On the road to the Loire castles, a design hotel in a 12th-century abbey

The pitch | A hospitable tradition spanning nine centuries

On the borders of Anjou, Touraine and Poitou, on the way to the Châteaux de la Loire, the village of Fontevraud hides a jewel: the largest monastic city inherited from the Middle Ages. A Plantagenet necropolis, the Abbaye Royale, founded in 1101, is home to Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry II and Richard the Lionheart. The Parisian agency Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku (responsible for the restaurant and bar at the palace Plaza Athénée in Paris, the Jules Verne at the top of the Eiffel Tower and the Van Cleef & Arpels boutiques), present a new interpretation of the Saint-Lazare priory, once dedicated to the resting place of nuns. Now a 4-star hotel, the memory of monastic rigors echoes in a highly contemporary design. "What we offer at Fontevraud is not a classic hotel and restaurant experience, but a journey that extends and reinvents the history of Saint-Lazare". Spirituality is hailed, tufa stone is perpetuated, top-of-the-range is summoned.

Fontevraud L'Ermitage | What's the hotel like?

As soon as you enter, the fragrance of incense sets the tone - it's been specially "designed". "Fontevraud L'Ermitage" is intended as a counterpart to "Fontevraud L'Abbaye"! Ditto for the solid oak furniture. The curtains are of a bure color fabric, the lighting soft. Purity and sobriety highlight the thousand-year-old walls. A bar has been set up in the priory chapel, for a cocktail, an aperitif with fine Saumur bubbles... or a herbal tea from the garden. On the gastronomy front, the Restaurant extends into the chapter house, set around a cloistered garden. Large fabric wall panels and sculptural, curved lighting fixtures contribute to the comfort of the sound. The meal begins with the ritual of soup and dry bread (revisited, of course), recalling the austerity of the nuns' meals.

And the bedrooms?

Already emblematic of the Loire Valley, the hotel offers 54 rooms, ranging in size from 18 to 24 m², also designed to respect the site. Although they are all decorated in the same style, no two are alike, each adapting to the curves of the space. The palette is neutral and soothing, beige enhanced by natural light. All overlook the gardens. Light-colored wood, blackened steel, wool and linen, strict lines and compact dimensions create an intimate atmosphere. You experience the essentials, like a monastic cell... with a touch of chic. The television is hidden behind a steel panel that resembles a contemporary painting, while the headboard is inclined and monumental.

The room to book?

One of the 5 family rooms (35 m²) on the garden level. They offer immediate, privileged access to nature. Facing due east, you can enjoy the first rays of sunshine as soon as you wake up.

What makes the difference?

After closing to the public, as a hotel guest you can wander the monastic grounds on your own, with no restrictions, and discover 16th-century murals against a backdrop of starry skies or moonlight, the Romanesque kitchen where Loire salmon was smoked, Eleanor of Aquitaine asleep in the abbey church..

Where is it?

In the Saumur region, where Saumur-Champigny is aged in galleries dug out to extract the tuffeau stone. These have been turned into cellars, lined with troglodyte houses. An almost subterranean world and an art of living. Aboard her Combi, Karine takes us on a delightfully vintage ride, full of surprises! At the end of the road, the horses of the famous Cadre Noir. Attracted by the prestige of the place, people come from all over the world to watch the black-clad riders perform figures, dressage and "reprise"..

Things to remember

Sleeping in the serene silence of the Abbey is the hotel's promise. Updated to incorporate contemporary style and comfort without damaging the original "fabric", Fontevraud L'Ermitage is a "royal" stopover for those who consider peace and quiet to be essential ingredients.

5 things we loved about Fontevraud L'Ermitage

• Unparalleled attention to detail in a Unesco World Heritage monument.
• The memory of monastic rigors, but modern comforts.
• Walk alone at dusk in the imposing Abbey City... An intimate and magical moment.
• The new Museum of Modern Art in the Fannerie building. On three floors, several hundred paintings and sculptures from the Martine and Léon Cligman donation are on display. Works by Toulouse-Lautrec, Degas, Rodin, Derain or Buffet, and monumental pieces by Germaine Richier, one of the major figures of modern sculpture.
• Chef Thibaut Ruggeri's Michelin-starred cuisine is imbued with poetry and mystery, and his credo is to "reconcile the beautiful with the good". All produce is fresh and local, and the chef makes the most of the Abbey's vegetable garden and beehives. A "Moon" menu is renewed with each cycle of the aster.