Hôtel Château Tilques

The staff made this one of the best hotels I've stayed in in France. They were both friendly and very professional, and the service was exceptional. Dinner was superb and the venue beautiful. My room was a bit cold, but the staff got that fixed quickly.

The restaurant has a nice atmosphere and character, but dinner was mediocre and the breakfast buffet was pretty terrible for the price. The castle itself looks grand, and perhaps the bedrooms there are too. The rooms in the large annex are another story: low ceilings, tired and characterless, with a poorly designed pool in that building. There were some good staff, including a great receptionist and a lovely bartender. Still, it felt overpriced and lacking in coherence, like a chain-run hotel where little is done with much heart.

The peaceful rural setting and beautiful grounds made this a great find. There's plenty of space to play tennis, swim, or just relax. Our comfortable double room was in the chateau, up two flights of stairs with no lift. We couldn't get a table at the restaurant on the one night we wanted to eat there, as it was fully booked, and aside from a couple of sharing boards there wasn't other food available. We'll book ahead next time. Château Tilques is about a 30-minute trip from Calais, so it's handy for exploring nearby or beginning a longer drive. We definitely plan to return.

The dinner was the highlight by far, absolutely sublime, and fantastic quality for 35€ per person. You do need to book a table in advance. We nearly skipped the restaurant because we were disappointed with our room, but we're so glad we went. The Chateau has lovely grounds, a nice pool and a bar downstairs, though it feels a little run down and outdated. Much of the furniture is cheap, more like a Premier Inn than luxury, and doesn't suit the castle's style and period. Our tiny top-floor “comfort room” didn't feel worth the price, despite being in the castle. Breakfast was fine, a continental buffet; some hot dishes would have been nice after such a good dinner, though I understand that may not always be feasible. The staff were pleasant and helpful, especially the dining team. Handy location for Le Shuttle.