Chambres d'Hôtes Le Petit Siam : le calme en centre ville

Don't be deceived by the outside appearance of this bed and breakfast. It is located down an unamed small alleyway off rue des Vieillards. Even my taxi driver did not know where it was, although there is a small sign. Once you get inside the beautiful interior takes you straight to Thailand. Isabelle has created a stunning set of rooms and a courtyard garden second to none. My bedroom was furnished with antique furniture and wall hangings and was a work of art. I also had a small balcony overlooking the courtyard and she kindly put me a chair there so I could sit there at the end of the day in the greenery. Wifi in the room worked well too so I could keep in touch with home. There was a full set of information about the town laid out in the room, even to the extent of listings of which restaurants were open on Sunday and Monday.The room was extremely quiet and I slept really well. Unusually for France there were coffee and tea making facilities and a fridge and microwave available in the kitchen across the first floor landing. My private bathroom was also just across the landing from my room. The shower was French style, that is hand held, rather than fixed to the wall. Breakfast was excellent with hot waffles, croissant, fresh bread, home-made preserves, fresh fruit salad, yoghurt and superb coffee. The coffee was also drunk French style, that is in a bowl rather than in a cup, so you can dip your bread into it if you like. I had a lovely week there and wanted for nothing. Isabelle even served me breakfast early on the last day so I could catch the first train back to Paris. The location is perfect with several good restaurants very close and you can easily explore the town on foot from there. The shuttle bus to Puy-de-Dome is also only a short walk away.This place is an absolute gem, it's very reasonably priced and I have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone.