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Hotels
Sleep in a castle: the most beautiful hotels in France
Sleeping in a castle is a dream come true for many of us, attracted by the splendor and history of these centuries-old monuments. From the Loire Valley to Provence, not forgetting Normandy, find out more about our favorite chateau-hotels.
Sleeping in a castle in Provence
1. Château de Fonscolombe | Near Aix-en-Provence
This 18th-century mansion, listed as a historic monument, once belonged to the Marquis Boyer de Fonscolombe, then to the Marquis de Saporta, humanists, doctors and botanists. The 50 rooms and suites at Château de Fonscolombe, a 5-star member of Relais & Châteaux, have been refurbished with period furniture, and the extraordinary salons offer a journey back in time. The immense park features a cedar tree donated by Queen Elizabeth II, who once stayed here. Located within the Château's historic salons, the Michelin-starred restaurant La Table de l'Orangerie, orchestrated by chef Marc Fontanne, delights gourmets. It features a beautiful south-facing terrace overlooking the park. This intimate setting seats 25. Local produce is used, and menus vary with the seasons. Early in the morning, a delicious breakfast is served from 7:30 a.m. in Temps Suspendu (the main restaurant) or in your room. It's a gourmet menu of sweet and savory mini-portions. And on Sundays, it's brunch time again, with fresh fish, meat, fruit and vegetable dishes.
To extend the wellness experience, the château offers a dedicated area in partnership with Esthederm. In an intimate setting, treat yourself to a moment of serenity thanks to a full menu of personalized massages: Californian, Ayurvedic, Swedish or foot reflexology. Each treatment is tailored to the needs and desires of the moment, with a choice of oils, music and pressure. The wellness program is enriched by free yoga sessions every Sunday morning in the park, as well as private classes in pilates, Qi-Gong, sophrology, sound baths and signature massages such as the "Éveil des Sens" treatment. All of this is complemented by a fitness room and a heated swimming pool nestling in a former priest's pool with listed stonework.
We love: The calm and elegant atmosphere of a "family home" at this hotel in Provence. But also the 180-species planted park and the private chapel.
Good to know? The swimming pool, built in an old purified water basin, has retained its stonework, which has been classified as a historic monument!
Château de Fonscolombe
50 rooms and suites. From 331€ per night
Route de Saint-Canadet 13610 Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade
fonscolombe.com/fr/
2. Château de Mazan | Near Mont Ventoux
Owned by the Marquis de Sade's family until 1850, the Château de Mazan (15 min from Carpentras and 20 min from the slopes of Mont Ventoux in the Vaucluse region) played host to the latter on numerous occasions. In 1772, the divine marquis organized the first theater festival in France. The duo of Franck Jaulneau, head of the Elegant Properties Collection group, who bought the château, and architect Claire Annicchiarico have restored the 18th-century codes, blending them with Provencal style throughout the salons, the Galerie des Curiosités and the 31 rooms and suites, all of which are different.
The "jungle" surrounding the château has been transformed into a vast garden featuring sculptures, a swimming pool and a boulodrome - Provence oblige!
What do we love? The library, with its stone walls in the basement, offers welcome coolness in summer and houses 450 books.
Good to know? Each room has its own writing table, often placed in front of the window to draw inspiration from the superb view!
Château de Mazan
31 rooms from €180 per night
8 place Napoléon, 84380 Mazan
Sleep in a castle in the Loire Valley
3. Château de Rochecotte | 4 stars in Touraine
Welcome to Château de Rochecotte, a pearl nestled in the heart of Touraine, surrounded by verdant vineyards. The history of this residence dates back to the 18th-century, as evidenced by its neoclassical architecture with its fluted columns and sculpted pediment, standing out magnificently in the bright light of the white stone through the trees of the vast 25-hectare park. The Pasquier family has watched over this treasure for three generations, and it has since become a 4-star Touraine château hotel and renowned gourmet restaurant. Guests who stay here are taken on a journey through history, in a setting that combines modernity with Baroque and classical styles, where every detail reveals French elegance.
Soak up the delicate atmosphere from the huge, bougainvillea-decked Italian terrace, with its breathtaking views over the valley and French gardens. This is where you can savor special moments, for sunny tea times and lunches at Le Dino restaurant, where neoclassical decor meets exceptional gourmet cuisine. La Verrière, a large, elegant greenhouse, also offers a sophisticated culinary experience, where the château's kitchen garden, the main supplier of aromatic herbs and seasonal vegetables, takes center stage. The hotel also produces its own honey and Bourgueil appellation wine, vinified by Domaine de La Butte.
In fine weather, you can take a dip in the heated outdoor pool or explore the majestic grounds. Bicycles are available to explore every corner of this vast estate, before enjoying a relaxing massage in the elegant Salon Boni with its white ceramic fireplace, against a backdrop of soothing park views. The 37 rooms and suites, veritable havens of comfort, reveal refined, elegant interiors imbued with authentic Italian style. For an exceptional experience, opt for the luminous Junior Suite, with its private Jacuzzi. In this haven of tranquility, between Tours and Saumur, follow in the footsteps of the Duchesse de Dino and her uncle Talleyrand, and experience a sublime French romance, just a stone's throw from the Châteaux of the Loire (Chinon, Chenonceau, Langeais, Villandry, Ussé...) and the vineyards of Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil.
Château de Rochecotte
37 keys from €190 per night
43 Rue Dorothée de Dino, Saint-Patrice, 37130 Coteaux-sur-Loire
4. Château de l'Épinay | In Anjou
The Loire Valley is the region of châteaux par excellence, and is brimming with jewels such as Château de l'Épinay, our favorite. Near Angers, this 18th-century pearl, parts of which date back to the 15th century, has been completely renovated into a 4-star hotel, set in 25 hectares of parkland. A member of the Hôtels & Préférence collection, the 23 rooms and suites feature exposed beams, tufa stone fireplaces, parquet flooring and period tapestries inspired by the Romantic era, while others are located in the attic space, giving them an incomparable cachet.
With its spa, its magnificent ecological swimming pool where the water is treated thanks to the filtering action of plants, or the hammocks that dot the grounds, this castle will appeal to those who yearn for calm and rejuvenation. After a game of tennis, a fitness session, a game of billiards or a yoga or sophrology class, enjoy lunch on the terrace, featuring vegetables from the château's permaculture vegetable garden or delicious Italian specialties prepared by the young Italian chef. One of the finest hotels in the Loire Valley, without a doubt.
What do we love?
- The gentle lifestyle that permeates the atmosphere, from the spa to the spacious rooms and outdoor areas (terraces, fitness center, Jacuzzi...);
- The many activities on offer: tennis, pétanque, cycling or hiking, yoga classes on the grass, canoeing on the estate's private pond, billiards or a cinema room - there's something for everyone;
- The beautiful grounds: French garden, horses, rose garden, hammocks and swings and even lavender fields!
- Environmental commitment: natural swimming pool, permaculture organic vegetable garden, zero waste approach...
- The luxury philosophy embodied by the château: accessible without ostentation.
Good to know? While staying at Château de l'Épinay, take the opportunity to visit the prestigious neighbouring appellations of Savennières and Côteaux du Layon.
Château de l'Épinay
23 rooms and suites. From €160 per night
Lieu-dit L'Épinay, 49170 Saint-Georges-sur-Loire
5. Château de Maubreuil | A luxury hotel on the outskirts of Nantes
Following a seven-year renovation by Nantes-based entrepreneur and art lover Philippe Rousse, the Château de Maubreuil is back in the limelight. The region's first five-star hotel-castle boasts 17 rooms and suites, a Cinq mondes spa and a gourmet restaurant, La Table du Marquis. Art is omnipresent in every room. In each room, treasures from the four corners of the world invite you to travel and dream: Venice, Japan, Saint Petersburg... Its eight-hectare park, a beautiful green setting, offers calm and pleasure. A beautiful jewel!
What makes the difference? The unique thematic destination of each room, decorated with objects sourced from all over the world.
Château de Maubreuil
17 keys, prices from 294 euros per night
6 Allée de Maubreuil, 44470 Carquefou
6. Les Hauts de Loire | Castle life two hours from Paris
In its 70-hectare park not far from Blois a stone's throw from the Chateaux de la Loire, this former hunting lodge built in the 19th century has been awarded the Relais & Châteaux label, offering a country setting with lush green avenues and ponds where swans and mallard ducks cohabit all year round. Decorated with modern comforts in mind, the house retains its original atmosphere, with herringbone parquet flooring, gilded mirrors and antique furniture. The family home houses 31 attic rooms and suites, most of which overlook the park. A tennis court, swimming pool, spa and Michelin-starred restaurant complete the castle experience.
Good to know? Les Hauts de Loire houses a Clarins spa with three treatment rooms, a sauna, a hammam and a relaxation room overlooking the garden.
Les Hauts de Loire
From €350 per night
79 Rue Gilbert Navard, 41150 Veuzain-sur-Loire
7. Hôtel Château du Grand-Lucé | In Sarthe
The Hôtel Château du Grand-Lucé occupies the sumptuous eponymous property in the Sarthe region, completed in 1764 by Baron Jacques Pineau de Viannay, confidant of Louis XV. After his death, his daughter Louise Pineau de Viennay entertained Diderot, Voltaire, Rousseau, Mozart and Grimm... The complete overhaul of the property, completed in 2019, emphasizes 18th-century codes throughout the 4,000 m², 17 rooms and suites: versailles and Point de Hongrie parquet floors, Baccarat chandeliers, marble fireplaces, authentic furniture, "chinoiserie" wallpaper... At the piano, chef Maxime Thomas (ex Anne-Sophie Pic in Lausanne) brings regional cuisine up to date.
What do we love? The elegant, round swimming pool set amidst the meticulously-trimmed lawns near the Orangerie.
Good to know? Don't forget to take a stroll in the 32-hectare walled park, a true marvel.
Château du Grand-Lucé
17 rooms and suites. From €525 per night.
9 Place de la République, 72150 Le Grand Lucé
Sleep in a castle in Champagne
8. Domaine Les Crayères | A legendary hotel in Champagne
At the gateway to the Cité des Sacres very next to the Reims Champagne cellars, the historic Domaine Les Crayères is housed in a 1904 Belle Époque château. Set in seven hectares of verdant parkland, the 5-star Relais & Châteaux has been decorated in pure French style by interior designer Pierre Yves Rochon, a leading specialist in palaces and the world's finest hotels. Wood panelling, wall hangings, paintings, mouldings: classicism rubs shoulders in the winter garden, an Art Deco marvel, and in the two Michelin stars restaurant Le Parc, with its period wood panelling. Chef Christophe Moret is a master at revisiting noble products (lobster, langoustine, foie gras, turbot). The hotel has just 20 traditionally luxurious rooms and a cottage.
Good to know? Every Friday and Saturday, the luxury hotel offers gourmet dishes to enjoy in your room or to take away!
Domaine Les Crayères
20 keys, from €490 per night
64 Boulevard Henry Vasnier, 51100 Reims
This former 18th-century hunting lodge, now a 5-star hotel, is nestled in the heart of the Chantilly forest.
Sleeping in a castle in Brittany
9. Hôtel Le Nessay | A family home on the Breton coast
Proudly anchored on a tiny peninsula in Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, this 19th-century castle is one of the most charming hotels on the Emerald Coast. Surrounded by the waves of the English Channel, the former family home, with its pastel colors and Renaissance-style turrets, houses 11 rooms, including two in an annex and four in the posterns. Tastefully decorated, most rooms open onto the ocean horizon and the Emerald Coast. The castle's table offers a wide variety of seafood, fish and vegetable dishes. Just below the hotel, you'll find the iconic Les Salinettes beach for an invigorating swim and a breath of sea air!
Hôtel Le Nessay
From €325 per night
Boulevard du Bechay, 35800 Saint-Briac-sur-Mer
10. Castel Beau Site | exceptional setting on the Côtes d'Armor
Just 40 minutes from Guingamp train station, the Castel Beau Site hotel is set in a small cove on the Breton coastline côte de Granit rose. An idyllic setting for a boat trip or a stroll alongside impressive clusters of round rocks, the hotel has been restored to its former glory following a renovation launched by the H8 Collection group in 2018. Built in 1928, the hotel, which for many years was a boarding house, is now home to 33 rooms and suites open to the open sea.
Good to know? The outdoor Jacuzzi offers a quiet interlude, with your gaze caught by the sea.
Castel Beau Site
From €191 per night
137 Rue Saint-Guirec, 22700 Perros-Guirec
Sleeping in a castle in the Auvergne
11. Château Saint-Jean Hôtel & Spa | In Montluçon
This medieval château, converted into a hotel in the 1920s, was taken over in 2016 by the owners of the Réserve de Beaulieu on the Côte d'Azur and reopened in April 2019 as Château Saint-Jean Hôtel & Spa. Set in a three-hectare park with a pond, this five-star hotel, also a member of Relais & Châteaux, blends the charm of a residence steeped in history with ultra-contemporary decor by designer Patrick Jouin, known for his many collaborations with Alain Ducasse. It offers 19 rooms and suites in classic tones. Not forgetting the wellness area with hammam, swimming pool and large massage room.
What's not to love? The gastronomic restaurant in the former 12th-century chapel, an unusual setting that is brilliantly matched by the menu created by chef Olivier Valade, who was awarded 1 star in the 2020 edition of the Michelin Guide.
Good to know? The second restaurant, Bistrot Saint-Jean, offers authentic bistronomic cuisine.
Château Saint Jean Hotel & Spa
19 rooms and suites. From €225 per night
Avenue Henri de la Tourfondue, 03100 Montluçon
Sleeping in a castle in the Bordeaux region
12. Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey | A few kilometers from Sauternes
Third opus in the Lalique collection, after Villa Lalique and Château Hochberg in Alsace, Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey was inaugurated in 2018. Set in the heart of a 35-hectare vineyard designated 1er Grand Cru Classé de Sauternes, this 400-year-old building houses 10 rooms and 3 suites, all different from each other, and a gourmet restaurant. The interior decor features dark red and leafy green tones, a nod to the world of wine. The Lalique identity is very present: armchairs adorned with crystal cabochons, bathroom faucets bearing a crystal bunch of grapes... A choice destination for wine tourism aficionados.
We love: The contemporary touch provided by architect Mario Botta, who adorned one facade with a glass passageway and installed a huge glass roof overlooking the vines on the first floor.
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey
13 rooms and suites. From €482 per night
Lieu-dit, Peyraguey, 33210 Bommes
Sleep in a castle on the Côte d'Azur
13. Airelles Saint-Tropez, Château de la Messardière | On the heights of Saint-Tropez
This 19th-century mansion, which became a 5 star hotel in 2012, is a veritable institution in Saint-Tropez, just a few minutes from the village and the legendary Pampelonne beach. Set on a hill, it overlooks the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, the Pampelonne beach and the vineyards of Ramatuelle. Most of the 64 suites and 44 rooms offer a view of one of these magnificent landscapes, a major asset. A 1.000 m² wellness area with a Valmont spa, the prestigious Swiss brand, an indoor pool, a hammam and a fitness room complete the offer of this unique place, one of the most beautiful hotels in Saint-Tropez.
We love: the excellent Matsuhisa restaurant, featuring the best of Japanese-Peruvian cuisine by Nobu and a terrace with an exceptional view of Pampelonne beach.
Good to know? The ten-hectare park is classified as a bird sanctuary by the Ligue de Protection des Oiseaux, a guarantee of tranquillity!
Airelles Saint-Tropez, Château de la Messardière
108 rooms and suites. From €1,235 per night
2 Route de Tahiti, 83990 Saint-Tropez
Stay in a château in Burgundy
14. Château de Vault de Lugny | Between Vézelay and Chablis
Set in 40 hectares of parkland, including a farm with chicken coop and vegetable garden, this 5-star Burgundy hotel with 17 rooms was once a fortified castle! All that remains today is the 12th-century keep and part of the surrounding walls. But the actual building dates back to the 15th- century! There are 17 rooms, all different, with decor that reflects the DNA of the place: four-poster beds, precious fabrics, wooden ceilings... In the gourmet restaurant, Mauritian-born chef Franco Bowanee offers traditional French cuisine with an exotic touch, awarded a Michelin star. The superb swimming pool under a vaulted ceiling deserves a special mention.
What do we love? The Chambre du Roy, the most beautiful room, restored to its original glory with its ceiling adorned with fleur-de-lis.
Good to know? The hotel is at the gateway to the Morvan Park, a region rich in discoveries: Vézelay, Château de Bazoches and the Chablis vineyards are all within easy reach.
Château de Vault de Lugny
17 rooms and suites. From €355 per night.
11 Rue du Château, 89200 Vault-de-Lugny.
Sleep in a castle near Paris
15. Intercontinental Chantilly Château Hôtel Mont Royal
This former 18th-century hunting lodge, now a 5 star hotel, is nestled in the heart of the Chantilly forest. 100 rooms and suites combine French classicism with contemporary details. The rooftop suite with its 60 m² terrace deserves a special mention! L'Opéra restaurant, named after the château's former ballroom, offers a refined menu based on the most luxurious products (blue lobster, osciètre caviar, foie gras, Bavarian beef, etc.). The Stradivarius boasts a British ambience, with a collection of antique books and wood panelling, while cocktails and the chef's specialities are served in the spa, decorated in the colors of Carita and Decléor. An ideal address for a weekend close to Paris.
We love: the indoor pool lined with large white curtains and topped by a black chandelier, very "grand siècle"!
Good to know? The hotel is an ideal base from which to enjoy the Chantilly Vineuil golf course. Compared with the "big boys", it's rumored to be the only French golf course that's good enough for the Scots!
Intercontinental Chantilly Château Hôtel Mont Royal
100 bedrooms and suites. From €264 per night
Allée des Marronniers, 60520 La Chapelle-en-Serval
Sleeping in a castle in Normandy
16. Château d'Audrieu | Near the D-Day beaches
In the heart of the Normandy countryside, on a 25-hectare estate not far from the D-Day beaches and Bayeux, Château d'Audrieu, a Relais & Châteaux member hotel, is part of the new2L Collection hotel group (Château de Fonscolombe in Provence, Le Cinq Codet in Paris). It took two years of work to bring it up to 5-star hotel standard. It boasts thirty rooms and suites, each with its own classical charm: period furniture, wood panelling and parquet flooring, re-editions of Frey or Canovas fabrics, toile de Jouy, not to mention a restaurant with top-class cuisine and a large swimming pool.
We love: the three gardens, one with white roses, the other in the French style, and the kitchen garden that produces organic cider.
Good to know? the hotel offers a treehouse perched 7 meters high with private terrace and bathroom.
Château d'Audrieu
29 bedrooms and suites, 1 treehouse. From 267€ per night
14250 Audrieu (20 min from Caen)
All locations are independently selected by our specialist journalists. If you make a reservation, we may receive an affiliate commission.