Hotel le Berthelot

They let us keep our bikes in the garage, and the owner was really friendly. The rooms were lovely, clean, and en suite, and breakfast was excellent for the price. The hotel is right in the centre of Tours, so the old historic area, cafes, the Loire, and shops are all an easy walk away. The station is about 10 minutes on foot, or you can take the tram, and the tourist office is nearby too. We went to Villandry by tram and bus; booking the return trip by phone ahead of time was a curious setup, but it worked. The tourist office staff made the call for us.

This is a two star hotel, but we were very happy with our stay. The owner was friendly and even upgraded our room at no charge. It's right in the centre, within easy reach of Vieux Tours, the Cathedral, and bridge Wilson. Street parking is free on Sundays, and the nearby garage is Indigo. A couple of practical things: there are three floors and no lift, and the rooms don't have air conditioning. We visited in June when it was 27C outside; with the shutters closed during the day and the windows open to the night breeze, our room stayed comfortable.

The manager really made the stay. They were super friendly, handled problems quickly, and took care of everything. You could tell they cared about the guests, and their leadership made it a great experience.

I couldn't park my car after reading the hotel's description, so I tried contacting them several times. In the end I had to book and pay for another hotel. They agreed to refund me when I asked, but never sent it. The communication was terrible, and what they said about customer parking wasn't true. Avoid this hotel. If you're going to Tours, stay somewhere else.