Best Western Le Grand Monarque - Chartres, France     

The hotel is 3 star - but the restaurant is 4 star. In my view, so is the bistro - the food there was just great, especially the cold soup with fennel cream garnish and the fantastic pate de chartres. (We didn't use the main restaurant.) The hotel is quite elegant - the staff courteous (most seemed to appreciate my attempts to speak French!). The hotel is also very accessibe for the magnificent cathedral (and really lovely old town) - the main reason for our visit - and was within easy reach of the station (for getting to Paris). My husband uses a wheelchair and we managed fine - nice big room, with view over the main square. Only downside was the terrible weather last June, but can't blame the hotel for that.

Spent 3 nights at this hotel on our way to Brittany. A great decision as it turned out. The staff were charming, many speaking English but tolerated our pathetic attempts at French very well. Bit more tricky in the hotel restaurant which served superb French cuisine - so many unforseen extras between courses that we didn't think we would be able to eat for days. Also tried the hotel bistro, a less formal experience but nevertheless quality food. We had room 5 and our friends room 4 both newly refurbished and overlooking the fountains and square. Our room 5 sounds like the one described below by another reviewer, like something out the the Sun King's Palace. Our friend's room was more contempory in style. Would not hesitate to go back there, the cathedral is truly one of the wonders of the world and can bear many revisits. Good tip on this website about visiting on Friday so that the Labyrinth is exposed - spent ages looking for it and found it under the chairs eventually!