Domaine De Bel Air

What People are saying

Lovely chateau in superb setting

Carolyn Jon 05/10/2015 12:03

A magnificent old chateau in lovely grounds. Tastefully decorated with original styling and decor but slighted faded in a shabby chic manner. Bed linen was beautiful. Lovely indoor pool that was clean and quiet. Excellent dinner. A welcome overnight stay.

Difficult, but great at the same time.

Adrian Jon 15/07/2015 01:13

Really have mixed feelings about this hotel. We arrived expecting great things, but.....Arrived at 4:30pm to find reception closed. On line site states you can check in from 4! Luckily I was told by a kind guest that I had to call a number to tell staff we'd arrived. I tried and my French is minimal so struggled to explain that we were waiting to check in. Eventually a member of staff arrived and we checked in. Our accommodation was NOT in the main house but in, what can only be described as a large temporary building split into basic guest rooms. I found the room quite dark and gloomy, basic and dated. It was a warm evening and there was no air con so very warm and uncomfortable. However, on a more positive note we ate in the restaurant and the food was great, although slightly expensive, €35 for two courses and we paid €25 for a bottle of white wine. Now the real positive thing, I could have stayed here for weeks. The main house and grounds were fantastic, after dinner we sat outside and relaxed, you couldn't wish for a better setting. As I said at the start, this was a difficult one to leave feedback on. I ask myself would I stay here again, yes I would!

Lovely grounds and surroundings, though the living space is spartan.

Anu Von 26/03/2015 00:34

We stayed in a 4-bedroom, one hall and kitchen kind of thing, which was awesome since we were a big group. The property (grounds surrounding) is large and beautiful. There were even horses!

But, the downside was that there was only one toilet and bathroom. Which was very inconvenient considering that we were a total of 16 members in the group. And, the kitchen is pretty rudimentary. There are no shelves, and the cutlery is stacked in large plastic cartons (reminds you of boys scouts and camping). No wifi except at the reception.

On the plus side though, it's a very calm and beautiful place. Ideal for large groups or meandering around. The building is new and very basic (no pictures of actual living quarters are provided on the website), but functional. I believe they have an indoor swimming pool, which was closed, since it's the beginning of March .

Ideal for relaxing and getting away

Chris Eon 25/02/2015 15:38

What a hidden gem!! I have now stayed here a couple of times as it is the only hotel in the area, and I need to travel here often for work.

The domain is set back away from the road and totally peaceful, and the building itself is georgeous. The interior is decorated from the era and there is always a nice fireplace going during the cold months. The rooms are all decorated a bit different, but all maintaining their "chateau" charm.

The restaurant is also quite nice. Quite upscale food presented elegantly. The service staff is always friendly and always there to help, or to just have apleasant conversation with.

The indoor pool is also a huge plus! True, it is not the luxury spa of the Ritz Carlton, but it definately does the trick! The pool building and locker rooms and stuff actually have a bit of a camping feel, if you know what I mean, which to me is extremely relaxing.

It has changed owners in the past few years, and the new team is taking great pride to fixing the place up and making it beautiful. It is true that there are areas that are a bit run down or need some TLC, but they are working on it. And I give it 5 stars now already, I cannot wait to see what it is like in 5 years!!

French Perfection

nickshorton 07/05/2013 15:45

I and a small group of friends stayed in the hotel for a couple of nights in April on our way to and from Bordeaux on a wine-buying sortie. It is almost perfectly placed to break such a journey but we were all more than pleased with the hotel. It is a lovely but relaxed chateau in tranquil parkland, full of character. You really felt you were getting a slice of the French good life. Our bedrooms were comfortable and stylishly furnished but, without doubt, the highlight was the superb restaurant. The chef produced two memorable meals for us, and these were washed down with some very palatable local wine. In my view, it's worth coming here for the food alone. Having the restaurant located in such a charming chateau is a real bonus though. But I save the best till last. What really sets this hotel apart from many others is the genuine friendliness and helpfulness of the staff. Everyone we met went out of his/her way to be of the greatest assistance possible and the lady owner treated us almost like family. We could not have been made more welcome and I strongly urge anyone staying in the Le Mans area to consider this warm, welcoming and elegant hotel. We will certainly be back.