France - Chartres overnight

Want to go there next year just to see the Cathedral; yes I know it is quite close to Paris, but I have an idea of spending the night in Chartres itself, to soak up the atmosphere there and also just because there is such a wealth of detail to see in the church itself, it would seem best not to rush it, to take one's time, see it in different light at different times of day, go back to see the same thing after seeing it the first time and reflecting a little on it, etc.

So, does anybody know of reasonable lodging in the town center, walking distance to the Cathedral? Maybe a simple but cozy B&B? Consulted the Michelin Green Guide but the only B&B's listed are in the countryside, plus there is a Best Western "La Monarche" I think it's called, looks very pleasant but its rates are horrendous, at least in the Sept-Oct window I was looking for. Any other suggestions out there? Thanks in advance!

If you just "google: the following , there is a whole list

maison d'hotes + chartres (http://www.google.ca/search?q=maison+d%27hotes++%2B+chartres&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a#q=maison+d%27hotes++%2B+chartres&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=5iQ&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&source=univ&tbm=plcs&tbo=u&ei=VBrhTpqbIeXv0gHGvIGUBw&sa=X&oi=local_group&ct=more-results&resnum=4&ved=0CIwBELUDMAM&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=ac388b5c735132dd&biw=1367&bih=772)

fabulous and perfect resource, thank you! Still would love to hear any feedback from anybody who has stayed in any of these lately...

We stayed at the Mercure last year. Not a charming B and B but a small modern hotel. It was very nice and we found a pretty good rate by shopping around.

Also I suggest you look at what Rick Steves has on the cathedral (and Paris overall), including connecting with Malcolm Miller for a cathedral tour. And the stained glass museum across from the Cathedral was very interesting to us.

Thank you very much, Mercure might fill the bill nicely for me. As for Miller I wasn't sure if he was still doing his tours; if so I would hope to do that; but I think he also has a book on the cathedral, will try to get my hands on that for preparation.

We stayed at the Mercure last year. Not a charming B and B but a small modern hotel. It was very nice and we found a pretty good rate by shopping around.

I looked at this location when I was considering an overnight here but ultimately opted to do a long day trip from Paris instead.

Well sure, I can see that in many ways it is simpler to just do it from Paris; but then you miss early morning light against the Chartres facades or glass, or alternatively you miss late afternoon light if you have to catch a train back to Paris; you are more time-constrained at one end or the other or both. As my whole point in crossing the Channel at all on this trip would be Chartres, it just seems more logical to overnight there and take it more leisurely. Was there something especially off-putting to you about the Mercure? Maybe not quite up to Paris standards, but also maybe not up to Paris rates, and the bonus of being right at the center of what you want to see has an incalculable value...

Well sure, I can see that in many ways it is simpler to just do it from Paris; but then you miss early morning light against the Chartres facades or glass, or alternatively you miss late afternoon light if you have to catch a train back to Paris; you are more time-constrained at one end or the other or both. As my whole point in crossing the Channel at all on this trip would be Chartres, it just seems more logical to overnight there and take it more leisurely. Was there something especially off-putting to you about the Mercure? Maybe not quite up to Paris standards, but also maybe not up to Paris rates, and the bonus of being right at the center of what you want to see has an incalculable value...

I think there's some confusion here-if you re-read my post, I think you'l see that I had no issues with the Mercure. It is not however a B & B which was mentioned earlier in this thread.

Thanks Mountain Trader, no confusion as my last post was actually in reply to the other poster.