Château de Bagnols

Magnificent property and rooms, Dinner was really amazing and the spa treatment the best we ever had. Will definitely come back and try it in the winter too, the fireplace are quite spectacular. Really friend staff although the maitre d’hôtel at the restaurant was a bit stressed when we asked to move the reservation by 15mn…

In the Beaujolais countryside, about 25 minutes outside Lyon, lies an old castle or chateau. We booked it with no expectations, but the positive reviews and its perfect location with five-hour drive from both the Côte d'Azur and Paris sealed the deal. Is this hotel worth visiting? Here's my take on the pros and cons. What I Loved Location: It's absolutely perfect. Being outside Lyon, amidst the rolling hills and vineyards, offers a refreshing change from a typical hotel stay. It's unique, and sometimes, that's exactly what you need. The View: The vista from our room, overlooking the surrounding landscape, was nothing short of world-class. I honestly can't remember the last time I witnessed such a flawless view. The room - We had a 100 m2 room which wasn’t modern, but still ok given the price range and the presumed restrictions buildings like this comes with. The toilet is either hilarious or gives your a royal treatment. Depending on how you look at it. What I Didn't Like The Service: The woman who showed us to our room was fantastic – friendly, welcoming, and informative. Just perfect for this kind of place. However, the service during dinner was less than ideal. Despite notifying them well in advance about a dietary restriction, everything was made incredibly complicated for no good reason. The standard procedure is for the chef to offer alternatives prior to or upon arrival, or to discuss options with the guest on the spot. A simple steak with some fries would have done. The Menu: The gourmet menu was exclusively for adults, featuring a tasting menu for foodies and an à la carte option that looked decent. There was also a bar menu for kids and those wanting more standard food although not very kids friendly. However, this bar menu wasn't available in the "nice" dining room; it was relegated to a seating area that felt more akin to a Holiday Inn Express, with a rather stoic table setting. The Dinner Room: As mentioned, for a restaurant with high ambitions, children weren't allowed in the "nice" dining room. While I don't dispute the decision to separate kids from "high-value" gourmet guests, I do mind that when the room rate is 700-800 Euros and a simple dinner sets you back ~225 Euros, one expects proper set table and an ambiance and service that's worth its salt, even in the "less nice" room. The room was buzzing, but not for good reasons; it was due to staff scurrying around to serve guests in the gourmet room. It truly felt like a second-tier experience. The Food: We only ate from the bar menu. While we don't dispute the excellence of the gourmet food because that was something they cared about, the bar menu was pretty awful. - Beef Tataki (34 Euro): Just some meat. Nothing else. No rice, no potatoes, no fries. - Croque Monsieur (25 Euro): One basic toast (think the one you buy at the supermarket) with cheese and ham. No salad, no tomato, no nothing. I guess this food was prepared in advance, because that’s what it tasted like.

This enchanted fairy tale chateau must be visited at least once. Very hard to encapsulate in words. We wrote an e-mail to the hotel to thank them and reproduce that below, don’t really have any other words to describe our experience …”everyone ran the extra mile for us to make this stay a truly special homecoming anniversary. We hope to return for many more special occasions and hopefully with our family, next year. Where do we begin? Well from the beginning I suppose. The room reservation as well as restaurant and treatment reservations were dealt with with precision and efficiency. Our arrival and check in also was superb, from the gate of the chateau to the door of our initial very well appointed garden suite and then to the opulent Lady Hamlyn apartment we were handled with great care and understanding. We wish to thank you again for making us feel like a King and Queen and for making a special occasion even more memorable. The spa staff and treatments were exceptional and all the food we ate here was fabulous, please do bring the old hot chocolate back, it was something unique. We still remember it vividly after 33 years! The porters/car valets were both very courteous and thorough, concierge staff were tireless. There is a feeling one gets from genuine and sincere service with a smile and we noticed this from the whole team, let’s also not forget the housekeeping who kindly put up with all our requests, as did the concierge and everyone else. The gesture of kindly including breakfast for us was generous and kind and much appreciated.”