Château de la Cazine

We chose this place for a meal to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. The building and interior are impressive, with crystal chandeliers, marble fireplaces and huge windows, but dust and cobwebs had been left in spots that would take a little effort to reach. Our lunch booking was for 12.00, and we arrived at 11.50. Staff told us to come back in 10 minutes because they weren’t ready. We’d just seen them all leave the kitchen for the smokers shed. It would have been more polite to ask us to wait in the bar. While we had those extra minutes, we walked around the grounds. The pool looked very tired and dirty, bushes had grown over the exterior lights, and the golf course still looked abandoned, even though it was only partly built after 4 years of construction. The meal was OK, well cooked and served very professionally, but it was missing that extra “je ne c'est quoi.” We were surprised that a Kir Royal cost 15€ each, which seemed excessive. We were also baffled that we had to pay at the hotel reception instead of having the waitress bring the bill to the table. This could be a stunning place if they got things in order. Right now, it all feels neglected, and everything seems like too much trouble for the staff.