Barbentane Holidays from £329

First impressions of the hotel were awful. On pulling into the parking area in front of the hotel, I thought, "Oh no. What have I done". The parking area felt unsafe. The hotel, and particularly the gardens, looked tired, dated and unkempt. It got worse. When we checked in, they had not got our reservation from Expedia so that took a while to sort out. We had paid extra for a better room but when we eventually got to the allocated room, it was a basic single - so we headed back to reception to get it changed. So why is this not a 1* review ? Once we were past the initial disappointment, we found that there was a separate, secure parking area. The room itself had been renovated and looked like the photos on Expedia. The bed was comfortable - so we got a great night's sleep. So, overall, we had to say that it was "OK".

Upon arrival to this charming château we experienced superb service starting from valet and than reception that were both exceptionally professional and pleasant. We stayed for two nights with two kids in suite with semi private pool and that was a great decision to pay extra for the private pool even though there is a general pool in this property. Room service for lunch was great and the breakfast was truly fantastic with amazing view, perfect service, plenty of high quality food, If we are back to this area that would definitely be our first choice.

The hotel is right in the edge of the historic old town, which makes it perfectly located - cars can only go into certain parts of the old town, so this hotel was easy to drive to and drop off at. There is also parking onsite if you’re lucky, and just up the road at the multi-storey carpark if you’re not. The old town is just across the road, and is a delight - large enough to get lost in its beautiful meandering ancient streets and small enough to get around easily and be able to get back to the hotel with no trouble. The hotel is spotless, modern and well appointed. The only disappointment was the size of the swimming pool, which is really small - more of a plunge pool - and therefore much smaller than it appears on the images. There is however a large sun deck nearby which is lovely. The breakfast was decent. Staff were very helpful. We’d stay again, and would recommend it.

A country hotel with some old-world charm but youthful and enthusiastic service. The restaurant is the logical place to eat and a charming poolside location in which to enjoy the long summer evenings. Service was slow, but OK if you're in no hurry. Security is strong on the site. with a code for the front gate required from 10pm and another for the building access.