Chateau Challain Loire Valley, France

[honeybee5517]

The Chateau Challain is the perfect place to hold a wedding, party, or simply visit.

Cynthia Nicholson, the owner of the chateau, and her staff do everything in thier power to make everyone's stay, from the guests to the bride and groom, perfect. The chateau, despite its overwhelming size of 78,000sq ft and 150 bedrooms, is warm, comfortable, cozy, and inviting. As soon as you enter the small village of the chateau, you are transported to a life of luxury, rest, and relaxation.

Upon first looking into the chateau, I feared the ambiance to be a bit intimidating. However, after my first conversation with Cynthia, my fears disappeared. Even on the phone, it is clear that Cynthia only wants the best for the enjoyment of your stay.

One of the most appealing aspects of the Chateau is that Cynthia is a New Jersey native who is versed in both English and French and is in the New Jersey/ New York area often. It was a great surprise when she offered to meet me for coffee to go over the details of our wedding. Having called a chateau in France, I never fathomed the possibility of meeting anyone in person unless first traveling to France.

The interior and exterior of the Chateau are fabulous and very accomodating for both small and large parties. The staff is so hospitable and nice, oyu instantly feel among friends once meeting them. The food is amazing! I'd read reviews on TripAdvisor (they are all good), but I could have never guessed just how good the food would be.

The most impressive part of the Chateau is the instant and omnipresent amount of comfort you feel even before getting there as Cynthia or Jean-Marie drive you from the train station. Upon entering the chateau, our every whim, even before asking, was met. A stay at the Chateau is truely a full- experience. The only thing I can liken it to is the Walt Disney World resort and even there, you come across bad attitudes and problems that are not met with assistance. At the chateau, there is not a grimacing face, want, or need that is not met.

As a wedding planner, Cynthia deserves a gold medal. Sheand her staff arranged and managed all events and happenings throughout the day. We were completely unaware of any problems that may have arisen. In my bridal suit, she created a safe 'bubble' for me that was void of the stress and problems friends and family members may have created. If only for the environment she created for me as I was getting ready, she is worth more than all the gold in the world. She did a fantastic job assisting my husband through the day and through detials of planning. There is a feeling of comfort around Cynthia; you know she has control over everything, will take care of it all, and do it all with a smile. I had no idea that she may have been stressed or terribly busy on our weedding day, but thinking back, I don't know how she couldn't have been.

After leaving, I can only summize our experience as a Chateau Experience because that is everything it was.