Going green: the best hotels in Vexin

1. Château de la Bûcherie, luxury hotel in Vexin

In the heart of the regional nature park, where the forest protects its charming residences, lies the Château de la Bûcherie. Erected at the end of the 20th-century by Ambroise Firmin-Didot, a French publisher and art collector, it is set in 65 hectares of greenery, ideal for receptions and walks. The estate was passed from hand to hand through the decades, with damage caused by the Revolution and a fire, and the various renovations necessary to preserve this jewel.

Behind its red-brick façade, this luxury hotel in the Vexin region boasts 33 rooms divided between 13 superior keys, 6 deluxe family rooms, 10 deluxe park rooms, 3 junior suites and a family suite. The decor is typical of a bourgeois villa, without any over-the-top princely artifice, and features antique parquet floors, antique furniture, floral tapestries and chic molded walls. All bathed in country-style light that reflects off the natural colors.

The château also offers a self-catering cottage called Le Moulin, which can accommodate six people in its three bedrooms. Here, the ochre terracotta floor tiles, half-storeys, wooden beams and narrow staircases evoke a family home in the countryside, where guests come to recharge their batteries and gather with loved ones, overlooking the ponds. A particular highlight is the kitchen, under a perfectly maintained stone vault.

This space echoes the room in the Cambrousse restaurant, where the large half-moon window is a tableau vivant with a view of the trees. Chef Valentin Bouilleveaux's watchword is naturalness. The menu is ultra-ephemeral, inspired by nature and the produce grown on the estate's market garden plots. The adage "from the vegetable garden to the plate" takes on its full meaning, and is even elevated to gastronomic status thanks to the chef's creativity. Each area of the setting, like the secret library available on request, immerses travelers in the 19th-century for a truly elegant and exotic stay.

Château de la Bûcherie
Prices from 170 euros per night
5 Rue du Parc, 95510 Saint-Cyr-en-Arthies

2. Château de Maudétour - Domaine des Tilleuls

Classified as a historic monument, Château de Maudétour, still in the Vexin park, is surrounded by 14 hectares of parkland. This sublime 17th-century residence houses 20 bedrooms, including 3 suites, scattered throughout the château, outbuildings and wings. Bedspreads, floral tapestries, baroque furnishings, patterned bedspreads... everything has been designed to take travelers back in time to the era of the kings and princes of France, thanks to this aristocratic style.

In short, a true château lifestyle! Although the hotel in the Vexin does not have a restaurant - only breakfast in the style of a guest house - the estate is perfectly suited to large-scale receptions and is a choice stopover during a break in the west of the Ile-de-France region.

Château de Maudétour
Prices from 160 euros per night
1 Rue des Tilleuls, 95420 Maudétour-en-Vexin

3. Les Jardins d'Épicure, spa and gastronomy weekend

In the north-west of the Vexin park, at the foot of the Epte river, Les Jardins d'Épicure features three characterful buildings dating from 1865: the Castel Napoléon III, the Villa Florentine and the Anciennes Écuries. The residence is best known for its gourmet restaurant, where a romantic breeze gently permeates the glass roof of this bohemian chic bubble, adorned with rattan lights, a planted ceiling and blue velvet banquettes.

Surrounded by gardens, almost with its feet in the water, the restaurant offers contemporary French cuisine that is regularly renewed, such as the excellent medallion of truffled beef with coffee jus and smoked lobster flavored with lemongrass. While the first rooms are classic, the Marquise suite with private Jacuzzi is surely one of the most beautiful. Themed accommodations, such as Indonesia and Megeve, are sure to delight lovers of originality. For relaxation, a hammam, spa, massage room and jacuzzi provide a pleasantly calm space. The ideal Vexin hotel for a spa and gastronomy weekend.

Les Jardins d'Epicure
Prices from 119 euros per night
16 Grande Rue, 95710 Bray-et-Lû

4. Château de l'Hermitage

Golf lovers beware. In addition to its hotel facilities, the Château de l'Hermitage offers a 9-hole, 600-meter golf course and a 15-station driving range. After hitting the ball, or canoeing on the Oise, head for the 3-star Vexin hotel in Ennery, overlooking the Vallée des Impressionnistes and Vincent Van Gogh's village. The château, the work of an unknown architect, was probably built in the early 18th-century on the orders of Jacques Charpentier, the new lord of Ennery.

The boutique hotel has just 13 rooms, including one suite in a romantic, neo-classical style. Set in a warm, elegantly decorated room, the Le Club restaurant revisits the great classics of French cuisine in a gourmet way.

Château de l'Hermitage
Prices from 130 euros per night
8 Rue du Parc, 95300 Ennery

5. Domaine de la Corniche

Perched on a chalk cliff with panoramic views over the Seine, Domaine de la Corniche is just a few minutes from Mantes-la-Ville. This early 20th-century 4-star hotel comprises several buildings housing 43 rooms. The suites are tastefully decorated in a contemporary style.

The highlight of this Clef Verte-labeled property is its one-star restaurant. Its name, Panoramique, refers to the exceptional view of the region offered by this restaurant run by chef Gaëtan Perulli. And after a gourmet meal, there's nothing quite like a spa session in the 600 m² spa area with swimming pool, hammam, sauna and solarium.

For a romantic getaway or with a loved one, book a massage session - using Cinq Mondes or Algotherm products - in the Temple de l'amour, an outdoor setting overlooking the Seine. The view can also be enjoyed from the pool overlooking the countryside and the river. Children's club, pétanque, cinema room and tennis court are all included, making it easy to enjoy a weekend near Paris without leaving the property.

Domaine de la Corniche
Prices from 130 euros per night
5 Route de la Corniche, 78270 Rolleboise