Hôtel de Biencourt

Everything else was lovely, but the woman who greeted us was the rudest person I’ve ever encountered. First impressions count, so I gave it two stars at first. Maybe there could be a little less huffing and puffing when a guest arrives. Update: After reading the response below, I found it completely disrespectful and felt it dismissed my comments. That’s how we experienced it, whether the staff agreed or not. I’ve changed my rating to one star.

A restaurant near the hotel handed us menus, then ignored us for 20 minutes until we left. The town didn’t seem welcoming to American tourists. At the hotel, communication was very, very poor, and the staff seemed frustrated with us instead of helping find a solution. We should have looked into the taxi situation more beforehand, but the way things were handled was disappointing. We were staying in this small French village for two nights because the website looked delightful and we wanted that experience. We needed to go to Tours, about 25 km away, each day. On Sunday morning, we asked reception to arrange a taxi, as the website says they can. The woman declined to call and just wrote down a number for us, without explaining that help needed to be requested 24 hours ahead. I couldn’t get the number to work on my phone. A woman at an open bakery made the call for us and got a taxi there in about 20 minutes, so she was more helpful than the hotel staff that morning. The next morning we needed to reach Tours for a train. Another person at reception said it was literally impossible. Then her boss arrived and explained that everything had to be arranged a day in advance. That was the first time anyone told us, and by then it was too late. Both staff members suggested walking a kilometer and a half with our suitcases to the nearest station, but wouldn’t check the train schedule to see if that could work. At another hotel, a man at reception called a different taxi company for us, and a taxi arrived within 20 minutes. If you stay in this small town, I’d suggest choosing another hotel, especially if you’re American. Or consider a different town.

We ended up checking out early and moved to another hotel in town, where the room, staff and air conditioning were excellent. The manager refunded the charge for our unused second night. It’s a shame, because hotel de Biencourt is a lovely property and we’d been excited to visit. We might have coped with the heat if the manager hadn’t been so rude. During a very hot midsummer stay, the afternoon sun made our room warm. We raised it with the manager, who said the a/c would bring it to a comfortable temperature. When we asked again that evening, he assured us it was working and would cool down soon. It never did. The next morning, he seemed annoyed when we brought it up and said we should have opened the sliding glass doors overnight. He repeatedly insisted we must have no common sense.

We look forward to using this as both our first and last night in France. It’s our stopover on the way to our holiday in the Dordogne, and we’ve never been disappointed. This weekend was our fourth year staying here since discovering the hotel in 2022. Thomas and his staff always give us a lovely welcome, and nothing is too much trouble. Thomas has recommended restaurants and made bookings for us. The secure garage means we know our car and luggage are safe overnight. Air conditioning is a bonus, and the sunny courtyard is a lovely setting for the delicious breakfast. Our room was superb and spotlessly clean, and the bed was so comfortable.