Hotel Le Choiseul

The staff were courteous at all hours and did their best to handle every request. Our room was gorgeous, with a private terrace, though the rain and unusually cold weather meant we didn’t get much use out of it. The restaurant was fantastic for dinner, if a little pricey, and well worth it. The hotel has a lot of old-world charm along with many of the amenities you’d expect from a 5-star place. The downsides for us were no AC and just one English-language channel on the TV, but we watched movies on our laptop at night, so it wasn’t a dealbreaker. It’s about a five-minute walk to the main street and the castle entrance, and you can see the hotel from the top of the Castle. I understand major renovations are planned, which will require an 18-month closure.

The hotel itself deserves 5 stars from me: the rooms were comfortable and the staff helpful. It’s expensive, but we still had a great stay. The restaurant was a different story. It’s promoted as one of the area’s top places, with linen service, fine china, glasses, and cutlery, but the food disappointed us. We chose the evening menu, which had only two options for each course, and the quality was lacking. One person in our group found cellophane and other foreign objects in their main course; the replacement was undercooked, and we were still charged full price. The dessert wasn’t what we’d ordered or what the menu described, though it tasted all right. At most, I’d give the restaurant 3 stars. We were really disappointed, especially since we were trying to make a special occasion out of dinner at a €€€€ restaurant.

The service made a big impression on our group. Everyone was blown away by how good it was. We stayed with a large party and had a fantastic experience. The rooms were beautiful and full of character, and the restaurant was fantastic too. Parking at the hotel was secure and free, and Amboise is just a 200 meter walk away. I’d definitely return.

This historic place has the feel of an old chateau and sits right by the river, only a few minutes on foot from the old town. Our room was spacious, with a huge bed, and the staff were great. There’s no elevator. At night, you get lovely views of Amboise castle nearby and the main bridge over the river.