Chateau de Marcay

The Chateau de Marcy was built with outdoor activities in mind. Conceived for country-house living, the property is laced with trails for walking and riding, and a tennis courts provides another sporty diversion. The chateau itself, an elegant limestone building with two turrets, sits at the end of a long gravel drive, which only adds to its enchanting appearance. The reception has a desk fashioned from carved oak, and French doors overlook the grounds. There's a beautiful red-walled bar with leather stools, and an adjacent lounge holds burgundy leather armchairs under a beamed ceiling with a huge stone fireplace, a scenic spot to enjoy a glass of post-dinner port. Guests can dine, weather permitting, on a loose stone terrace at white iron tables and chairs with umbrellas. The stables are stone with dark red shutters, and horses grazing in the meadow can be spotted from the hotel, creating a fetching tableau in keeping with the historic chateau. But not all features are equally picturesque: The tennis court, behind a chain-link fence, is clearly a modern addition. And some guests have complained that stable smells can make their way into the rooms. Guests tend to be couples traveling through the area to sample wines and look at the many castles in the region. 

The Chateau de Marcay has a country location set away from its neighbors. The small town of Chinon with its inviting restaurants and shops is a 12-minute drive from the Chateau de Marcay. The biggest draw in Chinon, however, is the Chateau de Chinon on the bank of the Vienne River, a 13-minute drive away. The Loire Valley is known for its castles and vineyards, and the Chateau de Marcay has a concierge to direct guests to the best ones. There's also a rack of brochures at the reception desk. The Chateau de Villandry is a 39-minute drive away; the property is well-known for its Renaissance gardens, particularly its formal, boxwood beds. The Chateau d'Usse, said to have inspired the tale of Sleeping Beauty, is a 27-minute drive away, on the edge of the Chinon Forest. For more sport, guests could drive an hour to the Haut Poitou Gold Club. Travelers weary of so much history might appreciate Futuroscope, a theme park one hour away by car. The airport of the Loire Valley is a one-hour drive from the hotel.

Chateau de Marcay's rooms can vary widely: The ceilings may be sloped, a closet could be angled, the windows may be long or round. The only constant element is the rooms' charm. Rooms are divided between the Chateau and the West Wing, where six rooms have private gardens and five are in a vineyard-facing lodge. Throughout, furnishings tend to be fine, dark wood pieces that might include a round table used as a desk. Sometimes the chairs are covered in fabric that matches the headboards and wallpapers. There are some rooms covered in Toile prints, lending true French country-house flair; these rooms have dark-beam ceilings or rustic wood trim. Other rooms are in jewel-tone paints like Delft blue. Windows are often casement, sometimes with old glass that has a bubble or wave in it. Each room has a minibar, usually concealed in a wood cabinet, a flat-screen TV, and a safe. Guests can request irons and ironing boards. Some rooms have terraces, hedged for privacy, with tables and chairs. The bathrooms vary quite a bit: Some are roomy, under beamed ceilings, with deep soaking tubs, separate stall showers, and double sinks, while others are rather small and ordinary with beige tiles and small tubs. Each room conceals the toilet and bidet behind a door or a tile partition. Magnifying mirrors, hairdryers, bathrobes, and Omnisens toiletries come standard. 

The Chateau de Marcay offers an extensive list of high-life outdoor activities, such as horseback riding, tennis, and swimming, along with biking and hiking the grounds' trails. For a fee, guests can take a hot air balloon ride over the lush Loire Valley as well. Some of these features, like the pretty rectangular pool with sun loungers, suit the property. Others, like the tennis courts behind chain-link fencing, are not as picturesque (although the view of the property's rolling lawns helps). For rainy days, there's a billiards table and big TV in a stone-walled room with large windows. And guests can also take cooking classes, for a fee. There's a wood-beamed restaurant and bar, both with fireplaces, offering all-day dining. Room service provides all meals, for a fee. The wine cellar is interesting to tour as it's at once serviceable and pretty in a rustic fashion; some very expensive, rare bottles are housed here. The spa has three treatment rooms and a hair salon. There are meeting rooms, and Wi-Fi and parking are free. Babysitting and rollaway beds are offered for a fee. And laundry can be done for a fee. The hotel also provides airport shuttle service, for a fee.