Hôtel de Boisgelin

The chateau is a very imposing building and its setting is beautiful. Hare's running on the golf course whilst the lake was shrouded in mist in the early morning was quite magical. Our requests for a walk in shower were met and the staff were very obliging both before and during our stay. The welcome at Reception when we arrived was charming and we were shown to our room after a quick downstairs tour. We had booked a superior room with a golf course view. The view was lovely but the room, albeit a fair size and in pristine condition, lacked a few comforts. The two dining chairs were not comfortable for relaxing and a small sofa replacing one of them, which would have fitted into the room, would enhance it considerably. The bathroom was quite spacious but had a lack of shelves to put toothpaste, shaving foam etc so was frustrating. Downstairs, the bar was too brightly lit such that after dinner we didn't bother lingering with a drink but headed upstairs to our room where at least we could lie on the bed. The dining room is modern and attractive and we were given a lovely window table for dinner. We opted for the half board option which was very reasonably priced for very good food. The mullet as a main course was delicate and perfectly cooked and the amuse bouches were also enjoyable. Breakfast the following morning was in another attractive room and was adequate for the 18 Euros charged. You have to order your main choices the night before which is not a major issue and the cold continental selection (there is the option of boiled eggs that you cook yourself and waffles) consisted of quality produce. The honey from the grounds was particularly nice as was the semi salted butter and rustic bread. Coffee was very drinkable and we ate well. Perhaps it is our age, but I like a chateau that reflects its age and character and whereas I can fully understand that the young team want a modern look which most people seem to love, I would prefer a few comforts in a traditional ambiance. However, the Hotel Mathieu Kergourlay does what it does well and deserves every success. The restaurant was full on a Thursday night so clearly it has a good following. We enjoyed our visit and felt it was fair value for money with a range of reasonably priced wines and overall, we had a lovely visit on our brief visit to France.