Gîte François 1er

The room, Iris, had a large, comfortable queen-size bed as well as a twin-size bed. There was also a big jetted tub in the room. It’s a grand old manor that’s been made into a comfortable hotel.

A pleasant place to stop overnight, with a very French feel and an excellent breakfast.

We arrived late and called to ask if a room was available for one night. Luckily, the owner was still there and sorted everything out for us. He was very kind. The hotel is not far from Lac du Der, a beautiful lake with lots to do, especially fishing, so staying in town could be convenient if you’re visiting the lake. The room was old-fashioned, with a wooden floor. It was so long and big that I sometimes felt a little scared. Breakfast was simple and self-service on the ground floor, where everyone sat together at one long table. It was a chance to meet other guests. We loved the fresh 🥖🥐.

The photos online looked magnificent, but the Tulip Room was very different. It didn’t have the advertised four-poster bed, though that wasn’t a major issue. The bathroom was the bigger problem: it was dated and not very clean, with a dirty bin and towels and bath mats left in a messy pile. I couldn’t tell if they were clean or waiting to be washed. There was no shower door, so water could get everywhere, the other shower walls were opaque with limescale, and the shower-head holder was broken. The advertised hairdryer was missing, and there were cobwebs around the mirror lights. In the ground-floor bedroom, the bay window had only double curtains, no sheers. With them open, sunlight came straight in and people on the terrace could see directly into the room. The only way to get privacy was to keep them closed throughout the stay. Inside the dresser drawer was a mess: cigarette butts and filters, torn brochures, door knobs, and loose papers. Maybe it was meant to hold tourist brochures and magazines, but it was in a poor state. Breakfast was disappointing too. The bread was stale from the day before and the croissants seemed to be two days old. The cold cuts and cheese were vacuum-packed in the fridge, with no effort put into presentation, and the industrial pastries like waffles and madeleines were vacuum-packed as well. When I mentioned the missing shower door at checkout, the manager first treated me like an idiot and said it had broken the day before. After I checked the Google reviews and saw others had reported the same issue, he just shrugged dismissively.