Chateau de La Motte Fénelon

Because of a family problem, I needed to move my booking a few days earlier and travel sooner. I checked that the hotel had availability, then sent messages and emails through Booking.com. More than a week later, I still hadn't had the courtesy of a reply. They were quite happy to take the money for the original booking, though. I also tried calling and got no answer. Very unprofessional.

We were given three rooms in the grounds, and all of them were terrible. There was a strong chemical smell in the bedrooms, ants across the floors, dirt and cobwebs in the corners (see photo), and cups left dirty by previous guests. Reception offered to move us, but after seeing the state of all three rooms we had no confidence the replacements would be better. Surprisingly, the man at reception still made us pay.

The chateau has magnificent state rooms and lovely parkland, though it's set in the middle of a housing estate on Cambrai's outskirts, beside a canal. Staff gave us just the right amount of attention, and we had a delicious meal in the characterful cellar restaurant. Our large ensuite room was clean and comfortable, but its minimal decor didn't match the impressive ground-floor reception rooms. A nice quiet place to stop, with a tasty meal at good value.

On our way from Calais to Burgandy, we stopped here and found it great value for money. The chateau feels authentic, and the staff are friendly. Our room was clean and comfortable. Before heading back for a peaceful night's sleep, we had a glass of champagne in the drawing room.