5 luxury chateau hotels in France
American businessman and real estate mogul, Zaya Younan has always dreamed of owning a castle in the French countryside. In 2015, Younan not only realized his dream, but he did it on a large scale by buying four castles and converting them into luxury hotels and resorts. Expanding further, he acquired another chateau with a golf course, cigar business and winery, and created a lifestyle brand La Grande Maison Younan Collection, which emphasizes stylish luxury. European. The brand's motto is "Everyone deserves a night in a castle".
Here is a list of La Grande Maison Younan Collection properties in France.
Beauvois CastleLocated in the heart of the Loire Valley, the tower of the Château de Beauvois, a former 15 e century, the Renaissance castle was one of the favorites of King Louis XIII when he went hunting in the region. Now a four-star hotel, the Château de Beauvois does everything it can for luxury, with 35 rooms and suites decorated in 17 e century style antiques with royal blue satin and brocade, gilded gold and flower print fabrics. Amenities include a Nespresso machine, stand-alone baths and showers, a minibar, and a flat-screen TV.
The formal restaurant, Louis XIII (who dined frequently at the chateau after the hunt), is in a beautiful setting with marble floors, a stone fireplace, majestic artwork and crystal chandeliers, as well as a terrace exterior. Chef Régis Guilpain uses local produce and ingredients to execute his imaginative menu. The current "sensation" menu is a four-course extravaganza, starting with homemade duck foie gras with pears, two main courses of lobster and sea bass soup with lentil and veal fondant and sautéed foie gras, and the piece resistance, a reinvented Saint Honoré cake with fresh rhubarb and yogurt sorbet.
Opulent and robust at the same time, the wine cellar is 14 meters deep and stores over 50,000 bottles of rare and world-class wines. The cellar is large enough to accommodate groups of up to eight people for exclusive tastings and wine lessons.
Cigar lovers will bask in the Riad Cigar Lounge, in a cave with stone walls, oriental rugs, candles and soft benches. The salon offers premium El Septimo cigars accompanied by a fine collection of liqueurs and digestives.
Le Château de Beauvois also has an outdoor swimming pool and lounge area, outdoor spa services, tennis and basketball courts, hiking trails in their multi-acre forest, as well as space and equipment for play pétanque, the traditional French game played with metal balls.
Chateau Le PrieuréPerched on a grassy hill, the Château Le Prieuré offers a breathtaking view of the green Loire Valley and its majestic river. The history of this little gem, with only 21 rooms, dates back to 10 ecentury when Benedictine monks set up their commune on forest land to make it a serene place of worship. In the 19 e century, the Count of Aupébin changed the architecture to create a Renaissance-style castle.
Richly decorated bedrooms have silk and cotton accents in hues of royal blue, gold, and dark red, along with restored four-poster beds and vintage furniture. The luxury rooms and suites, measuring 300 to 500 square feet, offer stunning views of the Loire Valley and marble bathrooms.
The Castellane Bar & Lounge is a relaxing spot for a drink or a cocktail amid lavish decor of marble floors, mustard and black patterned rugs, ornate crystal chandeliers, and mahogany furniture.
An elegant dining room with padded chairs, portraits, large chandeliers and wood paneled walls houses the restaurant Le Castellane. Executive Chef Richard Prouteau, has an impressive CV, training and education in some of the best catering schools in Europe. He brings his culinary expertise by merging traditional French dishes with new techniques and ingredients. Seafood-focused menu specials include local bacon-stuffed snails, steamed John Dory fish with fennel and lemon jelly, and chicken breast with chanterelle mushrooms and fig pulp.
The wine list includes selections of Saint-Emilion Cru from 2014, a Bordeaux rosé and a Saint Emilion Blanc, from the Younan wine label.
A miniature golf course, a wooded park for strolling, and a basketball and tennis court are also available on the hotel grounds.
Alexandra Palace HotelA formal 1600s castle built with a beautiful brick and limestone facade has now become the five star Alexandra Palace hotel. Close to the town of Niort, the historic town of Poitiers and the port of La Rochelle, the Alexandra Palace hotel is the largest of the La Grande Maison Younan collection in France, sitting on 160 acres of woods and ponds immaculate.
An 18-hole golf course sets the hotel apart as a resort. The multi-faceted golf course includes a driving range with 30 covered stations, green putting and chipping, pitch and putt with 6 holes (over 400 meters), a pro-shop and private changing rooms.
The decor of the luxury rooms is a blend of classic and French design in some and contemporary and sophisticated in others. All rooms have Italian marble bathrooms with Lanvin bathtubs and beauty products. The Presidential Suite has over 5,000 feet of unbridled luxury with stunning antique French furniture and a private sauna and steam room. A 323-foot stone terrace with a view of the golf course is the icing on the cake of this special suite
Dining and drinking al fresco on the patio under white canvas umbrellas overlooking the lush lawns and trees in the warmer months is a treat. Chef Ludovic Dumont, who won first place in the French version of the reality TV show Masterchef, invites you to his chef's table at Le Daniels restaurant. He can prepare a five-course tasting menu accompanied by assorted wines and can also customize a menu if you have special requests or food allergies.
The indoor dining area has tasteful decor with chairs upholstered in blue brocade and toile de Jouy fabric, and tables are topped with fine white porcelain, fine crystal stemware, and crisp white tablecloths.
The Cognac Room is a small, cozy space dedicated to the eponymous drink cognac and cigars. Private cognac tastings can be arranged.
Domaine de VaugouardA castle built in 1750 for Colonel de Salis Samad was passed on to his nephew, Baron Henri de Triqueti, close to the family of King Philippe. He then offered the estate to the king's son, the Duke of Orleans, to use as a hunting ground.
Today, the Domaine de Vaugouard is a four-star hotel with an outdoor swimming pool, a spa and a golf course surrounded by a vast forest.
Domaine de Vaugouard is only an hour from Paris and the city of Orleans, so it's perfect for a weekend getaway or an overnight getaway.
Chef Laurent Legivre, who works at the Ritz hotel in Paris, is now putting his creative energy into the seafood menu at Les Saules. Lobster and cilantro gratin, seared sole and roasted jumbo shrimp carpaccio and citrus vinaigrette are just a few of the delicious dishes on the menu.
Superior, deluxe and standard rooms are available in the main chateau and outer wings, as well as a selection of duplex rooms. All rooms have a bathtub, minibar, flat-screen TV and free Wi-Fi.
Spa treatments include traditional Thai massage with essential oils, reflexology and facials. The spa also includes a gym.
The heated swimming pool (a rarity in France) is lined with chairs and offers a full restaurant and a drink menu.
An 18-hole golf course spanning four miles, features a driving range, putting and pitching green, practice bunker and pitch and putt.
Other hotel facilities include a tennis court and bicycle rental.
Saint Martin HotelThe smallest of the La Grande Maison Younan Collection establishments, the Hotel Saint Martin has only 13 rooms and suites. Halfway between Poitiers and La Rochelle, the Saint Martin hotel was once a stage of the spiritual pilgrimage of Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle, crossing France and Spain.
Architecturally, the Saint Martin hotel looks like a manor house in the middle of 100 hectares of woods and bordering the Sèvre Niortaise.
Superior rooms are decorated in a dark blue and chocolate palace and offer views of the river and garden. Exposed stone walls and wooden beams on the ceiling give an additional character to the duplex suite, which includes a living area and an upstairs bedroom.
The Les Logis restaurant has a welcoming atmosphere with a substantial stone fireplace. Locally-born chef Charlotte Barreteau prepares a savory and savory menu combining comforting French dishes and inventive gourmet dishes. His signature dishes include a Breton oyster tartare, roasted camembert with apples and hazelnuts, quail foie gras with raisins, a shoulder of lamb with coriander and hummus, and for dessert an irresistible crème brûlée with roasted peaches and with thyme. Lunch and dinner are also served on the outdoor terrace overlooking the woods.
A heated outdoor swimming pool with restaurant and drink service and bicycle rental are also part of the amenities.
Other services and customer offerings at La Grande Maison Younan Collection establishments in France include accommodation and services for weddings, business meetings (some hotels have seminar rooms), corporate retreats and private reservations. A front desk catering service is also available.
The Grande Maison Younan Collection has expanded outside of France with a resort hotel, Malibu Foz, in the seaside town of Figueira da Foz, Portugal, near Lisbon, and will soon be planning other hotels in Europe.
