Hôtel Restaurant La Flambée -dine in style but sleep only in comfort. (Hôtel Restaurant La Flambée (Bergerac, France))

Member Name: Machair1

Product:	Hôtel Restaurant La Flambée (Bergerac, France)
Date:	08/12/08 (109 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful dining room.

Disadvantages: Bedrooms adequate but not elegant.

We stayed at the Hôtel Restaurant La Flambée in Bergerac recently for two nights and enjoyed breakfast and dinner. What follows is an honest account as possible about the hotel as I can provide. Hopefully this may help if you are planning to visit this part of the world.

We flew to Bordeaux but the most convenient airport for the hotel is actually in Bergerac as the hotel lies about 2 miles outside the town. Incase you are not familiar with this part of the world these places are in the main wine growing areas, and are in South West France. Flying time from the UK is about an hour and a half if you are flying from the London areas. Easyjet will take you to Bordeaux from Luton, likewise British Airways will fly you from Gatwick, and Ryanair will fly you from Stansted to Bergerac. This area is great as it is possible to use as a base to visit the Pyrenees and Northern Spain and also to go to places like Toulouse.

This part of France is scattered with small wine producers who have the most breathtaking scenery in which to grow their grapes. In the summer the fields are alive with ripening fruit and the yellow fields of sunflowers are an amazing sight. Little villages are scattered in the hills like confetti and the setting is something like the film Chocolat. Nearby is the beautiful town Saint-Émilion which is one of my favourite spots in France. This town is a World Heritage Site and is thought to date back to 2nd century AD when the Romans planted vines in the area which eventually grew to be the town.

Hiring a car is advisable for this trip if you want to see as much as possible. The roads though are not deserted and they do require some skill as there are a lot of roundabouts to negotiate. Winter is much quieter as in the summer the tourist traffic really increases the difficulty.

Bergerac itself is situated on the northern bank of the Dordogne River. It is among the largest towns in the region. It has a wonderful old town, some quaint streets and lots of cafes and boutiques to enjoy.

The hotel La Flambée is a family run hotel and you can visit the website at www.laflambee.com

Our first impression as we saw the hotel was that it was inviting, and the reception was friendly and welcoming. Our room on the first floor was a double and created mixed feelings. We have been to quite a few French hotels and have found the rooms to have a decidedly romantic feel to them. This room was not in this category, but it was certainly not to be unfairly reviewed either. The simple fact is that it was brown and cream and the doors to it were very sixties in style so were plain and basic. There was some evidence of paint peeling on the outside of these doors at floor level-not extensive but not quite what I had hoped. The carpet was adequate not salubrious or inviting but functional. The bed was made with a sheet and a blanket and a counterpane so no duvet and was quite low to the ground. There was a pillow each which suited us but no spares or spare blankets which I am sure they would have been only too happy to supply if we had asked. The bathroom was clean and there was a separate toilet. The bath was very slow to fill but was adequate and clean, and there were the usual toiletries supplied which were a welcome treat.

No kettle or tea trays but this is fairly standard in France so bring your own if you visit if like me you are a tea drinker. Over all I thought the room was dated in style. There was an inner padded door which you opened prior to opening the main one. The room was certainly not horrible but for a romantic weekend away I have been to much better places.

The dining room was a different story. Beautiful white tablecloths adorned every table and the chairs were dressed in white covers which were tied at the back. Beautiful cutlery sparkled on the place settings, and the entire room looked French and delightful.

Dinner was difficult for us because we are vegetarian and if you are a meat or fish eater I think you would be in heaven as the food was beautiful. The restaurant is popular with local people who eat there as non residents, so it is better to start early if you want a romantic quiet meal incase a large party arrives.
There was a wide choice of starters and main courses but for veggies this was difficult. The first evening we had an avocado and mango salad followed by an omelette, and the second night we had a green salad followed by a platter of vegetables which were served and presented immaculately.

Our table was situated near to a beautiful white unit which had rose petals in glass fronted drawers, and everywhere in the room was evidence of French culture and beauty. My favourite home from home was a beautiful French cat who wandered around until the guests found him too much, and he then went to sleep on his favourite cushions, which were strategically placed so he could warm himself on the radiator and watch out through the casement windows when he stirred from his sleep...

Breakfast was nice but not special. It was continental and served at the table and was a set menu of bread, small croissants and fruit puree-not a great meal but adequate.

As we went in the autumn we did not use the swimming pool which is behind the hotel. Price wise this is good value as at the moment they are charging 110 Euros for 2 for half board for the three nights Fri/Sat/Sun. Converted to sterling this is £104. Other prices can be found on the website.

In conclusion I think this is a good hotel but one which I think may need to look again at the ambience of the bedrooms, which for me anyway, were not the most romantic I have stayed in and certainly didn't mirror the beauty and elegance of the dining room.

This review is also published in Ciao under my user name there Violet1278.

Summary: A good friendly hotel which may benefit from a room refurbishment plan.