Hôtel & Spa Château de La Côte - Brantôme

Beautifully located in the Dordogne countryside - its a wonderful sight as you drive up the long drive way. Furnishings could be modernised a little (I understand its a 600 year Chateau) but our stand alone wardrobe was massively past its best days. A small bar fridge would be a nice touch. The management and reception team were excellent and very engaging. However the Maitre'd in the restaurant clearly takes herself too seriously and does not fully understand she is there to make the guests feel welcomed and important. We were told to have a champagne and wait in the library - ok, pre-dinner drink, nice...but to forget us and leave us in there for at least 45mins was not to our standard. In the end I had to go back to the restaurant and claim a table as opposed to being guided to a table. Its a small thing, but these are the 1% things you must get right all the time. 3 hours for a dinner course comprising 4 simple plates (for my wife and I) was a little irritating, especially after our meals were mixed up with other guests even though there were only 3 tables of guests in the room by this late hour. After a 550klm drive, a nice meal and wine/beer was all I was craving at 6:30pm - but having to go through the 4 or 5 course selection, we finished our meals (they were -very good) at 10.20pm!!! The isolation is one of the reasons why you pick this place, it really is gorgeous. Bring a bottle of Red, baguette of salad and ham if you are tired of the restauarant scene and just sit outside watching the countryside.