Relais & Château Louise de La Vallière

The Chateau Louise impresses with its luxurious facilities, including a spa and modern amenities. Guests appreciate the beautifully appointed, heated rooms and the exceptional, historically themed service from the attentive staff.

I had the great pleasure of a 3-day stay at the Château at the end of March 2025. The castle has been lovingly restored with amazing attention to detail, both in terms of the external building and interior decor. The staff wearing period costumes added to the feeling of stepping back in time to a very different era. But the stepping back in time was not taken too far. After all, old castles were in reality rather draughty and chilly places with poor plumbing - not really the kind of place you would want to stay for a luxury weekend. The restoration has managed this wonderfully - bringing modern standards of comfort to a historical setting, in an unobtrusive way. A small detail to illustrate this: a flat screen TV on the wall would rather detract from the decor - but people sometimes like TV. This is solved elegantly by hiding the TV behind a framed painting - you can swing it open to enjoy the TV (if you really must). Another mix of old and new is that all the staff I met spoke excellent English - something that I suspect would not have been the case back in the day. The staff also managed to balance professionalism with a welcoming and friendly informality. The grounds are extensive and well maintained. I was lucky enough to enjoy pleasant spring weather. It was nice to sit outside and to wander in the gardens. But the best part, for me, was simply sitting quietly outside the castle and enjoying the peaceful sounds of birdsong from the surrounding woods. I had breakfast and several lunches and dinners during my stay - all excellent. There are also interesting places to visit in the area around the castle, if you can drag yourself away from the relaxation. :-)