Chateau De Crazannes

We spent three days and two nights here for a wedding. The room was spacious and really comfortable, and the castle and grounds were lovely and clean. Exploring the historic pieces in the castle's common areas was a highlight, and the weather was sunny for two days. It rained on the other day, though, and the outdoor setup could be better for that. The large umbrellas by the function room leaked underneath, so they weren't much use.

The garden and tower were good, but the house interior had a jumble of furniture. I downloaded the English leaflet, but going around without a guide was confusing, and the scanned version didn't help much.

We'd stayed here before and enjoyed it, so we booked again. The details on Booking.com looked the same as last time. Two days before our reservation, when it was too late to cancel, we were told there'd be a Halloween party and the pool wouldn't be available. On arrival, staff directed us to park in a field because the private car park was apparently for the owner's use, not guests. Our room was across a muddy lawn, through a dark side door at the base of the tower. We'd booked a twin, but found a double bed. There was no kettle, hairdryer or tea and coffee in the room. The only two sockets were occupied by lights, leaving nowhere to charge a phone. When we asked reception about the missing facilities, the owner said tea and coffee were available at breakfast and accused us of wanting “an expensive room very cheaply.” He wouldn't accept that we expected the room we'd booked. He said we hadn't booked a hotel room and didn't understand. At 6pm on a public holiday, he told us we could cancel and find somewhere else in Saintes, some 20km away. He blamed us for not checking his website photos and said Booking.com had inaccurate details, while taking no responsibility himself. After an 800-mile trip, we found the shower had no hot water. It stayed cold until the next morning. The free wifi didn't work, and the room wasn't heated during our stay. When we went out for food, the staircase was dark, so we had to switch on the lights at its base to get out safely. The Halloween party on the lawn in front of our room had repetitive music and went on until 11pm. When we got back, the stairwell light had stopped working, making the entrance and stairs unsafe for paying guests. The light outside our room had also been removed. Groups went up the stairs past our room to the one above, where they rang a bell while we were trying to sleep. The breakfast buffet was adequate, but the person serving it disappeared when guests arrived. At checkout, reception was empty and no one was there to explain what to do with the key. We left it in the room door and hoped someone would find it. We received no receipt and no care or hospitality. We knew this was a historic building and allowed for its limitations, expecting facilities suitable for a room costing €132 off-season. Our stay didn't meet expectations for even a third of that price. The advertised facilities weren't provided, including a twin room, terrace, socket near the bed, soundproofing, private entrance, coffee machine, tea and coffee maker, heating, hairdryer, private pool, free private parking and wifi. What we got was a bed and toilet. We had to wait until morning for a drink or a shower. It was a genuinely medieval experience, facilities included. We'll have a hard time forgetting being told we “don't understand what [the owner] is trying to do” and that we hadn't booked a hotel room. Running hospitality takes an understanding of what guests expect and the professional maturity to deliver it. This business lacks experience and needs a professional manager to take charge of hospitality.

Staying in a 15th-century chateau for the first time was a good experience. It's not high-end, extravagant accommodation, though, so the service and room facilities were only acceptable.