Auberge de la Commanderie

The staff were friendly and helpful, and having a lift made getting luggage around much easier, especially for my old knees. I also really enjoyed the breakfast, probably the best hotel breakfast we had on our France trip, with wonderful pastries. It's well placed for sightseeing around town, at the top of the hill in St. Emilion. Our room was small, but about what we found elsewhere on the vacation, and comfortable. There is a small parking lot a little way from the hotel. Drop your bags at the door before parking, since hauling them along the cobbled streets is awkward. Definitely recommend stopping here.

The shower hose was oddly short. I'm not tall, and still had to kneel to wash my hair. The air conditioning was too noisy to leave on overnight, and there was quite a bit of street noise too. That said, it was a nice, very central hotel in Saint-Émilion. The room was neat and clean, with a good bed, and I'd probably stay again.

We had a comfortable, spacious room with good beds. The only thing that bothered me was the shower room had no door, so keeping the water in was tricky. Getting there was a worry because the railway was on strike on our check-in day, and we thought we might arrive very late. I called the hotel, and a staff member promised to wait however late it got. My wife and I finally arrived after midnight, and the receptionist was there and showed us to our room. Everyone we dealt with during the stay did their best to make us feel at home. Our room at the back looked onto a small vineyard, with a larger one in the distance. The hotel sits on a hill, and the view from the parking area across the street was impressive. It really kept reminding us we were among the vines. The hotel is at the lower edge of St. Emilion, close to the town centre and tourist information centre. The town is small, so everything is walkable. There are lots of good restaurants. If you want something cheaper, the staff can suggest Pizzeria du Vieux Lavoir, which serves pretty good pizza and wine. For the train station, less than 2km away, I asked the receptionist to book us a taxi. He suggested a "tuk" instead, a solar-powered three-wheeled motor car. It cost less than a taxi and took a route around town, giving us one last chance to enjoy the lovely view of this medieval place. The unpaved walk to the station with our luggage would've been quite a trek.

When we arrived around 4:30 in the afternoon, the hotel door was shut and nobody answered the bell. We'd booked two rooms, but spent nearly an hour outside with our luggage, unsure what to do. I called about 30 times without an answer. Eventually someone who spoke French called for us and got through. We were given a door code and let ourselves in. The rooms were good and clean, but there was still nobody at the hotel the next day. Breakfast was included and paid for, but we didn't get it. We ate outside and only ran into someone from the hotel after 9am when we returned. His only explanation was that it had been "exceptional" for him. In St. Emilion Centre, small bags are a better idea. Dragging heavy luggage over the cobbled roads can damage it, and if stairs are difficult for you, it may be better to stay outside St. Emilion. It's also worth knowing that sometimes there's nobody at the hotel when you arrive.