My wife and I spent a delightful six days stay at L'esprit du 8 in Rochefort which proved to be the best chambre d'hôtes we have ever stayed at in France. The owners just seemed to have the balance just right having created an impressive, but charming, residence from early 19th century mansion close to the centre of this historic city.
This lovely building has been restored with empathy and yet with all the facilities that one would expect of a modern guest house that include a luxury ensuite shower room, coffee/tea in the rooms, cable TV, a lovely swimming pool and a really rather good continental breakfast each morning. We also had a small balcony to our room which gave us a view of the street/town. The interior design celebrates a stylish mix of antique and vintage and fixtures and fittings that will appeal to anyone that enjoys retro collectables.
The owners Sandrine and Pascal are attentive, without being intrusive and seem only too happy to make sure that your stay is relaxing and enjoyable. Our stay was blessed with excellent weather and so we spent a very relaxing time around the swimming pool whilst also exploring the historic port and town centre which is a short walk away.
This region has a huge amount to explore and so having a car is advisable or you can hire bikes from the owners. We would suggest visits to include La Rochelle (which is a great port to see) and L'île d'Oléron. We would highly recommend this chamber d’hotes to anyone visiting the area!