Fontevraud L'Ermitage

If you love hotels with history, this is the place for you. Once a monastery, then a prison, and now the resting place of Richard the Lionheart, staying here feels like being immersed in centuries of French history. The setting within the former Fontevraud Abbey is truly unique and gives the hotel an atmosphere that is difficult to find elsewhere. Just outside the hotel grounds is the picturesque village of Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, with restaurants, bars and a traditional boulangerie. One of my favourite memories was heading out for my early morning runs before the day had begun and smelling fresh bread and pastries coming from the boulangerie. It was one of those simple, wonderfully French moments that really added to the experience. The hotel also makes a great base for exploring the Loire Valley, with its châteaux, vineyards and beautiful countryside all within easy reach. After a day of exploring, returning to the peaceful surroundings of the abbey was a real pleasure. For a special occasion, I’d definitely recommend treating yourself to dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. It was the perfect way to round off our stay and made the whole experience even more memorable. Overall, this is much more than simply a place to stay. The combination of history, character, location and atmosphere makes Fontevraud L’Ermitage a genuinely memorable hotel experience.

We stayed in the double room 2 adults and 2 kids The room is comfortable to sleep but there is no aircon - to note if you stay in summer. The bathroom has very nice local soap and smelled really nice. The breakfast had good local products. It’s quite simple but has enough choice. Eating dinner if you don’t book 3 month upfront he Michelin restaurant can be a challenge. Prepare yourself to have to drive around if you are not satisfied with what the village has to offer. The staff was very helpful in transporting our luggage from the car park to the room. You can have direct access to the abbaye to visit. It’s a beautiful place with amazing history I think it’s a great place to stay to especially if you like understated spaces, beautiful design, and minimalist / austere ambiance.

The hotel is located within a wider converted estate with LOADS of history and tastefully restored. We were lucky enough to see the light display. It was a really amazing place at a good price.

Amazing venue - access to the Abbey and surrounds until Midnight each day meant visiting in splendid isolation. However the hotel has no air conditioning, and the temperatures were consistently above 37 deg celsius during our stay. The staff did their best with fans and asking everyone to close their shutters all day, but it is a challenge and one which is only likely to get worse with global warming.

Super