Anne de Bretagne

Stayed two nights and enjoyed the 2 star restaurant which lived up to its billing...and a great wine choice by sommelier. The room was lovely as was the pool. The service in restaurant was flawless. In the hotel it was partly really outstanding (especially one gentleman who called me overseas to help with a dinner booking for one night elsewhere) and partly a bit sub par (one young lady who said she would tell us when room was ready but forgot all about it and frankly seemed bored and disinterested in guests).

As I have already commented in my review of the gastronomic restaurant, Anne de Bretagne has a truly exceptional staff. Everyone we encountered was kind, charming and focused on making sure we and other guests felt pampered. It is an older property with a long tradition of hospitality. The current ownership has certainly taken many steps to enhance its value and vitality. The setting is exquisite. The Relais and Chateaux high standards are generally fulfilled. While we didn't use the pool and spa facilities, they are part of its strong suit. There were a few minor and correctable deficits. To us they were pretty obvious, and that is why I haven't given the same Excellent rating that I did with the restaurant. The bed in our room could/should have been 10-12 centimeters longer. It is not very pleasant to have your feet hanging over the side. All of the bed pillows were as hard as seat cushions. I don't think it is asking too much to have a few down or synthetic soft pillows. To plug in a laptop or recharge a phone, one has to pull the plug on a lamp or a coffee machine. Even in a "non-business" hotel these days, these are common requirements. The shower head was "adequate", if not of a full modern standard. Clarins makes nice products, but those tiny, 5 or 6 centimeter travel bottles are more suitable for budget motels. As a hotel catering to many international guests, why is there no English language television news? The television guide lists CNN and MSNBC or CNBC, but they were "unavailable". For a hotel with a 2 star restaurant, the breakfast was surprisingly "ordinary". Yes, the service matched the warmth of the restaurant, and the slow cooked scrambled eggs were interesting, but breads, pastries, juice, coffee and yogurt were more 3 star hotel standard. The porch attached to our room was quite lovely, overlooking the pool and countryside. We have stayed in 17 hotels on this trip alone, and this one needs to up its game. Still, we would be delighted to return.