Chalandray Vacations from $1,120

Breakfast wasn’t the best

This truly was a bucket-list hotel stay for me, and the setting is every bit as beautiful as I had imagined. I also had a lovely server during my stay who was warm and attentive. That said, I did encounter a few hiccups that left me somewhat disappointed, particularly given the price point and expectations that come with a stay like this. I’m not sure whether some of the issues were related to the larger private event happening during my stay, or simply the experience of traveling solo, but the service overall felt less attentive than I expected. The day before my arrival, I was informed that the wine tour I had scheduled on the property had been cancelled. I was offered the only remaining availability later in the evening on the day I was checking out, which didn’t work with my schedule. What was disappointing was that there wasn’t much effort to help arrange an alternative wine experience, despite the hotel being in such an incredible wine region. There were also a few smaller things throughout the stay that added up. At the pool, despite ordering before several other guests, at least 3 couples who arrived after me were served first. Some amenities were also unavailable because of the private event, and the sauna wasn’t working. The indoor pool area in particular felt like it could use some repairs. None of these things individually would have been a major issue, but because this was a bucket-list stay for me, I was a little bummed with the overall experience.