Château de Saint Paterne
Fine food, fresh heir
Cusp of the Loire
Château de Saint Paterne is a luxe and lived-in family castle in the gastronomic greenlands on the Normandy border. Charles-Henry de Valbray and his wife, Ségolène, are your hosts (Charles-Henry is a self-taught chef, and doesn’t disappoint) at this boho-chic château, which charms guests with its fairytale looks, original stone walls and cosily classic interiors. The outdoor pool comes into its own in the summer, and there’s history, too: in the 16th century, King Henri IV of France overnighted here.
Facilities
Rooms
11, including six suites.
Checkout
Noon, but flexible according to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm.
More Details
Rates exclude breakfast (€18 a person).
Also
Unfortunately, there's no lift at this storied stay, and no specially adapted rooms if you use a wheelchair; but ground-floor rooms are available if you have some mobility.
Hotel Closed
From roughly December to March every year.
Free Internet Access
Laundry
Pet Friendly
On-Site Restaurant
At the Hotel
Tennis courts, 25-acre park, gardens with playground and trampoline, CD, DVD and book libraries, in-room massage, free WiFi throughout. In rooms: flatscreen TV, DVD/CD, iPod dock, coffee- and tea-making kit, and Casanera products.
Our Favourite Rooms
L’Orangerie is set apart from the château, a huge, self-contained suite with an open bathroom, vast wooden bed and one wall made from a 19th-century backdrop found in a Barcelona theatre. The château’s most modern room is the Chambre des Mystères, romantically secluded up two narrow flights of winding stairs (52 in total, if you're counting…). It’s chocolate-coloured, with bold red accents. For a stay that’s steeped in history, go for the Chambre d’Henri IV, where France’s first Bourbon king kipped. Chambre de Madame may have been the bedroom of owner Charles-Henry's grandmother, but these days is prized for its four-poster bed and panoramic pool-and-park views.
Poolside
There's a heated outdoor pool in the grounds, open May to September, which shares its setting with a hot tub and sauna.
Packing Tips
Riding boots and hats, and a hearty appetite for cider and cheese.
Also
In-room massages can be arranged on request, and there are bicycles to borrow.
Children
Welcome, but it's better suited to adults and teenagers so may be best to leave the littler Smiths behind. Extra beds can be added to Parc, Canard, Roseraie, L'Orangerie and Datcha rooms for €35 a person, each night.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
Take your pick from the dining room, shimmering by candlelight, or the Moroccan-inspired games room; or out on the terrace if the sun is shining.
Dress Code
Bohemian and chic, to match owners Ségolène and Charles-Henry.
Hotel Restaurant
Each evening at around 8pm, the chef serves a terrific set dinner (after 7.30pm apéritifs). Typical dishes include beetroot and caper gazpacho with cucumber sorbet, veal tagine with dried fruits, and apricot puffs with rosemary ice-cream.
Hotel Bar
There’s an honesty bar in the salon, a grand space in which to nurse a nightcap and pretend you own the château, to the sounds of jazz, lounge and classical.
Last Orders
Breakfast is available from 8.30am until 11am. Dinner is served at 8pm.
Room Service
None, though breakfast can be served in-room.
Planes
Easyjet (www.easyjet.co.uk) flies from London to Tours, an hour’s drive away. You can also fly to Paris, which is a two-hour drive from the hotel.
Trains
Alençon station is a five-minute drive from Château de Saint Paterne. The station serves Paris via Le Mans
Automobiles
From Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, take the A1 towards Paris, then follow the 'Paris Ouest' signs to Porte de la Chapelle. Once you're on the 'périphérique ouest', head for the A11 to Chartres. Go towards Le Mans, then change on to the A28 towards Rouen Alençon. Take exit 19 to south Alençon, and follow the signs for the centre of Saint Paterne. The hotel will be immediately to your right. The drive takes two hours and 30 minutes. From Tours, the A28 goes directly to Alençon (about an hour and a half). Hire a car at either of the airports, or at the Eurostar terminal at Gare du Nord.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
Green fields, apple orchards, mottled horses and endless supplies of Camembert… Château de Saint Paterne sits near the border between Normandy and the Pays de la Loire, a stone's throw from the lively town of Alençon. The hotel has nooks and crannies to explore, a grand living room and pretty little garden to read or reflect (or meet for a pre-dinner apéritif) in and 25 acres of parkland beyond. Take a swim in the outdoor pool, or stay awhile in the Jacuzzi, followed by a spell in the sauna. Pass the time with games of badminton, biking through the grounds and bouncing on the trampoline (yes, really), or borrow a deck of cards and some board games – massages can be arranged on request, too.
In town you’ll find flea markets, attractive cobbled streets, mediaeval quarters and a flamboyant Gothic basilica as exquisite as the precious lace they’ve been making here since the 17th century. But it’s the glorious countryside – all heavy blossoms, verdant rolling hills and placid waters – that seduces. A 20-minute drive from Saint Paterne, the Ecurie des As-Taquins riding school on the Rue de Bretagne in Alençon offers lessons for beginners to pros, and there's golf, kayaking, zip-lining and light-aircraft flying for the intrepid, too.
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. .
