Château de Pray

I’m writing for my parents, who stayed here. They found it the most disappointing and shocking hotel experience of their lives. For a place calling itself 4-star, the service and standards were a disgrace. They had to carry their own luggage, there were no toiletries beyond a single bar of soap, and the kitchen had no food available because the chef wasn’t working that day. For nearly £300 a night, that fell far below what they expected from a 4-star hotel. There was no internet, and nobody had warned them beforehand. When they asked, staff said it was their responsibility to check. The proposed fix was to come back at 2pm to see whether the internet was working, then move rooms themselves. The reception also closed after 11pm, so guests had no support in an emergency. My mum was worried about her health and asked for an emergency number. Lucy, the receptionist, replied dismissively, “And you have some problems?” and wouldn’t help. My parents felt anxious and unsafe. Staff were unwelcoming and treated every concern as my parents’ responsibility. They weren’t willing to help with basic questions or sort out problems. I’m from London, and my parents visit France regularly. They’ve never encountered this kind of behaviour before. Even budget hotels they’ve stayed in offered more professionalism, safety, and comfort. Avoid at all costs.

The garden-view terrace was our favorite place to eat and drink, with delicious evening food and a lovely wine selection. Laura and the rest of the staff were helpful and knew the area well, which made the location handy for day trips to Amboise and Tours. We stayed at Château de Pray in summer 2024. The Pavilion Room was just right, breakfast was great, and the pool was a relaxing place for an afternoon drink in the sun. We’ve already booked our return for 2025!

We were two couples staying here, and the restaurant was an incredible experience, hard to put into words. The hotel was very good too, with comfortable rooms. The only drawbacks were no elevator and no small fridge in the room. Highly recommend.

Pierre and Gwendolyn made our stay feel extra special, and really treated us like family. The service was top notch from the staff and servers to the sommelier. Chef Arnaud’s meal was a masterpiece, one we’ll savor and remember.