H de Surgères

Having found the main hotel on the main road in the middle of town my wife looked at me with that ‘what have you brought me to’ look. One should never judge the book by the cover as, once inside the large double doors of the inner yard one finds an extremely well-appointed gite, ideal for us as a couple or a family with two children who would be in bunk beds in an area off the main bedroom, Yes there is a bed settee in the living room cum kitchen but our opinion would be six people might be a bit of a squeeze. The kitchen is small but perfectly usable, we cooked most nights with no problem at all. Outside there is a fair-sized swimming pool with a surround that was almost finished when we stayed as well as an extensive garden leading to the rear of the main hotel where one could get breakfast or an evening meal if one so wanted. All in all a nice place to stay in a small town that has a fascinating history and an extensive park area with the old chateaux and church.

“ H “ de Surgères. From the moment he opened the door Benoit was the perfect host, relating the interesting history of this beautifully presented house and carrying our bags to our room on the first floor. Our room was very large with two windows overlooking the street in front of the house and our ensuite facilities were excellent; spacious, clean with a separate toilet. Rooms at the back overlook a lovely well cared-for garden with a small swimming pool for guests. Like everything in this establishment, breakfast, served in a conservatory, was a treat: a wide range of tasty mostly local food. Each day Benoit baked something special, such as a madeleine or a cookie to provide a final personal touch. Anyone wanting cooked food could get two eggs for a small supplementary cost. Within no more than three or minutes’ walk from the centre of Surgères, there is a choice of restaurants. In fact the nearest is but 25 metres away serving genuine excellent Moroccan food in a special ambience. Free street parking is available at the front door and the main line station with local trains to la Rochelle and Poitiers is at most a 15 minute walk away. This is a Chambres d’Hotes, so a guest house rather than a hotel but it provides a comfortable, relaxing and enjoyable stay. It has most mod cons, though no air conditioning or lift. Electric fans are provided and help with luggage is good-naturedly given by Benoit himself.

Nothing we didn't like at all. A house of this nature does not lend itself to either lifts, A/C or veding machines. It's not a hotel.

Loved meeting the friendly welcoming owner and host, Benoit. The hotel is beautifully decorated with a mixture of old world tasteful elegance and quirky little art works. Our room, in particular the bed and bedding was extremely comfortable. We stayed in the room named Vespees, (overlooking the garden), which had a stylish spacious en-suite shower room. Benoit provided us with a tasty continental breakfast and for a small supplement eggs are on offer. There is a fabulous garden at the rear of the property and the hotel is very conveniently placed in Surgeres with restaurants nearby. The town has an interesting castle and park, with cafes along the way, to while away an hour or two. There are music and art festivals from mid July onwards, which we unfortunately missed. stayed one night , but I’d go back to stay there quite happily again. Thank you Benoit for introducing us to Surgéres. Hopefully we’ll meet again.

In all honesty, the photographs on the site gave me the impression it was more rural, but in fact the H de Surgéres is placed in a town. This could have been my misunderstanding and if I’d done more research, that may not have happened, but as I said in my review thé hôtel and host outweighs any disappointment and in fact staying there in the town suited our needs admirably. Benoit offers a beautiful home within an interesting setting.

First hotel on our long series of stays in France and Portugal. From the street side the H looks like another small town bed and breakfast… but once you enter it is one wonder after another. Charming settings. Many artefacts in this lovely decor have been carefully curated to satisfy the French intellectual as well as the cosmopolitan traveler. That property has style and manners, like Benoit, our host. The staff went above and beyond the call to help us with our big suitcases when we checked in and also when we went to the Surgères railway station. Benoit even gave me a lift once I had dropped our rental car down the street from the H. I couldn’t have chosen a better location and place to stay. Location, Cleanliness, Services, Culture, Calm. A real find a few kms from Rochefort and La Rochelle!

the street entrance is not very obvious…. hard to spot from the street when you are driving, so maybe having some parking instructions or tips would help guests

My room was on the ground floor as requested to avoid climbing stairs; it was a free upgrade. English was spoken well. The breakfast was based on Continental but there were several changes to the usual formula, such as waffle and a blue berry cup with creamed yogurt. It was eaten in the conservatory looking into the large garden. I was given help on where to eat and what to see locally and it was good.

Street parking but outside the door. It is an old house and its adaptation to modern use was as good as it could be but the private corridor to the excellent bathroom was gloomy. It was best closed off by a large door surfaced with what appeared to be silver fire retardant.

Everything was delightful and Patrick insisted on carrying our suitcases to and from the car, also Ben even cleaned my car in the secure parking area. The pool was welcome during very hot weather.

Just one small issue of a water leak from the shower leading to wet floor around the shower area. But this was no problem after putting a towel down. Overall a fantastic stay.

Quiet and relaxing old house with character. Nice pool onsite. Nice gardens. A few minutes walk from town center. Owner very responsive to all requests. All modern facilities available.

Everything! Patrick was so welcoming, breakfasts superb, large cool garden and pool to enjoy, useful fridge for guests, very secure parking, and everything was spotless.

The WiFi was weak at times but an upgrade is planned .

AMAZING EXPERIENCE IN A HOUSE FILLED WITH HISTORY AND ROMANCE. VERY UNASSUMING ON THE OUTSIDE BUT BEAUTIFUL INDIDE WITH AN ENORMOUS TRANQUIL GARDEN. THE HOST Benoit is very helpful and is committed to making his guests welcome and comfortable. We Would highly recommend this Hotel.

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Everything, fantastic location!

We had one small issue that was dealt with straightaway, can’t really say we disliked anything