The Hotel de France

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A friend and I went there for lunch yesterday following the sale to Martin Overington (sp?) in December and boy, has it changed. All the autographed photos have been taken down but they have had special wallpaper made that includes some of those removed plus they have added more. The bar area has been renewed and the same staff retained. At first I was taken aback that the photos had all gone (remember the Green Man at Silverstone?) but the new décor grew on me as the wine went down. Anyway, only photos taken with the phone so not brilliant, but what do you think?

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South East at a town called La Chartre sur le Loir about a 40 minute drive. Derek Bell and Jackie Ickx usually stay there each year and it was the Aston Martin base during the fifties. "The right crowd and no crowding" as they say.

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No, the whole caboodle sold to Martin Overington, he who raced his Bentley at the last Classic with Derek Bell. Same team and chef, all bedrooms refurbished and very nice and no increase in prices. Had an omelette there last Tuesday. Restaurant is no longer pink by the way! Saw M. Pasteau senior at the bar but Francis and his wife are gone completely.

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Came across this one by chance today. July 2007 the photo says. Time flies!




ETA If the hotel was closed, it was a Monday, their day off. The hotel closes for the month of January for their annual holiday.

Edited by lowdrag on Saturday 22 February 17:12

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New brush, new broom it seems. The wallpaper is a smorgasbord of the old photos scanned and made into the fabric, so they are there if you look - well, some of them anyway. I just miss seeing the "real thing" somehow, but I am growing used to it; and the revamped bedrooms are superb in any book. As I mentioned in my first post, it is just being an old fart these days and somewhat fixed in my ways that set me back. Just like the Green Man at Silverstone which used to be the haunt of all drivers back before the 90s when it was taken over by a big chain and lost all character, all photos removed. You can't say the Hotel de France has lost its character though. Still has it in spades.

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Been there twice this week and as usual a simple meal on the terrace with a nice chilled bottle of wine. Love the place. Surprised you could book for the Friday though - they refused bookings last year.