Le Manoir Les Minimes

Le Manoir Les Minimes

, 34 Quai Charles Guinot, Amboise.

Hotel Le Manoir Les Minimes, an 18th century manor in typical French style, was built next to the Château Royal d'Amboise, on the foundations of the mediaeval Minimes Monastery. It's location right next to the Loire river makes it an ideal base for exploring the numerous chateaux of the Loire region.

Comprised of 13 bedrooms and two suites, the hotel looks out towards the old château and the Loire river. It is also not far from the centre of the little town of Amboise. There is a satisfyingly clean design to the rooms, sometimes juxtaposed nicely with the heavy wooden structure of the original manor building, reminding guests that not only are they getting contemporary luxury, but they are right in old Pays-de-la-Loire. The en-suite bathrooms too are spacious and well-designed.

The bar, the lounges and the library are so elegantly designed that there seems to be not the slightest thing out-of-place. They are paragons of traditional French decor, yet without the fussiness that sometimes appears elsewhere. And then there is the lovely terrace in front of the hotel, ideal for sipping something very French.

Of course the river is the heart of the Loire valley, and this is the place to go out and visit everything the region has to offer. Chateaux stand tall to look down on the river. Vineyards coat the flanks of the valley. Everywhere is dotted with ancient villages. For those of a more active disposition, there are cycling routes, golf courses, boat rides on the river, canoeing, hot air balloons...... the list goes on.