Recommendations for Loire Valley lodging...

Here are two 2-star hotels in town, both with small rooms, doubles only about 63 euros each place: www.leblason.fr or www.hotel-chaptal-amboise.fr. Rick's France book also lists several possibilities for about 85 euros in Amboise and nearby, including some cozier Chambres d'Hotes with only a few rooms each.

We stayed at a RS recommended hotel in Amboise and it was horrible... Hotel Belle-Vue. There was mold and the smell of mold everywhere, the curtains and the carpet were filthy dirty, black mold in the shower, and the old woman at reception was really awful... mean and extremely unpleasant. The hotel may have improved since we were there but I wanted to let you know of our experience in case you reference RS recs as recommended above. We've stayed in Amboise since then, but the hotel we did enjoy there is above your budget.

We stayed in a delightful little town called Loches in the
Loire Valley . We booked a gite "Maison de l'Argentier du Roy". Without a doubt it was the highlight of a month in France . Phillipe & Christine are the lovely couple who run it , they were so accommodating . Ambiose is lovely but to big, Loche was smaller & friendlier , check it out. We would return in a heartbeat!!
Denise

If you're interested in a gite or Bed & Breakfast option try this website for Loire Valley accommodation: www.loirelife.com

I just have to say... we don't think Amboise is "too big". For us, it is a small, charming little town next to the river with a chateau overlooking the town and river. We thought the locals were warm and friendly... except for the old woman mentioned above.

If you can spend a little more than $100USD, a long time ago I stayed in a fabulous hotel in Amboise, Le Manoir Les Minimes.
Really fantastic decor. Charming spaces in the main house. I stayed in the Rose Tree Pavillion and I felt like a princess.

Here's a link:
http://www.manoirlesminimes.com/uk/navigation.php

It's along the road just on the side of the Castle Amboise. The river is on the other side. The rates now seem pretty reasonable starting at 139 Euros.

A couple years ago we stayed at Hotel Le Blason which is in town and has private parking and is easy walking distance to all the attractions.. It is a neat old lace that dates back to around 1490 I think I found it in Rick's book but you can also just Google the name.

We stayed at La Manoire les Minimes the last time we were in Amboise and it is fantastic, but it's expensive.

If an apartment would work for you, check out vrbo #1018645a.

We stayed at Hotel Chaptel in 2012. Great location, friendly people at the front desk, and the room was clean. It would fit your budget as well. It is not fancy, but since all we do is sleep in the room it was more than adequate. The hotel is older, long hallways, and the public entry and area was pretty basic and simple. I did appreciate the public computer in the lobby. (we traveled for 34 nights, so while I can remember how the room looked I don't remember a lot of details from our time in the room. Once again, we mostly slept there and the absence of anything standing out is probably good.) The only negative I can remember is that there was only one electrical outlet in the room, and the tv was plugged into it. That made recharging phones and mp3 players difficult. (I think I actually got up during the night and switched stuff around) This was not the only older hotel where we had this problem and I am looking into options for our trip this September. (car chargers, European power strip, etc.) We enjoyed staying in Amboise. They have a great market down by the river on Sunday mornings, and finding good restaurants was not a problem. Plenty of choices.

I would consider the Hotel Grand St. Michel on the grounds of Chateau de Chambord just for the location. Chambord is just outside the town of Blois. I have not stayed there but most of the reviews I have read are pretty positive especially for the restaurant. The chateau at night is lit pretty spectacularly and in the summer, they have a light show. Rooms start at 63E and the three rooms facing the chateau run 86-106E. I have been to the chateau and have wondered what it would be like to stay in this hotel. You do need to reserve in advance.

It was a few years ago but we enjoyed our stay at the Auberge de Launay. It is near Amboise but across the river and only an option of you have a car. When we stayed they offered a dinner plan along with breakfast which was terrific. Very nice not having to drive in and out of a large city every morning/evening to tour the beautiful Loire valley.

Thank you all for your recommendations. There were several hotels available in Amboise for my travel dates. Hotel Le Breche is on the other side (north) of the river, about 15 minutes walking to central Amboise. A couple of the others are in town. Merci!