Amboise, FranceOld Town
La Maison Rabelais
Converted schoolhouse residence
Converted schoolhouse residence
This former boarding school operates as an easygoing town residence, where guests drift between the garden, lounge, and local pantry.
What it’s good at
Notable
An eighteenth-century boarding school and wartime infirmary reborn across three stone pavilions.
Listed
An on-site grocery stocks regional Loire Valley delicacies for riverside afternoon picnics.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
It has now entered a new chapter as a boutique hotel with 31 contemporary rooms, including a collection of studios with kitchenettes, and if you check into a duplex, also a private terrace and a Jacuzzi.
Right in the middle
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
In central Amboise, a ten-minute walk from the Royal Château and Château du Clos Lucé.
1 of 5
The rooms
Contemporary rooms sit across three stone pavilions. Four garden lodges and a duplex apartment add private outdoor whirlpool baths.
The pool
Bring a swimsuit.
The heated pool sits on a wooden deck in the landscaped garden, facing the historic stone facade.
The spa
Treatment tables sit beside an indoor wood-paneled sauna, with solo and duo massages arranged in the quiet wellness room.
At the table
Breakfast is served against terracotta walls and patterned tiles, and evening drinks carry out to the garden terrace.
How it began
Hotelier Pierre Pouliquen converted the former convent in 2024, heating the stone pavilions with a groundwater geothermal system.
Amboise
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.