Aigle Noir Hotel Fontainebleau - MGallery Collection

The breakfast was a real highlight, with lots of choice and high-quality products. The building is beautiful and full of character, and the bed was very comfortable. Some details could do with attention: I like cold showers, but the water never gets properly cold, and the pressure is a little weak. The room finishes could use a light refresh, and the décor feels quite minimal. Still, it was a pleasant stay with very good hospitality.

The bar was especially cosy, with a good cocktail selection, and as Accor guests we really enjoyed the complimentary white wine. We were sorry to miss the restaurant, which sounded great, though it has since closed. Our spacious room overlooked a courtyard and was quiet. Patricia, la gouvernante, deserves a special mention for being so helpful, including trying firmer pillows for us. We had a pleasant weekend at L’aigle Noir, right opposite the château, with a friendly welcome and cosy feel. The reception is very homely, but with only one staff member on duty, there may be a wait if several people arrive together. We look forward to coming back.

The breakfast buffet in the renovated breakfast room was fine, but the guest rooms made this a very disappointing stay. The two rooms we were given had sparse, shabby furniture, stained wall coverings and various other defects. When I raised this just after checking in, I was told that only part of the hotel had been renovated, and that the Classic rooms had not. Those rooms make up about 30 of the hotel's 51 rooms. We booked this rather pricey hotel partly for its position opposite the Palace of Fontainebleau, its MGallery affiliation, and the brochure's claim that it was recently renovated. The rooms fell well short of what I expect from MGallery, or even a 3 or 4-star hotel. I wouldn't recommend it, since most rooms seem shoddy, and I wouldn't stay here again.

The thin walls made it impossible to sleep in. When a neighbor shut their door, the whole room shook like an earthquake. The shower doors wouldn't close properly, and the water pressure was so weak that rinsing shampoo out of your hair felt impossible. The lobby is tiny and unwelcoming, the restaurant is closed, and the bar feels depressing. The building is very old and the rooms extremely dated. They advertise rooms with a view, but ours faced a wall and AC fans. This is badly misrepresented and nowhere near a 4-star property. I don't recommend it.