Hôtel Diderot

The hotel is very well situated in the town of Chinon. Walking distance to most attractions and restaurants. The breakfast provided is superb with homemade confitures from fruits of the region. The staff are very welcoming, accommodating and helpful. Multilingual in French, English and German. The rooms are very clean and well kept. There is no air conditioning, but fans are provided for those hot summer days.

A delightful tucked away and typical small French hotel close to the centre of Chinon that we stayed in several years ago. Well appointed room that had lots of character and an excellent bathroom with terrific shower. Good breakfast available plus a small bar and limited parking.

My husband and I stayed at the Hotel Diderot over Easter weekend, using the hotel as our nightly home base after driving and exploring (and even getting magically lost one day) all over that region of the Loire Valley. The beauty of that part of France is one thing, but a hotel that offers an amazing respite in a walkable medieval town after a full day of touring is the icing on the cake. We landed in Paris, then took the TGV down to Tours where we picked up our rental car. (I don't like driving in Paris). Reception at the Hotel Diderot had been well in touch with us before our trip and provided excellent information and instructions for both getting to Chinon and for what to expect when arriving in their car park. From Day 1, our travel stress level disappeared as we were welcomed and shown to our lovely room. Chinon feels like a magical spot in the hectic world. Knowing we were coming on a busy Holiday weekend, reception had emailed us 2 mths out with links to 4 or 5 amazing restaurants within walking distance to the hotel where we could make our reservations through their websites. It was great to get recommendations from the hotel's owners who eat in these restaurants themselves! First impression when we walked in to our hotel room was realizing the owners had carefully curated the decor and bedding that was beautiful and very comfortable. We chose to have breakfast everyday, as I had read the jams, breads and regional cheese were not to be missed. The breakfast did not disappoint. The weather was beautiful while we were there, so every late afternoon before heading off to dinner we would have a drink at their bar, and sit on the terrace. We actually met someone who was staying there also, as we had cocktails, and have remained email friends with them since. I am staying there again this Dec, after signing up for their Christmas cultural escape program. Looking forward to it!

After the bustle and congestion of Paris, The Hotel Diderot was a wonderful place to decompress and discover an actual piece of the French heartland. The family owned Hotel dates back to the 16th Century and is located in the charming town of Chinon in the beautiful Loire Valley. Our room was quant, comfortable, and the beds were great. The historic downtown, great locally restaurants (one of the best meals we had was in Chinon) and midievel fortress were all in walking distance as was a beautiful river walk area. The house breakfast was fantastic. If you want a real French experience, The Hotel Diderot is a great place to do it!