Le Clos Josephine

Breakfast was a generous French spread, with local honey, homemade jam and delicious bread. The owner was incredibly friendly and helpful. It’s a really nice little private guesthouse, with renovated rooms under the roof and a small but pleasant bathroom. I’d highly recommend it for a Loire Valley cycling tour.

The host was friendly and knew the area well, and breakfast was delicious. We ate together with the other guests. The spacious rooms were tastefully decorated and had splendid views of the Loire River. They’re reached by climbing two flights of stairs. The accommodation is in a beautiful location, and there’s free parking on the property.

The “Blue Hour” family room worked well for us, with a separate room for the single bed. Breakfast was plentiful and very good. There’s a covered place to park bicycles, though dog or cat droppings can make it smell strongly. We found the welcome rather curt, and the hosts inflexible. Breakfast couldn’t be served before 8:30 am, though we would have preferred 8:00 am. I asked by email whether laundry could be done on-site for a fee, and was told we could wash and dry clothes only during off-peak hours, between 1:30 am and 7:30 am, for €5, including a detergent capsule with fabric softener. That might as well have been a no, since who wants to get up in the middle of the night to put clothes in the dryer? We arrived on a rainy day, and there was a very strong, unpleasant wet-dog smell throughout the ground floor and up the stairs to the upper floor. Our room was on the second floor.

The room was spacious and the bed very comfortable. We also enjoyed a generous evening meal basket full of excellent local products, and breakfast was very good and sociable, shared with the other guests. The welcome felt a little cold when we arrived. We’d hoped for more of a bed and breakfast atmosphere, and that was the only downside.