of mackerel with a ginger and soy dressing, followed by a piece of stew and so it went on washed down with the cheapest wine for 45 euros a bottle
( that incidentally costs 6 euros in my local)...by the end of my meal i was aware that many French visitors also felt the same way and were trying discretely to complain to the waiters.
Whose fault- mine? of course caveat emptor etc. I returned the next day to complain about my 150 euro disaster and was politely told... we are so sorry SIR did not enjoy your meal!!
The bottom line here is that having talked to other French folk in the town and in other hotels is that the restaurant and its menu is regarded as a bit of a joke by the locals and they seem to think it has Asian origins ( is fusion the right word!).....all very well BUT not for 150 euros as i have a very good Vietnamese take a way round the corner for 20 euros......Beware of what your expectations are.
PS: the restaurant is also unheated -

The town is fabulous. Go!
The main part of the hotel is lovely. When you arrive, you check in by the garden/canal with a complementary drink. However:
-No elevators (be warned). But the staff is lovely about taking care of luggage, etc.
-The hotel is 3 buildings. We were given a room across the street. It was blisteringly hot, and my husband commented that the room was warm and what about the a/c? Quelle surprise! The a/c had just stopped and that they were working on it but that we could open the windows, etc. No. I said what about another room, and after a couple phone calls, they 'upgraded' us to a junior suite. Which was lovely, nicely decorated, good bathroom.
-Unfortunately the junior suite is in the abbots house, which is a good 10 minute walk. You do feel as though you are in a different place. We didn't even bother going to the hotel for breakfast- lots of stuff closer. In addition, despite paying the ridiculous extra bed fee for my 9 year old, we only got 2 sets of towels both days.

Room on second floor overlooking the mill; charming typical French décor. Comfortable. Staff all very pleasant and helpful. Good, secure parking. Excellent meal. Well worth its one Michelin star rating. Hotel in a beautiful position; 2 minute walk from the main part of the town.