Château de Candes - Art & Spa

Fabulous place, delightful staff, couldn’t have been better for a quiet relaxing break. The views from the Chateau are spectacular and the street art collection in the woodland area is fascinating to walk round. The spa was an added attraction and The two massage sessions were a real highlight, so professional, in the unique surroundings of the cave complex totally blown away.

This was such a disappointing experience. The accommodation was hugely overpriced for what turned out to be a very basic Air b n b style flat - not the luxury accommodation it was billed as. I complained the day after I arrived and it transpired I had been overcharged at over €500 a night for an apartment that should have been €465 per night. This is still an outrageous amount for a flat in a block outside the main chateau. The whole thing felt greedy with far too many flats crammed into a small building, with a really basic garden at the end - a drive runs alongside the flats themselves. It felt more banlieue than countryside. The apartment itself was not of the quality I was expecting, cheap wardrobe in the hallway with a few hangers you get free from the cleaners, the runners hanging off the bottom of the doors. One pillow each on beds. Bathroom - no separate shower just a handheld (plastic) over the bath - no shower screen. I also felt this was billed as an apart-hotel, so had paid more than I could have for an independent house with pool in this area, having the impression this would be luxury accommodation with hotel services, such as cleaning etc. I had to ask for a mid-week clean. The photos also give the impression that the chateau is part of the experience, maybe you could head there for breakfast, a coffee on the terrace or a drink? The Chateau was completely shut off whilst we were there. The terrace in front is completely bare - no tables or chairs to sit overlooking the Loire. Breakfast is served in a cafe down by the entrance on the road. The pool area is nice but also a bit run down inside compared to the photos. This property is part of a group, not the personal, passion project they try and convey. There are no senior managers, such as the DG on the property. I have in numerous places this year, including two directly comparable apartments in the same price range. The quality of the apartments and services was far higher in both cases.

We stayed 4 nights during August 2023 – as a family of four, including two young children. The two-bedroom loft apartment was very spacious and well-equipped to allow self-catering, however the ‘open plan’ layout meant there was limited privacy (for example, when putting children to bed). The hotel is somewhere between a B&B and a hotel. It’s an excellent location with stunning views over the Loire. Our children really liked the swimming pool, which was well-heated, and we enjoyed the sauna. We used the hotel as base for exploring local chateaux (the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ castle at Ussé was our favourite), for visiting local towns, and for doing activities, such as kayaking on the river at Chinon. We had breakfast on the first day, but it felt over-priced given the limited appetites of our young children, so we self-catered on other days with food from the supermarket (the SuperU at Chinon most convenient) or the bakery just down the road at Montsoreau. There was one issue at the hotel, which really marred our experience. It’s not necessarily the hotel’s fault but we feel it’s necessary to mention. Our children were both badly bitten by bed bugs. At first, we thought they might be mosquito bites, but on further investigation we determined they were bed bug bites. We told the hotel after our stay and they were very apologetic and said they would fumigate the beds, but I think this experience would deter us from staying at the hotel again. Still, we had a fun time exploring the Loire. One thing to avoid – the local pizza van, which served us terrible, undercooked pizzas!

Chateau de Candes is a special gem tucked away on the hillside. We stayed in the main villa with a group of 10 couples. Bertrand was attentive to all of our needs pre arrival, while we were visiting and helping us with transportation upon departure. The property is breathtaking with beautiful views of the river. The pool area is so private and relaxing. Highly recommend if you are looking for a quiet getaway.