Two Travelers

Guest: Two Travelers (Seattle, Washington)
Date of Stay: 09/15/11 Review Submitted: 10/10/11

Not enough can be said about Le Belvedere and its attentive owners, Dominique and Jean-Reneau. After a full day of travel, it was so wonderful to land in their caring ways with dinner reservations included! This was a welcome moment of no decision making in the midst of four weeks of travel. The location in Bléré is perfect for connecting to major sights in the area while at the same time it is perfect for feeling the peace and serenity of a small village in France. Our room and its bath were exquisitely detailed for a comfortable stay, breakfast was filling and presented gracefully in a beautiful setting. Dominique was generous with her time and information as was Jean-Reneau. Parking was available on the street or if needed in the courtyard. The actual physical structure of Le Belvedere is gracefully beautiful and the loving care provided by the owners is evident in all parts of the home. Beauty, sophistication, welcome, warmth and graciousness all describe the experience of staying at Le Belvedere. You will be happy that you said yes to Bléré!

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A lovely stay at Le Belvedere

Guest: Phil (New Jersey)
Date of Stay: 09/16/11 Review Submitted: 10/01/11

This is a gem of a bed-and-breakfast located in the small but charming town of Blere in the Loire Valley. The ample continental breakfast (fresh baguettes and croissants, homemade jellies, cheese, fresh fruit, cereals and yogurt, coffee and tea) was served in a beautifully decorated dining room. Our bedroom, the Chambres de Dames, was spacious and airy; the bed was extremely comfortable, and the bathroom was enormous with room for coatracks to hang our things, twin sinks and a shower that was hot and strong. Blere is situated but a short hop away from such chateaus as Chenonceau, Amboise and Chambord, and the real hidden treasure of Le Belvedere was the local knowlege of our hosts, Dominique and Jean-Renaud. With them, you can leave your guidebooks and your GPS in your room - they can tell you the best places to see and eat (and are eager to assist you with reservations), and the best ways to get there and back. (We did not have a chance to fly over the area with Jean-Renaud in his private plane, but were told by a fellow guest that the experience was "briliant.") When the day comes that we return to the Loire, we certainly hope to be able to stay at Le Belvedere again.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, age 55+, romantic getaway, girls getaway.

Highlight of our vacation

Guest: George and Cheryl (United States)
Date of Stay: 06/16/11 Review Submitted: 08/17/11

Our family of five stayed at Le Belvedere for 7 days this past June. I do not think we could have made a better choice. Dominique and Jean-Renaud made us feel at home and proved themselves to be charming and gracious hosts. Bléré turned out to be a great central location for our daily explorations of the Loire Valley, and is an easy town to navigate. The house itself is a beautifully restored mansion filled with antiques and interesting art and surrounded by beautiful gardens. Even though it is close to the town center, it feels very secluded and private. Our rooms were large, comfortable, clean, and thoughtfully furnished with robes, and a coffee maker. Every morning we were treated to a breakfast of fresh fruit, cereals, homemade yogurt and jams, bread, cheese, coffee and croissants. One morning Dominique surprised our youngest daughter on her birthday with a special breakfast pastry and a birthday present! Really made her day! Jean-Renaud (JR) and Dominique really made a tremendous effort to make sure we enjoyed our stay. They both speak perfect English, a big relief because my limited French is pretty bad. Dominique always had helpful suggestions about things to see and do in the area, and her restaurant recommendations were perfect. JR would draw maps for us, which were a big help. They would even make dinner reservations for us, which is a good idea, as the restaurants are busy even during the week. A special treat for us was being able to go flying with JR while we were there. The flight and the aerial views of the chateaus are something we will never forget. I hope we get an opportunity to return someday; it is really a special place and great hosts!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, families with teenagers, age 55+, romantic getaway.

Guest: Angela and Ted (-)
Date of Stay: 10/10/10 Review Submitted: 02/21/11

Thank you for making our holiday a special event. Everything you did for us was wonderful, and we appreciated it so much. May your kindness return to you

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Guest: Jo and Angela (-)
Date of Stay: 09/03/10 Review Submitted: 02/21/11

A lovely stay in this superb setting. Such an elegant and unusual house - a real privilege to have shared it for a short while. Wonderful hospitality and conversation

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Guest: Peter and Lizzie (-)
Date of Stay: 08/19/10 Review Submitted: 02/21/11

We have enjoyed another - too short - stay and look forward very much to the next time when we will stay longer.We have especially enjoyed your company and our gorgious room. And thank you also for your warm hospitality and your generosity.

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Guest: Stuart and Gillian (-)
Date of Stay: 07/31/10 Review Submitted: 02/21/11

Thank you so much for a beautiful stay in your lovely home. You have looked after us so kindly + we have really enjoyed beeing here + your kind hospitality We hope to return one day

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Guest: Don and Carol, Australia (-)
Date of Stay: 07/02/10 Review Submitted: 07/04/10

Sadly, we leave tomorrow after 6 enjoyable days in the Loire Valley, enhanced by our excellent room 0 Le Belvedere. Dominique was the perfect host, provoding somptuous breakfasts and her knowledge of the region negated our need to visit the tourist information centre. We took Dominique's advice on where to eat and what attractions to visit and we were not once disappointed. She even shared her laundry and twice offered us sparkling local wine, all gratis. In summary a thoroughly enjoyable experience. We loved the Valley and the accomodation was spacious, private and excellent value.

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Guest: Gail and Ray, Memphis TN USA (-)
Date of Stay: 05/05/10 Review Submitted: 07/04/10

We spent a delightful 3 nights at the charming Belvedere. The location was perfect and our hosts superb. We were able to enjoy many things otherwise missed without the excellent advice of Dominique. The roses were blooming and we spent relaxing afternoons in the garden with local sparkling wine.

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Had a wonderful stay at the chateau

Guest: travelingmom02 (Longmont, CO)
Date of Stay: 05/29/10 Review Submitted: 06/16/10

Our family of two adults and two chlldren stayed with Dominique and Jean for 4 nights during the end of May, beginning of June 2010. We had a wonderful time and our children specifically mentioned they would like to return. The breakfast was delicious, the family suite was spacious and charming, and our hosts were delightful and very welcoming. The beds were very comfortable. Blere is an excellent central base for exploring the various chateaux of the Loire Valley and it was easy to drive to Amboise, Chenonceau, Angers, Chambord, etc. Dominique and Jean were very helpful with driving directions and restaurant suggestions. The chateau has a lovely yard and is very quiet. The property was quite clean and well-maintained. We would definitely recommend staying here while visiting the Loire Valley.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, families with teenagers, age 55+, romantic getaway, girls getaway.