The town may be “ordinary”, but this hotel on the outskirts is “very attractive”, says a visitor. It stands quietly across a road from parkland along the banks of the small River Sèvre. The large, white 17th-century manor house has been renovated in “blissfully simple” style: tiled floors, beamed ceilings, good paintings, furniture and glass from Bohemia and Murano. A stone staircase leads to “beautiful” bedrooms off a narrow whitewashed corridor. “Ours had exquisite wall coverings of blue-patterned fabric.” The suite is a duplex in a tower with exposed stone walls. “A superb meal”: chef Aline Jarriault serves for eg Le Pigeonneale Fermier Roti et Confit; Les Coquilles St Jacques. In summer, drinks are served on a terrace under large white parasols.