This 13th-century estate in the Loire Valley has undergone a major restoration in recent years, returning the château and its gardens to the grandeur of the Grande Séance (the era of Louis XIV). In 2022, it reopened as the luxury hotel Château Louise de La Vallière.

A stay here is a true immersion into the era: the interiors are like museum rooms, where precious tapestries and oil paintings are on display, the staff are dressed in period costumes, and dinner is a sumptuous candlelit meal of soup, fish, meat and cheese, in keeping with 17th-century tradition.

The suites are themed and named after key figures in the life of the famous “Sun King,” including an apartment inspired by Marie Antoinette’s boudoir. While each is unique, all are opulent and theatrical, with classic touches, such as heavy velvet drapes, wooden furniture, gilded mirrors, stone fireplaces, crystal chandeliers, and Carrara marble bathrooms with clawfoot tubs. Many of the suites are located in the main chateau, while others are in smaller independent cottages set in rose gardens, orchards, and parkland with 200-year-old trees.

The hotel’s spa, with its heated pool, is also housed in a separate building. Memorable activities include champagne tastings, outdoor films in the gardens, and picnics and bike rides through the surrounding woods and vineyards—according to historical records, al fresco dining was one of the king’s favorite pastimes.

BOOKING:
Ekaterina Kanevskaya
[email protected]