My husband and I recently (April 2025) stayed at Hotel Le Haut des Lys in Villandry, and I can highly recommend this hotel. (Be sure to book directly at their website, for the best rate and to avoid the owners having to pay a commission to a third-party booking site.) We stayed in a modern room in the annex with a comfortable bed and a large shower room. The room has A/C which we didn’t need but would come in very handy as we move into the summer months. I also recommend their breakfast, which offers a high-end coffee maker (cappucino, cafe au lait, etc.) and a large selection of food items, many of which are sourced locally. They also offer a very reasonably-priced evening meal for a set price in their attractive dining room, which is excellent value. We only booked the meal for our first night, and in hindsight, I wish we had eaten there both evenings; our other meal at a nearby restaurant was much more expensive and of disappointing quality. The grounds are lovely, and in good weather, you can easily walk to the Chauteau. Last but not least, everyone who works there (the owners and the staff) were incredibly helpful and courteous. For those of us whose French is rusty or non-existent, they all speak excellent English. We were so impressed - one of our best accommodation experiences ever, and we have done quite a bit of international travel over the years. We feel very lucky to have discovered this gem.
Posted by
Texas
46 posts
Hi Carole,
I was wondering if you did any driving back and forth from this hotel to Amboise during your stay to see the Chateaux there? We plan to stay at Hotel Les Haut des Lys, ( because of your positive review), and we will rent a car at St. Pierre des Corp; but, we’re a little apprehensive about driving too much. I’d be interested to hear how you traveled around the area.
Thanks!
Posted by
Spokane Valley, WA
202 posts
This sounds really nice. We were going to stay in Amboise but this location looks better. Thanks for the recommendation!
Posted by
Arctophilia, Northamptonshire, England
35560 posts
sounds great, Carole.
How were the stairs? Any lift? Is parking close?
My wife is disabled so I need to think of those things...
Posted by
OP
Atlanta, GA
10 posts
Hi Deborah,
As luck would have it, we are once again visiting the Loire Valley; we had such a great time in April that we decided to return in late July/August for another week.
In April, we had a rental car and to your point, we stayed in two different locations while we were in the Loire Valley: Villandry and Amboise. We spent 2 nights in Villandry (at Le Haut des Lys) and 3 nights in Amboise (at a lovely little chambres d’hotes recommended by Rick). This worked out very well and was worth packing up and moving during the course of our time in the area.
For our return visit, we spent 2 nights in Azay-le-Rideau (at Rick’s recommended Hotel de Biencourt), and we are now in Amboise at the same chambres d’hotes (which is actually above our usual price point, but just so lovely, that we cannot resist). Now that we’ve been to Amboise twice, I feel like I can make some other recommendations on accommodations if you’d like. And I have restaurant recommendations for Azay-le-Rideau and Amboise (plus a few restaurants that are not worth the $, imo). Let me know if this is of interest. Also I can tell you where to park for free in Amboise.
Carole
Posted by
OP
Atlanta, GA
10 posts
Hi Lori,
Please see my response to Deborah. Depending upon how much time you have in the area, you might consider staying in two different towns: pick one that is east of Tours, and pick a second one that is west of Tours.
Carole
Posted by
OP
Atlanta, GA
10 posts
Hello Nigel,
The hotel has at least 3 rooms that appear to have been designed to comfortably accommodate folks with mobility issues. In fact, we stayed in one of these rooms in April, and I believe it would be very comfortable for you and your wife. You can park right outside the door to your room, and there aren’t any steps into the room or the shower. And as I recall, it’s the same for access to the lobby and the dining room (no steps). The hotel is very responsive to emails and could answer any other questions that you have.
Carole