One of our objectives on our recent European vacation was to spend at least one night in an authentic Loire Valley chateau. After extensive research we chose the Chateau de la Bourdaisiere. I have to say, our stay definitely lived up to expectations. Following valuable advice we gleaned from TripAdvisor we requested rooms in the main chateau rather than the carriage house...after all, if we wanted the chateau experience we were best served staying in the actual chateau.

Based on our research, and the few decent photos we found (I’ve uploaded additional photos that will hopefully be helpful) we requested Le Chambre de Gabrielle D’Estrees. Why? No good reason other than the fact that my wife liked it best. We received prompt confirmation from the staff – very friendly, and everything we received from the establishment made us eager for the experience.

The chateau is a little challenging to find if you don’t have GPS or a detailed map of the area. If you don’t plan on having a GPS system I would recommend going to Google Maps or a similar site in advance and printing off a street-level map that has the best route highlighted, because I’m here to tell you that an AAA map of France will not cut it for this application. Nowhere near enough detail.

Arrival at the chateau is breathtaking – a magnificent stone manor on a hilltop framed by trees and gardens. We pulled right up to the front door, and were met by the on-duty host. We traveled in low season (late September), so we’re not sure if the lack of a bellman was unusual, or just a reflection of the low season. Whatever the case, we were escorted to our room and given the key whereupon we retrieved our luggage (they do have a small elevator).

I want to address a couple of complaints I’ve seen in previous reviews regarding “antiquated” accommodations and more generally, “bugs in the the room”. This is NOT Disney, people. NOT a brand-new exclusive resort. Despite relatively recent “modernization” this is still a building that is hundreds of years old. There may be a few cracks between the windows and the sills that the occasional spider can crawl in...SO WHAT? For God’s sake enjoy the experience of this building and the grounds! Sure, they may have had to make a few compromises when bringing in modern amenities like showers and flush toilets, but at least they’ve done the best job they can. No TV? GREAT! Why would you need one here? Enjoy the building, people.

We spent about a half hour walking around the grounds in the evening before turning in – I have to say, the bed in the room was very comfortable. We woke up to a marvellous sunrise, and did some more walking around the grounds and the chateau before breakfast. Ah, petit-déjeuner. I have to say that this was the one disappointment. Being low season the hot breakfast (normally an item for which you have to pay separately) was included free of charge. That being said, even though I got enough to eat it wasn’t what I would call a complete breakfast. We were essentially limited to what had been put on the table before we arrived – a small basket of baked goods (mostly bread), and a couple of fruits. Not a lot of variety. If you’re an owner of the property and you’re reading this I would highly suggest a buffet-type of breakfast. That would have made this a perfect stay.

All in all I would rate this a highly satisfying experience. The staff was great, the grounds were fun to explore, and the château itself was fantastic.