Logis Hotel Restaurant le Cheval Blanc

We stayed three nights at Le Cheval Blanc in Blere. We had initially looked for hotels in the larger Loire Vally towns but we were so pleased that we chose Blere instead. It was a lovely, little town and an excellent base for visiting nearby Chateau Chenonceau, Amboise and Loches. Le Cheval Blanc is a charming, family-run hotel and was also an excellent choice. Its best feature was the wonderful on-site restaurant, but we also appreciated the friendly and helpful staff and the free car-parking at the back of the hotel. SERVICE: Staff were consistently cheerful and went out of their way to be helpful. Communication (via email) prior to our arrival was always prompt, they gave us great recommendations for wineries and they even lent us knives and cups for the picnic we planned one day. ROOM: Our room was small but comfortable. Space was fairly tight, with the bed taking up most of the room, but it had an attractive decor, natural lighting and a large window with a green outlook which we could open for fresh air. There was a small corner desk with a bar-fridge underneath it -this was very handy. However there was no kettle so we had no coffee/tea making facilities. We missed having this in the room - although once we discovered the nearby Brasserie L’Union, we enjoyed walking out to have our morning coffee there each day. The bathroom space was fine and an extra cabinet was very handy for make-up and toiletries. Wifi was good. PARKING: Free parking is available in a small private carpark at the back of the hotel. This was a real plus for us. There were only half a dozen, unreserved spots but we never missed out. RESTAURANT: This was a highlight of our stay. The dining room is lovely and the quality and presentation of our meal was excellent. I particularly enjoyed the langoustine and shellfish risotto. OVERALL: We really enjoyed our stay here and it served us very well as a lovely, small-town base to return to each day.