Background
I wanted to visit the Loire Valley to check out some chateaus after watching a few travel shows that highlighted the area. Blois, France seemed like the perfect city that was convenient to many of the chateaus. I stumbled upon the Fleur de Loire, a Relais and Chateaux property, and fell in love. It’s just across the bridge from the main center of Blois, so it is quite convenient. Rates during our February off-season stay were quite good, and I booked a Duplex Suite for 300 EUR. Standard room rates start at 175 EUR in the winter offseason, and 275 EUR in the summer season.
Formerly owned by the brother of King Louis XIII, the Fleur de Loire sits in a 17th-century building previously used as a hospice. It has been since converted into a luxury hotel by two-star Michelin Chef Christophe Hay and opened its doors in June 2022. The entrance to the property is quite beautiful.
There are 44 rooms, including 12 suites at the Fleur de Loire.
Fleur de Loire Takeoff Points
Date of Stay: February 2024
Room Type: Duplex Suite
Pros: Beautiful property and rooms, great location, and stellar views.
Cons: The downstairs bathroom in the duplex didn’t have hand soap, as well as the Spa locker room. Contract with Hertz Rent A Car is not seamless.
Takeoff Point: A newly opened beautiful property makes you feel like you are staying in a palace. A luxurious option if you are visiting the Blois/Loire Valley, and an easy short getaway from Paris.
Overall Takeoff Score: A-
Fora Travel Benefits at the Fleur de Loire, Relais & Chateaux
I work with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays. Fora is partnered with the Relais & Châteaux Preferred Partner Program. With this, you can get special perks when booking with me. The Fleur de Loire offers:
- Daily breakfast, for all guests
- VIP welcome amenity
If you are interested in getting these perks and want to stay at the Fleur de Loire, feel free to email me at takeofftotravel@fora.travel or fill out the contact form at the bottom of this post if you have any inquiries.
Arrival and Location
We took the direct train from Paris Austerlitz to Blois, which was only 1 hour and 25 minutes. There aren’t that many that run per day, and the only one in the morning hours was around 7:30 am and it got us to Blois at 9 am. While this is quite early and not my preferred time, it allowed us to spend more time in Blois which I am thankful for (at the expense of my sleep in Paris). When we arrived, our room was not ready yet, but that was fine as we left our bags, and arranged a rental car with the hotel so we could drive to visit the castles in the area.
The hotel is 1.7 km away from the Blois Train Station, and we just walked from the station to the hotel, which took about 20 minutes. To get to the center of Blois with stores and dining options, it’s a quick 10-minute walk over the bridge.
The common areas were quite nice, and they had diffusers everywhere which made the hotel smell nice.
The Duplex Suite
We got back from our day exploring castles around 6 pm and then checked into our room. We were on the top floor (2), and upon entering the room, you will enter the living room. In terms of size, the duplex suite is 60m (646 square feet). I found the decor of the room to be quite luxurious.
Living Room
To the right is a desk with a chair, a TV (with a Chromecast feature), and a minibar. There is also a coffee machine and a hot water kettle for tea. Power plugs were available throughout the room, as well as USB charging which was a plus.
Then, there is a large circular table with a chair, another chair, plus a large sofa that can convert into a double bed. I found the sofabed to be pretty comfortable!
The welcome amenities were some pastries and a Blackberry Jam made from the hotel.
And for turndown, they left a little chewy sweet, though I wish they also provided water with turndown. The lobby has some water in the carafes, and when I asked if there was anywhere to get water like that for the room, they ended up delivering bottles of water to the room, which was appreciated.
Three robes were provided for each of us in the main-level closet. Also, there was an umbrella and a steamer.
Downstairs W/C
In the back, is a W/C with a toilet and sink. The odd part was that there was no soap given…so we had to request some soap.
Since our suite was at the corner, we had nice views of the courtyard of the hotel as well as the city.
Upstairs
Then, there is a nice wooden staircase to take you to the bedroom area. I like how it wasn’t too narrow, as I’ve stayed at a few duplex-style hotel rooms and some of those staircases are tiny.
There is a king-sized bed, and the pillows and linens are of good quality.
There is also a TV, plus some open closet and storage space. Slippers were provided for each of us, and there was a sewing kit and shoe brush. Also, I liked the exposed wood beams as they looked quite cool.
Next to the bed is a tablet, and this is the source for all hotel information as well as placing calls to the front desk and spa.
In terms of the view, the small porthole window had quite a picturesque view in the morning.
Upstairs Bathroom
Here, there was a large sink and shower/tub combination. The interesting part of the shower was that there was no showerhead due to the curvature of the wall in this room type. There was only a hand wand, and while it provided good water pressure, it made it hard to have a relaxing shower.
There was a plethora of bath amenities provided, starting with a little kit of Sisley products ranging from sample sizes of eye serum, and anti-aging moisturizer (which is provided in Junior Suite and up categories). Also, q tips, cotton balls, a comb, and a loofa were provided.
Hand gel and lotion are provided by Maison Caulières (Master oil maker near Tours), while shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel are provided in nice glass refillable bottles hotel branded from Savonnerie des Muids (artisan soap maker near Orléans). The scents were all nice and unique.
I loved the gray marble all over the bathroom walls, and the wavy beige marble along the tub. Also, there are heated floors and a heated towel rack.
Overall, I liked the Duplex Suite, but some design quirks made it a bit awkward, such as no showerhead, and that you need to go downstairs to use the toilet. Perhaps I would try a different room type on a future visit.
Dining
Amour Blanc
It features French classics prepared with local seasonal ingredients. For breakfast, a buffet breakfast is served daily from 7:30 am to 10:30 am. If not included in your booking, it is 35 EUR per adult and 15 EUR per child from 3-12. The restaurant is also open 7 days a week for lunch from 12:15 pm to 2:30 pm and dinner from 7:15 pm and 10 pm. The restaurant is two stories, and from the upper level, you get great views of Blois.
They also offer an “Express Breakfast” that includes fruit juice, a hot drink, and a basket of pastries for 15 EUR.
The Pastry Shop on the ground floor is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 12 pm and 2 pm to 7 pm.
Breakfast at Amour Blanc
We had breakfast at Amour Blanc which comes with a continental-style buffet, and eggs made to order. I thought that the pastries and cold cuts from the buffet were of good quality, and it was nice to have made-to-order eggs as well. They will also bring you teas and coffee, and I had a nice cappuccino here.
Room Service
Room service is available 24/7, with a limited menu starting at 11 pm.
Hotel Bar
The hotel bar is on the lobby level to the right of reception and is open from 10 am to midnight Sun-Thurs and until 1 am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Christophe Hay Signature Restaurant
The signature restaurant has 2 Michelin Stars and is open Tuesday to Saturday from 12:15 to 2:15 pm and 7:15 pm to 9:30 pm (unless it’s on vacation leave, which happens around 3 times a year for 2 weeks at a time).
Sisley Spa
It’s the largest spa in the Centre-Val-de-Loire region, and it’s Sisley branded which is fitting as Sisley’s production center is located in Blois as well.
Hours are 10 am to 8 pm Monday to Saturday and 9 am to 7 pm on Sunday.
Guests at the hotel can reserve a 2-hour slot daily to enjoy the wellness area which includes
- 5 treatment cabins
- Indoor swimming pool
- Outdoor natural pool (closed Nov 1 to March 31)
- Sauna
- Hammam
- Jacuzzi
- Herbal Tea Room
- Sisley Store
- Treatments
We visited the Spa on our last day and had a relaxing visit to the pools and sauna.
I found the locker room quite interesting, as while there are lockers and a sink in between with soap, there is also a single shower room, as well as a W/C. The W/C had a sink and toilet, but no soap…It was just like the W/C in our room! I don’t know why they don’t have soap at the sink where there is a toilet. I mean, I would hope that everyone washes their hands after using the toilet.
Other Amenities
There’s a hotel Vegetable Garden a 15-minute walk away, where many fruits and vegetables are grown and used at the restaurants on site. They have guided tours Monday to Saturday between 11 am and 11:45 am.
Bike rentals are available at the hotel for 26 EUR for a bike, and 47 EUR for a tricycle.
Also, the hotel is pet friendly for 40 EUR per night/animal.
Hertz Rental Car
While the property has a contract with the local Hertz, it’s not that seamless. The hotel doesn’t have access to the Hertz systems, and any questions/modifications need to be directed back to Hertz, which can take a bit of back and forth to get an answer. On the plus side, the concierge seemed to try their best to communicate with Hertz, and given that Hertz was closed on Sunday, they were able to arrange it so that the car would be dropped off at the hotel on Saturday, and we could rent the car starting Sunday.
The drop-off and pickup fee ended up being 72 EUR total plus a 20% tax since we booked directly with Hertz and declined the insurance. If you book through the hotel, it’s only 35 EUR, but they require you to purchase all of the car insurance, so the quote will be a lot higher. The hotel wasn’t the clearest with how much the drop-off and pickup fee would be, as they also said it would be 46 EUR plus a 20% tax if we booked directly with Hertz.
In France, they are very detailed in damages to rental cars compared to the US. Before pickup, Hertz will send you a report with photos of the car and any damages that were on the car. And upon your drop off, you’ll get another report. The report had a photo that there was a large scrape on the passenger side door, but thankfully I took photos when we returned the car to the hotel and there was no scrape. I sent that email to Hertz, and thankfully they waived the 99 EUR damage fee. Always remember to take photos!
Parking
Valet parking is available at 15 EUR, and electric charging is available at no extra charge, which was nice as our rental car was electric.
The Verdict
Overall, I loved my stay at the Fleur de Loire, and it was the perfect getaway home base to explore the Loire Valley. It feels quite magical to stay in a hotel that feels like a palace, and the hotel is quite luxurious. I would definitely stay here again if my travels bring me back to Blois.
Have you stayed at the Fleur de Loire before? How was your experience? Comment below!
Cheers,
Ty
If you are interested in booking a stay at the Fleur de Loire, part of Relais and Chateaux, feel free to email me at takeofftotravel@fora.travel or fill out this contact form below. If you have other trips you’d like for me to help plan, feel free to reach out as well!
