Absolutely wonderful

What a lovely hotel, my 4 travel companions and I were delighted with every aspect of this hotel and the personal service. The rooms were clean and beds comfortable. Bathrooms very clean, good water pressure in the shower. Location is excellent, short walk to town center filled with wonderful cafes and restaurants. Ample parking. Laurent was a gracious a host as you can imagine, giving restaurant recommendations and which Chateaus would best suit our interests. He also served local delicious wine from a small bar. Our hosts went above and beyond expectations when one of our party had an badly infected toe - he questioned her limping, and when we returned from dinner in her room was antiseptic/bandages and a handwritten recommendation for temporary treatment. Everything about this place is top notch. We can't wait to return.

Don't go past this one!

What a find! Lovely hotel, with comfortable clean rooms, wonderful friendly English-speaking hosts, and lots of private parking in the beautiful courtyard. It is like an oasis when you find the hotel with the courtyard opening up from narrow old-town cobblestone streets into this lovely place in a medieval setting. It is within easy walking distance to the medieval town in Chinon, which is full of charming cafes and restaurants, and the chateau ruins. The breakfast is continental but with a personal touch - homemade jams of every sort are offered as well as the best croissants in town! We will definitely recommend this to friends and hope to come back again in the future. It is a great place from which to explore the Loire Valley.

Why it is a 2 star is beyond us??? - it deserves minimum 3 star in our view, having stayed at quite a few small hotels throughout France over the past 6 months of travelling here. Perhaps it is only because it doesn't have a restaurant. But that is not a negative because it is great fun exploring the town and finding a place to eat amongst dozens of restaurants.

Enjoyed the Diderot

Very nice, clean hotel. The owner's peak fluent English and gave excellent advice regarding the area. The hotel is less than a 3 minute walk from the main street in town. The hotel includes a small bar with tables in the courtyard. I don't know if any rooms include television.

Sad to have only stayed two nights

Chinon was our first stop after Paris and we stayed at the Hotel Diderot, on the 6th and 7th of July 2005.

We were given two large rooms with great bathrooms. The rooms were done in soft pastels the beds were comfortable. They were well aired. Both rooms looked out onto a flowered courtyard.

The hotel had a great outside area to have a beer and meet other travellers.

Rachael a hotel employee had made dinner reservations for us at the L'Oceanic a local restaurant, it turned out to be the best meal we had in France, thanks Rachael. Hotel staff can do so much to colour your impressions

The breakfasts were a delight with a great selection of breads, jam, yoghurt and frest fruit, even walnuts and cheese.

Chinon is a delight and we wished we could have stayed at the Hotel Diderot longer.

A real gem

The Diderot provides a convenient base for exploring the area south and west of Tours, including the serene Fontevrault Abbey. I was provided with a very charming room with a comfortable bed and modern bathroom. Adjacent parking in the walled-in courtyard was an added bonus. Breakfast consisted of a generous selection of the family's homemade preserves, croissants and local chevre. The owners were more than helpful with local restaurant information and reservations. All this for 3 nights for the cost of 1 night at the CDG Hilton! I can't wait to go back.

A great find in the Loire Valley

Hotel Diderot is a charming hotel and very reasonably priced. We unknowingly stumbled upon this hotel and town, and loved every nook and cranny of both. The owners were incredibly kind and helpful - their hearts are obviously in their business. Our rooms were moderately sized and clean, and the building itself is a postcard inside and out. I wholeheartedly recommend Hotel Diderot and hope to return. A perfect base for exploring the Loire Valley!

Excellent stay in Hotel Diderot

The welcome we received was friendly and helpful. An old building with new style hospitality which was excellent. We stayed two years ago for three nights and are looking to return this Sept to revisit the Loire vineyards - can feel the sun on my back already.

A Delight!

We stayed at the Hotel Diderot in Chinon for two nights in late September, 2003. It is a charming hotel that is run by an amusing, personable young man Laurent and his sister Francoise. We loved the Diderot. Our upstairs room was spacious, comfortable with some attractive pieces of furniture. Breakfast was served in a charming downstairs diningroom with croissants, bread and a delicious array of homemade jams. Outside was a terrace surrounded by a small garden that was peaceful to sit in with a lovely class of local wine in the evenings. We would thoroughly recommend this hotel and the delightful medieval town of Chinon as a base for touring around the Loire.

Love to try out your French?

We stay at the Diderot for two reasons. It is close to the vineyards we like to shop at. It is a freindly and comfortable hotel where the staff are fun and breakfast is always done in French! Thankfully even my schoolboy French is still adequate afetr 30 or 40 yeras! Wonderful stay!

An excellent family run hotel

We have stayed a number of times at the Diderot, one of our favourite stopovers in the Loire region of France. This family run hotel offers excellent and varied rooms in an interesting building, with a disabled room on the courtyard. Breakfast is an opportunity to meet fellow guests over coffee, fresh bread and home made conserves. The centre of Chinon is a short walk away and offers many good restaurants. The chateaux of Chinon, Azay-le-Rideau, Villandry, Usse and Loches, and the Abbay de Fontevraud are within an hours drive.