Les Sources de Cheverny

Style

Feeling vine

Setting

Serene Sologne forest

Les Sources de Cheverny occupies a heavenly hamlet and acres of lush forest in the Loire Valley. A temple to wine in all its forms, you’ll discover the youth-giving secrets of grapes in the sprawling spa and taste esteemed vintages in the restaurant (including La Grand Vigne, a white wine produced right here on the estate). Depending on the season, days will be spent splashing about in the family-friendly outdoor pool, staying cosy by the library’s roaring fireplace, or borrowing the hotel’s electric bikes to explore the region’s grand châteaux: Chambord, Cheverny, and Chenonceau.

Facilities

Rooms

49, including 25 suites.

Checkout

Noon. Earliest check-in 3pm.

More Details

Rates don’t generally include the buffet breakfast, served either in the Auberge restaurant or delivered to your room in a basket – it’s €30 an adult and €15 a child.

Also

All common areas and two bedrooms (a Superior room and a Prestige room) are adapted for wheelchair users.

Hotel Closed

The hotel closes for a few weeks every winter – exact dates vary annually.

Fitness Center

Free Internet Access

Pet Friendly

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

Spa

At the Hotel

La Grand Vigne winery, farm, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, spa, hammam, gym, Pilates, yoga and fitness classes, wellies and bikes to borrow, on-site parking and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: tea and coffee, plug adaptors, Caudalie bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

The stand-out suite is Le Baron Perché, a wooden cabin that stands on stilts and overlooks the lake. It takes its name from the Italian novel The Baron in the Trees by Italo Colvino about a young aristocrat who rebels against his parents by climbing into the trees and remaining there for the rest of his life, vowing never to set food on the earth again. You’ll understand how he feels after a night in this haven with its private Nordic outdoor bath tub, panoramic views of the estate and tasteful interiors – it’s nearly impossible to clamber back down to reality.

Poolside

The family-friendly heated outdoor pool in the grounds is surrounded by forest for sylvan swimming sessions. To use the indoor spa pool, wooden jacuzzi and hammam, you’ll need to book a treatment (a minimum of €154 a person a half-day) or buy a pass (€39 for two hours’ access).

Spa

A hand-painted forest scene welcomes you to the tranquil spa complex where treatments use all-natural Caudalie products that harness the anti-aging and antioxidant power of grapes. Indulge in a Premier Cru facial, a crushed Cabernet body scrub or a half-day ritual in one of the seven treatment rooms (three are double cabins designed for couples). Afterwards, swim blissful laps in the spa pool housed in a double-height wooden atrium and soak away any remaining stresses in the oak Jacuzzi that resembles a wine barrel. Speaking of wine, you can undo all of last night’s liquid excess in the fully-equipped fitness room – don’t worry, despite the oil paintings in gilded frames on the wall, it is permitted to work up a sweat in here. Or, go slower during the weekly yoga session on Saturday evenings (€26) that’s held in a high-ceilinged salon in the original château – reverse warrior has never looked so regal.

Packing Tips

Leave room in your suitcase for your new favourite wines and bring plenty of activewear if you’re planning to make use of the gym, yoga studio or cycle routes.

Also

The hotel is producing its own organic house Romorantin wine — a crisp and delicate white that was a favourite of King Frances I, who made it into his mum’s good books by having the vines imported to the Loire from Burgundy as a gift.

Children

All ages are very welcome. Cots (€20 a night for ages three and under) and extra beds (€50 a night for ages 3-12) can be added to all except Superior Rooms.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Choose a table at the back to watch the chefs in action; on balmy evenings, bag a table outside to watch the sun set over the picturesque grounds.

Dress Code

Easygoing elegance is the order of the day at L’Auberge.

Hotel Restaurant

L’Auberge is warm, cosy and relaxed. The dining room has vaulted, beamed ceilings, an inviting fireplace and open-plan kitchen – in the summer months, the mismatched wooden tables spill out onto the terrace. The menu uses local and seasonal ingredients to make traditional French country dishes like Potimarron soup (pumpkin and chestnut), glazed pork and rum babas.

Le Favori, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant headed up by chef Frédéric Calamels, was recently awarded one Michelin star. Like L’Auberge, Le Favori champions locally-sourced ingredients to produce intricate dishes like courgette from the Varennes farms with ground ivy and seared blue lobster. Immersion in the hotel’s wild and cultivated natural surroundings goes beyond just the taste buds: the restaurant’s glass-walls open out to a verdant feast-for-the-eyes.

Hotel Bar

In one corner of L’Auberge restaurant is the vibrant wine bar. The master sommeliers can lead you through tastings of local Loire bottles or recommend their favourite tipples to accompany the tasty tapas. Here, you can also try the Haut Lafitte wine produced at sister hotel Les Sources de Caudalie in Bordeaux.

Last Orders

At L’Auberge, breakfast is from 7am to 10am, lunch is 12-2pm, and dinner is from 7pm to 9pm; small bites are available at the bar from 10am to 10pm.

Room Service

There’s a limited room service menu on offer until 10pm; if hunger strikes after hours, your minibar is stocked with local treats.

Planes

The closest is Tours, though if you’re coming from outside France you’ll probably touch down in Paris – the hotel is just over two hours’ drive from Orly airport; car transfers can be arranged with advance notice.

Trains

The direct train from Paris to Blois takes an hour and a half. From the station, it’s a 25-minute drive to the hotel; with advance notice, the hotel can send a car to collect you.

Automobiles

You can roam much of the immediate region by bike, but if you plan to explore the larger Loire Valley’s vineyards and chateaux, we recommend hiring one at the airport.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

You’ll never be at a loss for things to do here, with 110 acres of forest, lawns and gardens. Explore the small working farm with goats and chickens, admire the neat rows in the vineyard, or stroll around the lake; the forest paths are perfect for restorative walks or a tour on an electric bike. Reward yourself for your efforts with a detoxifying wrap or deep tissue massage in the spa, or head straight to the bar for a glass of something local.

If you’re leaving the grounds, make Chambord your first port of call – built as a hunting lodge for King Frances I, this fairy-tale castle is the largest in the Loire Valley; the hotel can pack you a picnic to enjoy in the formal geometric gardens. If you’re keen to taste local drops, you can discover hundreds of wines from the Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny appellations at the Maisons des Vins de Cheverny. You can taste seven wines – they’re poured from high-tech dispensers – for just €6.50.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .