OK, silly question but it%26#39;s been bugging me for some time now since I%26#39;ve been living in Paris. Why do so many restaurants and hotels begin with the word %26#39;relais%26#39;; like Relais Odeon (restaurant), Le Relais de l%26#39;Entrecote (restaurant - yum), Hotel Relais Saint Sulpice, etc. Direct translation is %26#39;relay or shift%26#39;. Experts?
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%26quot;Relais%26quot; also means a coach stop where teams of horses were changed out for long-distance travel. There was often a tavern and sometimes an inn at such locations where travellers could eat/drink/rest while the horses were traded out. I%26#39;m sure the contemporary use of the name in restos is meant to suggest something homey and comfortable. It is also used in the name of the great association of very upscale bed %26amp; breakfasts--%26quot;Relais et Chateaux%26quot;.
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Wow! Merci, Truffaut, you are quick on the draw!!
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Many of these relais are still standing as they were built to last. Some are still hotel/restaurants. They were usually one or two story structures with walls 2 feet plus thick built along roadways, characteristics that make them easily recognizable today. Many are now truck stops where one may find a reasonably priced lunch with long tables for group seating and bottles of water and wine available at table’s center. It’s sort of a communal feast for about 10 euros a head. If you are ever traveling along the by roads of France and spot near lunch time a large number of trucks parked close to one another, this is a sure sign of a great lunch stop nearby. Probably one located in an old relais.
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I wouldn%26#39;t consider the members of the Relais et Châteaux group to be in any way B%26amp;Bs: it%26#39;s an association of hotels that must meet exacting standards, ranging from one- to four-star places. Some are true châteaux, others are a bit simpler, but all are exceptional places to stay. Some examples: the Auberge des Templiers in upper Burgundy; the Château d%26#39;Esclimont, near Chartres; the Château d%26#39;Igé in lower Burgundy; the Château de Fère, in Fère-en-Tardenois; Le Cagnard, in Hauts-de-Cagnes. There are also some excellent restaurants not part of the hotels.
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I knew this one......... Coz my new house was originally a Relais de Poste!
*does little happy dance*
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Underhill, %26quot;bed and breakfast%26quot; (at least in the US) does not imply that the establishment isn%26#39;t first class. Several of the R%26amp;C in the States and Canada are, most definitely B%26amp;Bs. And yes, they are spectacularly good.
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I%26#39;m so glad you asked this question because I%26#39;ve been wondering the same thing after eating at Relais Odeon.
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In the U.S., B%26amp;B%26#39;s are owner-operated small establishments, nothing like the hotels in the Relais et Châteaux group. I think it%26#39;s much the same in France, judging from the places we%26#39;ve stayed. The term B%26amp;B implies lodging for the night with breakfast included but without the usual hotel services.
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That certainly isn%26#39;t the experience I%26#39;ve had with R%26amp;C properties. All the ones with which I am well acquainted are small, owner-operated businesses, albeit with the highest standards of service and quality.
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Truffaut,
Certainly there are some smaller RetC%26#39;s, but many are good-sized hotels, some owner operated, some not. The question isn%26#39;t the quality of the operation--it%26#39;s that a B%26amp;B simply is not a hotel.
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