Hôtel de Biencourt

Hôtel de Biencourt offers guests an exceptional location in the very heart of the historic pedestrianised centre of Azay-le-Rideau, just a stone’s throw from the town’s amazing Renaissance era château and all the wonderful shops and restaurants of charming Tourangelle.

Built between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries and offering a blossoming patio filled with flowers - a genuinely peaceful haven - Hôtel de Biencourt is a very special place to stay where hospitality, authenticity and comfort come together perfectly with modernity and privacy.

From here, you’ll be able to explore all the highlights of the Loire Valley, an official UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Originally, the hotel was an inn known as L’Auberge du Cheval Blanc, the White Horse.

Over time, it became the place to be for enjoying a spot of ‘jeu de paume’, a ball-and-court game that was the precursor to all racket sports, the wall of which survives to this day.

Then, the property was taken over by the Marquis of Biencourt, the last family to own Château d’Azay-le-Rideau, the entrance to which is just 100m from the hotel.

It then took on a new lease of life as a Napoleonic school and, more specifically, the very first girls’ classrooms in the region (in fact, 7 of our 17 rooms were created from those very same classrooms, and you might even see some original period features in there somewhere)..

Since 1956, the buildings have once more returned to their original purpose, hospitality and accommodation.

To ensure every visitor feels entirely at home during their stay, Hôtel de Biencourt quietly cultivates the art of hospitality, all in perfectly cosy, guest-house style.

Recommended by a wide range of travel guides, the hotel has been ranked 3* and Qualté-Tourisme (quality-tourism) by the French Ministry of Tourism.

Also highly regarded by guests, Hôtel de Biencourt was elected the ‘best 3* hotel in the Loire Valley central region’ by users of Trivago and, as further proof, has been awarded a certificate of excellence for the past 10 years now from users of TripAdvisor who also elected it as Travellers'Choice in 2020 & 2021.

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In collaboration with the Regional National Park of Loire-Anjou-Touraine, for which it also serves as a representative, Hôtel de Biencourt promotes the three fundamental values of respect for each other, respect for the environment and respect for the region we all share.

As such, it is also labeled 'Tourism & Handicap' (1 room is suitable for motor, mental and visual disabilities).

Hôtel de Biencourt is ideally located along the Loire by Bike route, perfect for visiting all the Loire Valley châteaux and, more generally, for immersing yourself in all the wonderful cultural, natural, culinary and sporting opportunities the Loire Valley has to offer in this official UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Here are just a few examples of the attractions nearby:
Château d'Azay-le-Rideau (less than 100m away)
Château de l'Islette (where famous lovers Camille Claudel and Rodin stayed, 3km)
Azay-le-Rideau vineyards (5km)
The Balzac Museum and Alexander Calder’s workshop (7km)
Langeais town, market and fortress (10km)
Château de Villandry and gardens (11km)
Château d’Ussé (the Sleeping Beauty castle, 14km)
Chinon vineyards (15km)
Maison Max Ernst (18km)
Chinon town and fortress (21km)
Château de Luynes (22km)
The old town and museums of Tours (23km)
Etc. 

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