As noted in my profile I am the organizer of cycling and walking events around Europe for the organization For A Cause. This year's trip brought us to France for the first time and the Chateau de La Flocelliere. The Property can be rented as a whole or by individual rooms, we did a little of both... The property is large and can sleep up to 150+ people (and it was fully booked on two nights), but it never felt too big or too small...

We started our stay on the night of Thursday, September 9, 2011 in the Chateau Out-buildings. The out-buildings consist of two types, dorm-style rooms and a few hotel-style rooms and can sleep in total up to 100+ people. We choose the hotel-style rooms with private bath, each room comes with a double bed, sink, shower stall, and toilet for the first three nights of our stay. These rooms are VERY basic, but they served our purpose in advance of our upcoming event. Sheets and towels are extra, these rooms are one step up from a camp style room, in that you have your own facilities.

We did not stay in any of the actual dorm style rooms, but while we were there, there was a large school group and a large wedding party (both 100+) and they seemed to manage just fine and never once did we feel like the place was busy, I found this to be quite amazing.

On Sunday, September 11, 2011 our group arrived and we moved into the Keep and the Pavilion buildings. These are two properties that the chateau rents as self-catering with additional services. We added additional cleaning, 4-hours each day, to assist us with cleaning up after breakfast and then sprucing up the rooms as time allowed. Joshline was wonderful, lives on property, and was prompt at 9am each morning. We cooked our won breakfasts, did some basic clean-up and then Joshline took over, when we got back each day the kitchen and dining area were spotless and all the rooms freshened. At the time of our tip the cost was 12 euro per hour payable in cash at the end of our stay.

We also contracted for several dinners during our stay; the cost was 35 euro per person. Dinners were a combination of buffet and served, in that some courses were served like the appetizer and then the entrée or dessert was buffet style. We were served in three different rooms of the chateau, the first night in their private dining room, the next in the library and finally in the hall of windows. Each meal and each location was better than the last. Dinners, as about everything else, were well worth the price.

One particular note on dinners is the Renaissance Dinner, the chateau provides. The cost was 75 euro per person and includes full renaissance costumes for each person. This was spectacular. We provided measurements in advance of our trip and on the day of our Renaissance Dinner our costumes arrived. These are the real deal and all fit perfectly. It was a beautiful night, so we started with Mead and appetizers in the formal gardens, and some photo taking. We then moved to the formal library, with 14th century stained glass, for dinner and dessert. It was a spectacular night!

Accommodations –
As I noted earlier we rented the property on a self-catering basis, but many of the rooms we stayed in can also be rented individually as “hotel” style rooms. We rented the Keep and Pavilion.

The Keep – these rooms are located in the original (reconstructed) Keep of the Castle. The ground floor consists of a small chapel and a laundry room that was at our disposal. The next floor is a small kitchen and large dining room, and then the rooms start one or two on each floor. There is a spiral staircase that takes you to each room. The spiral staircase is the only way to get to your rooms and there are many stairs, all the rooms have very high ceilings. There are no elevators, this is not a hotel, it’s a home that happens to be an 11th century castle! All the rooms here are wonderful, we found the beds comfortable, the rooms very large, and each has an amazing view!

The Pavilion – This part is located about 50 feet from the Keep. These rooms are decorated a little more rustically than the rooms in the Keep, but they are truly amazing in their own right. The kitchen here is much larger than the one in the Keep and is truly suited for cooking meals for large groups. Neither dining room can accommodate seating for more than 14, so for groups larger than 14 that are staying in the Keep and Pavilion can have their meals in the Hall of Windows, which is just located 50 feet away. Most bedrooms have a private bath either ensuite or adjoining. When you are renting a Hotel Room, you will have a private bathroom.

The Property – is spectacular and well maintained. Please keep in mind that this is not a hotel, but someone’s home that happens to be an 11th century castle, I know I said this earlier, but think it needs repeating. There are no bellman to carry your bags, there are no elevators, you need to walk up the stairs (at times many) to get to your room, there is no room service, and there is not always someone there to be at your beck and call.

The owners – Vicomte et Vicomtesse Patrice & Erika Vignial are wonderful. At the start of our week they welcomed us with a wine reception (from a local vineyard) explained some of the history of the castle and their intent was to welcome visitors like friends. They truly succeeded on all counts.

Location – La Flocelliere is a small provincial town, that had all the services to accommodate us, a good sized grocery store, an excellent patisserie, where we got fresh croissants each morning, a bank, a bar, a restaurant and many other services. The next town is Saint-Michel-Mont-Mercure, which we walked to on several days (about a 20 minute walk). The town is dedicated to Saint Michael, as is the church. Take a moment to visit the church and clime the tower; it is well worth the view. As you enter the church, there is a little door on the right, they ask for a .50 euro donation. Just open the door and walk up, light switches are little buttons located above your head. The climb is narrow and steep, and another spiral staircase, but we found it much more manageable than the climb of the tower in Siena and far less crowded (we were the only ones there!)

I want to thank our hosts Patrice and Erika, they were most accommodating and when we left we truly felt like friends, both came out to wish us continued well travels and we all hugged, kissed, and even shed a tear or two together. We will go back to Chateau de La Flocelliere!

We visited the Chateau de la Flocelliere in June 2011. The owner of the Chateau, Vicomte Patrice Vignial, was a stately and welcoming aristocrat who spent a great deal of time telling us about all the little details of his chateau's rich and fascinating history. He was, at the time of our visit, the President of the association of french chateaux, so he not only knew about the history of his chateau, but also a great many others also.

The chateau, a mix of 15th and 17th C buildings, is really very much like something out of a fairy tale. Our room in the donjon had a huge domed sky-blue ceiling and carved flower frescos. There were tapestries, fine furniture and antiques. The Vicomte brought us around the whole place, told many stories about each piece of art, shared interesting insights about French history.

We went with our 6 year old daughter and, although we saw many famous chateaux throughout our visit, this remained her favourite chateau. It has beautiful grounds with old ruins and wild flowers dating back to the French Revolution, wonderful walking trials surrounded by old trees, where you can see horses, dogs, donkeys and wild rabbits.

There are people who have complained on tripadvisor about the Vicomte and Vicomtesse, but this is our take: The chateau is their private home, and we are guests. So, during our stay, we took care to conduct ourselves accordingly. We did not enter the antique-filled living room unless invited, dressed decently for dinner and observed the rules of the home, which were very gently made known to us. Actually this is part of the whole experience of living in a chateau with a real Vicomte. I think when we show people due respect in their home, they will be more welcoming and open also.

Beautifully maintained in a quiet french village -- very personable hosts

Staying in this castle was utterly wonderful. Our room in the tower was like spending the night in an antique museum, but with all modern conveniences. The bathroom was a treat with huge tub and a cleverly disguised shower and a double vanity made from an antique buffet. The grounds were a course in the history of French castle construction over 600 years.
The Vicompte was a wonderful host who provided a golf cart so we would tour the grounds in comfort. His stories and explanation were illuminating and fun. His son, who seems to be the active operator was also a delight to know.
This was worth every penny we spent to stay there. We will treasure the memory of this chateau.