Demeures & Chateaux Domaine De Valinches

The main hotel rooms and the property are beautiful, but our stay left us feeling very unwelcome. We came for a wedding and booked a Roulotte on the grounds. I didn't know that meant a trailer, and there were no photos on the website to show what it looked like, so I thought we were booking a room in the main building. It was a small cabin with no AC or windows. It was dirty and crawling with ants, and there was trash left by previous guests under the beds. When I told reception it needed cleaning, all I got was “sorry”; nobody arranged to clean it. Our friends hosting the wedding said we could ask the front desk for things like water, coffee, or snacks. But whenever we asked for bottled water, staff told us to fill up from the sink in the toilets. They also refused to move us, even though there were open beds in the dormitory. I understand that reserving the whole property for a wedding may bring restrictions, but we had paid extra for a private room and asked to switch to a shared dormitory that wedding guests could use at no extra cost. That request was denied too. If you're booking for a wedding, check carefully what you're reserving. I wanted to share how we were treated and show photos of the Roulotte for other couples, friends, or family thinking about staying here.

The grounds are lovely to explore from mid-afternoon, with varied landscapes and viewpoints that make for great photos. Inside, the room was immaculate, the amenities were easy to use, and the bedding was excellent. We spent a romantic night here with dinner at the hotel restaurant. The small restaurant feels intimate, and the chef is phenomenal at combining flavors. He deserves worldwide acclaim. The wine list is just as impressive. Vegetarian dishes are on the menu, and the kitchen readily adapts them to be gluten-free. Breakfast was extensive, with nearly everything sourced locally, including honey, jams, cheeses, and dairy products. The bread was very good, though the pastries seemed a little lacking. Gluten-free options were easy to arrange, and the hot drinks machine was perfectly calibrated.

The sommelier really stood out. He was passionate and engaging, and suggested wines that matched both our tastes and the character we were after. We had a wonderful evening discovering the estate and restaurant, and the dishes were beautifully presented and full of delicious flavors. A lovely gift, and the welcome was excellent.

The setting is elegant, warm, and exotic, and made us feel at ease straight away. The head waitress, whose name we unfortunately don't know, was lovely, kind, always smiling, and attentive throughout. Her professionalism made a real difference. We had a perfect meal. Every dish was generous, full of flavor, and perfectly executed. We enjoyed it from beginning to end, and would gladly come back. We wholeheartedly recommend the restaurant.