Returning to the OP, a few observations on the Baxters offer.
It's not clear to me whether this is coming from Sporting Tours, which was Graham Baxter's old company, sold in about 2010, or a new venture in which Graham is personally involved (presumably because his non-compete restriction will have expired). It makes a difference.
In 2003 I went to PBP as one of a large group of AUKs with Sporting Tours. Chris Crossland, now our esteemed Chair, secured us a group discount and handled all the bookings. Most of it went well. Graham was on the trip to deal with any problems and took a bunch of us out for a familiarisation ride on the Saturday morning. The hotel was good, and not far from the start, with decent meals, wine included. During the ride there were coaches at Fougeres, Carhaix and Mortagne (return leg) for those who wanted to use drop bags. As Greenbank says, for a first-timer it took away a lot of the hassle, particularly as the administration in those far-off days was somewhat less slick than it is today, and it was good to be in the company of more experienced riders who knew the ropes.
I went again with Sporting Tours in 2011. The hotel was much further from the start (20 mins by bike if you could find the way) and the food was abysmal. Wine was extra and very expensive. There was no one from the company on hand to deal with our concerns and it was only because I got in touch with the head office on the day before the ride to register our collective annoyance that we got some decent food and a glass of wine on our return. To give them their due, they responded quickly and we were also offered a small refund, which I imagine most accepted. However, absent any recommendations from later customers, I'd be wary of trying them again.
In 2015 I made all my own arrangements and rode with everything I needed in a saddlebag. Worked fine, but it helped that I was happy to book a cheap hotel for the whole week and leave everything I didn't need on the road behind. For 2019 I've reserved an apartment near the start, and may ride there and back, but I would consider using the Baxters option again if reassured about the service.