Château de la Resle
Grand cru(sader)
Auxerre’s vintage vineyards
Do you know your chablis from your chardonnay? Yes or no, you’ll be seduced by Château de la Resle, an intimate Burgundy-set, Dutch-owned boutique hotel with modern interiors, with expansive vineyards close by. Its charms run far beyond the bottled, as the château’s 19th-century façade hides a surprise: a gallery’s worth of hyper-modern Dutch paintings, sculptures and objets d’art displayed against navy and white walls. Spend long, lazy days stretching out in the spa’s hammam, playing pétanque on the lawns and dipping a toe in the saltwater pool – all with a glass of the famous local chablis in hand (after all, it’d be churlish not to).
Facilities
客室
10, including seven suites.
Checkout
11am. Check-in is from 4pm.
詳細
Rates include a wholly organic buffet breakfast of homemade bread and pastries, cereal, fresh fruit, eggs, cheese, fresh coffee and Kusmi tea.
Also
If you fall in love with the hotel’s Dutch minimalism, nose around the design shop; treasures include Carolina Wilcke’s porcelain vases and Reinier Bosch’s fluid, steel candlesticks. Smith guests get 15 per cent off.
Hotel Closed
The château stoppers its barrels from 12 November to 1 May.
フィットネスセンター
インターネット接続（無料）
プール
ホテル内にレストランあり
At the Hotel
Spa treatments, hammam, sauna, gym, free WiFi throughout, electric bikes for rent and free parking on-site. In rooms: iPod dock, tea- and Nespresso coffee-making facilities, minibar, and Être organic bath products.
Our Favourite Rooms
Some of the 10 rooms are based in the main château, others in the adjacent farmhouse or gardener’s cottage. If we had to choose (trust us, this isn’t easy), we’d have to go for the Fontenay suite in the farmhouse, overlooking the pool. It’s on two floors, connected by a spiral, Venetian-made staircase; wooden beams criss-cross the whitewashed bedroom, purple velvet chairs are grouped together in the high-ceilinged living room, and the tiled, open bathroom is kitted out with designs by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola.
Poolside
The outdoor saltwater pool (open from 1 May to 1 October) is heated and long enough to swim laps. Its wooden deck is topped with parasol-shaded sunloungers and is surrounded by neat lawns.
Spa
The petite spa is well-appointed with a black-tiled hammam; a sauna; and a treatment area with a menu of revitalising massages (book in advance). Offerings include private yoga lessons and personal training sessions. You can also do a 'bootcamp' day (€350 a person) which includes a personal training session, a vegetarian lunch, Kundalini yoga in the afternoon and a sports masssage to finish. The modern gym has sleek white-and-grey equipment (an exercise bike, rowing machine, cross fit trainer, weights and yoga mats); there are paintings to gaze at when the going gets tough.
Packing Tips
As well as the obligatory Breton tee and bikini (you are in France, after all), pack sturdy walking shoes for tramping through the vineyards – flimsy sandals and flip flops won’t cut it.
Also
Idle away an afternoon knocking a few balls around on the hotel’s apple tree-shaded pétanque court.
子供
Leave your tiny tots, tweens and teens at home: this château's over-16s only.
ギャラリー
Food & Drink
Top Table
In warm weather sit outside by the pool; otherwise, the indoor dining room’s table – signed by noted designer Roderick Vos – carries a certain cachet.
ドレスコード
Don monochrome outfits to match Château de la Resle’s modern interiors.
Hotel Restaurant
The hotel’s Art de Table restaurant does exactly that: head chef Jean Paul Baujard curates a bespoke daily menu from the region’s finest local ingredients topped with herbs cut from the surrounding gardens. On Saturdays, sample the grilled trout fillet topped with pine nut tapenade, or opt for a slow-cooked spring lamb before cleansing the palate with Baujard’s signature coconut pie. Sunday's offerings are slightly healthier, to help appease a fare-filled weekend; on Monday's French classics (think beef bourguignon and coq au vin) are whipped up, and Tuesday's menu is graced with fan-favourites, including homemade fries and juicy roast chicken. Given the intricacies of each menu, the Chef needs a table of at least six to serve. For the rest of the week, you'll need a set of wheels to reach the restaurants in Chablis and Auxerre. Everyday at lunch, freshly prepared poke bowls await at the pool and on the terrace, plus a homemade dessert to help end lunch right. Dinner is served every Saturday, but Sunday to Tuesday meals are only available during the warmer months (June to September).
Hotel Bar
There’s an honesty bar in the sitting room and by the pool, where guests can help themselves to soft drinks, beer, wine, champagne and snacks at all hours of the day.
Last Orders
Breakfast is served from 8.30am to 10am in the dining room; dinner starts at 7.30pm.
Room Service
You'll have to DIY, but the owners can show you where to assemble a cheese plate and accompanying vin for an in-room picnic.
Planes
The closest airport is Paris Orly, a one-and-a-half-hour drive from the hotel (www.airport-orly.com). British Airways run frequent direct flights from most international airports.
Trains
Auxerre-St Gervais Railway Station is the closest to the hotel, a 15-minute drive away. Regular SNCF trains arrive from Auxerre, Paris, Lyon and more (www.sncf.com). The hotel can arrange transfers from €45 each way. Alternatively, ride the Eurostar to Paris’ Gare du Nord, hire a car and drive to the hotel from there (www.eurostar.com).
Automobiles
If you’re driving from Paris (be warned – the Périphérique can be overwhelming for first-timers), hire a car at one of the airport or station booths, then take the A6 to get to the hotel. If you’re arriving from Auxerre, follow the N77; there are car-hire booths opposite the station. Car chargers are also available at the hotel for an extra fee.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
There’s plenty to do at the hotel; take a self-guided tour of the artwork, then laze by the pool and in the spa's hammam. The surrounding area is most famous for its wine, particularly pinot noir and chardonnay: take a tour of the vineyards at Chablis, book in for a wine-tasting session at Irancy and see the underground cellars at Saint-Bris-les-Vineux. Nearby Abbaye de Fontenay is regarded to be the best-preserved Cistercian Abbey in the world. Historic châteaux almost outnumber the region’s vineyards, too; Ancy-le-Franc, Bazoches and Ratilly are all within designated-driving distance of the hotel. Load up a basket at the markets in both Auxerre and Noyers-Sur-Serein – a little mediaeval village about 15 minutes’ drive from Château de la Resle – where locals peddle fresh produce, handmade soaps and (what did you expect?) more wine. For active Smiths, there’s a golf course at Roncemay, hot-air-balloon rides, cycling along the Canal du Nivernais (rent one of the hotel's electric bikes for €50 a day) and a clutch of local museums.
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. .
