Arcantis Loir Hotel - Orleans, France 

This is the third time I have stayed at this hotel. When I arrive and go to the room my first reaction is why do I keep coming back. Then I go down to dinner and all I can say is the cuisine makes up for everything else. The food is not Michelin standard but is something that can only be apreciated at first hand. It is true French fare. The 'patron' produces a meal that tastes as though it were made in heaven. It achieves everything that the taste buds desire and more. The general atmosphere is one of welcome and 'bonhomie''. The wine list is mediocre but produces an acceptable 'house' wine but at the the end of meal you will sit back and feel satisfied that you have had a meal 'par excellence'. In truth this is an hotel that from an accommodation point of view is in urgent need of a refresh but needs to maintain its current standard of cuisine. Linguistically, if you speak some French it will be an advantage but the wife of the owner has a good command of the English language along with an extremely pleasant and friendly countenance. There are many hotels nearby of better quality when it comes to accommodation and I fear that this will ultimately be the main deterrent but I recommend that you give this place a try and keep an open mind.

For a five-night stay in Orleans it seemed a good idea to save a few bucks and stay a bit out of the centre. This turned out not to be such a good idea since this hotel reflects the curious French habit of having budget hotels in industrial districts. With an industrial kitchen next door that seemed to make breakfasts, and start doing so at 4 a.m. by running some machinery, the downside of the location became apparent to the already jet-lagged your humble reporter. In addition, the really neat tram that Orleans has is not really that close to the hotel, it is a fair hike, so not really that easy to get into the centre of town (it is my fault that I actually was going to the Centre des Conferences, which requires a further bus transfer). So basically an OK place and the price is right, but make sure you get on the 2-storey side of the building, and not really conveniently situated for anything in Orleans except the nearby Parc des Expositions.