La Maison Rabelais

Star ratings are based on Klook's overview of the property's information (such as services and facilities included, etc.), and are for reference only

The Hôtel Rabelais occupies a beautifully restored historic building in the heart of Amboise, just a short walk from the Château de Amboise. The property takes its name from François Rabelais, the great Renaissance writer whose life was closely connected with the Loire Valley, and the building itself reflects the town's centuries-old character. From the outside, it blends perfectly into the historic streetscape. Step inside, however, and you'll find a completely different world. The renovation has been so thorough that virtually everything is modern: sleek, new, and rather generic. The contrast between the historic façade and the contemporary, almost plastic-like interior is striking. Unfortunately, the owners seem to have embraced another old tradition: extreme frugality. During a 38°C heatwave, guests cannot control the room's air conditioning, apparently on the assumption that they'll manage somehow. A minibar or even a small refrigerator? Clearly an unnecessary luxury. Fresh towels every day? Proper bathroom cleaning? Another avoidable expense. To be fair, there is a small outdoor pool where children happily splash around, bringing a cheerful atmosphere to the courtyard. But in an era of increasingly frequent summer heatwaves, guest comfort shouldn't be treated as optional. A hotel can preserve its historic charm without expecting visitors to experience Renaissance levels of climate control. The breakfast was nice, packed with proteins, less veggies :)

La Maison Rabelais is in the heart of Amboise – well-located and nearly everything is an easy 5-10 minute walk, though the train station is on the other side of the river by 1.5 mi, necessitating a ride. Very nice breakfast – hearty and copious. While the property does NOT have A/C, the room (big and spacious) stayed cool however the ventilation system was configured. It was a little warm at night but not uncomfortable, especially considering afternoons were near 100 F/38 C. Definitely a nice property.

We enjoyed the one-bedroom apartment for our family of four and found it had plenty of space. The room was simple, clean, and tidy, and the kitchenette—with a refrigerator, sink, and microwave—was very convenient for preparing snacks and light meals. The onsite parking was easy and convenient, and we made good use of the pool every day. The water was a great temperature, and it was a relaxing place to unwind. My only suggestion would be to keep the pool open until sunset. During our stay, it closed relatively early, so we weren’t able to enjoy an evening swim after dinner, which would have been a nice way to end the day. Overall, we had a very pleasant stay and appreciated the comfortable accommodations and convenient amenities.

Très central, chambres spacieuses, personnel chaleureux. Je recommande sans hésiter!

This is the perfect hotel for families. The one-bedroom apartment with pull-out sofa was very spacious. Well-equipped kitchen. Full dining table. Pool is smaller than it looks in the photos, but still good with a nice deck area. Walkable to downtown Ambroise with bakery, cafes, restaurants and shops. Air conditioning was new, strong and very effective.

Fantastic modern hotel, fantastic location for walking into Amboise, plenty of parking, extremely helpful friendly staff, well equipped and modern rooms, everything was spotlessly clean, nice breakfast. If we come back to Amboise we'll be back.

Beautiful property great location. My major issue was with the air-conditioning. There was none. It was a hot day in Amboise and the room was stifling. I opened the window to cool down but got bit by mosquitoes. I spoke to the front staff who said their heating and cooling were an eco-friendly system that didn’t work well on extreme temperature days. Other than that lovely day.

But sure this is close to a 4 star hotel, but it has on site parking - that was nice. The staff was very helpful but hotel is not stocked! We needed extra-pillows …. none. Maybe an extra blanket to use as a pillow - none. The staff brought me into the “stock room”; it was literally empty. The breakfast was pitiful. Really sad.

Enjoyed our brief stay at this charming hotel. The reception staff made a GREAT restaurant recommendation. The room was comfortable, well-designed, nicely decorated.

Lovely hotel, good location near restaurants. Staff very helpful in arranging taxi. Short walk to chateau and tourist info. Near river, theatre and church