Why a chambre d'hote

instead of a hotel? First of all, hotels in hamlets are often less than comfortable. A chambre d'hote may be a single room in a private home or one in a separate guest wing. The architectural details of these often historic buildings offer delightful surprises and the furnishings far surpass what could be expected in a hotel in the same price range and locale.



Saint George fighting the dragon is one of many carvings on the front of this 12th Century abbey in Saint Arnoult
(click on image to see better view of the carving)





The host at an ancient mill has built a viewing platform inside the room that holds the waterwheel.





Rooms are usually large and reflect local style, here with beamed ceiling, stone walls and tile floors.







And then there are these floors...














Visits from the house dog or cat are free.













But one of the greatest attractions of a chambre d'hote is the generous hospitality of the hosts. Without exception, these are people who delight in sharing their homes and their communities. Unlike the anonymity of staying in a hotel, we have left every chambre d'hote with the sense of having acquired a new friend in a land that is now less strange.