hotels in Amboise - looking for recommendations not in the RS France guidebook

Honestly, of all the places I recently visited in the Loire Valley, Amboise was my least favorite. Very touristy and the Clos de Luce did not live up to expectations.

I based myself in Blois and found it to be very nice. I stayed in an Airbnb across the river from the old town and had fantastic views and fine dining choices. Blois also has a great chateau which is much more interesting, in my opinion, than most of the others that are mentioned in this region.

We enjoyed Amboise very much during our stay. It may be "touristy" to some, but at least it has plenty of choices for meals and a wide range of accommodations at different price points. OP might want to use booking.com to search for a place within their budget, and then go to the website for additional info and actual booking. If you have a car, I can recommend the Chateau de Pray, which is a few minutes drive outside of town.

One that never makes the guidebooks is La Breche
https://labreche-amboise.com/

Also look at Pavillon de Lys https://www.pavillondeslys.com/en/

I stayed at a pleasant B and B in Blois that was previously used as a mill pond. Great hosts, private parking and a small lake on the property. If this would interest you, I can find the B and B information.

I used an Airbnb in Amboise. If you're having trouble finding a hotel, you should try them. I've had very good luck with Airbnb in France and am using it exclusively for my upcoming September trip to France (Paris, Champagne, Burgundy and Alsace this trip).