Hotel des Lumieres
From the moment you step into the light-drenched, plant-filled entrance atrium, the newly opened Hotel des Lumieres offers refined hospitality at its best. Formed from two villas bequeathed by Louis XIV, the legendary Sun King who authored the Palace of Versailles, to two of his most senior nobles, Lumieres is steeped in history while simultaneously offering every modern comfort the discerning traveller could want.
There are 31 individually-designed and tastefully-appointed suites and rooms – each named after a luminary of The Enlightenment and built around a charming walled garden. Three dining areas include a wonderful al-fresco terrace overlooking the grand courtyard outside the Palace – perfect for an evening drink once the tourist buses have left – and the stunning, chandelier-filled Gallerie des Lumieres. Here you step back in time into the ornate and opulent world of French baroque, for which the Palace is famed, transforming a wonderful breakfast of delicate French patisserie, cheeses and yoghurt in glass-bottles into an utter treat. Does any nation do the first meal of the day with greater panache than the French, I wonder?
The conventional way to experience Paris is to stay in one of the City’s many exquisite hotels, and visit the Palace of Versailles, one of the veritable jewels in France’s tourist crown, on a day-trip. Along with 27,000 other tourists.
Hotel des Lumieres proposes something altogether different – and altogether better. This exquisite oasis of calm, refinement and elegance sits a stone’s throw from the Palace, enabling guests to skip the queues c/o a bespoke day pass which allows entrance and exit at will, as well as the opportunity to arrive before and linger after the tourist hordes have left. A particular treat is visiting the gardens in the cool of the mornings or evenings when the only other visitors are locals who are in on the secret!
Today Versailles is one of Paris’ smartest and most expensive suburbs. It was left remarkably un-scarred during the Second World War, making strolling through the atmospheric and historic streets, visiting the old market, and having a café au lait while watching the world go by, an especial pleasure. What’s more Versailles is no more than a 20-minute metro ride away from Paris city centre, enabling the discerning traveller to enjoy everything that Paris has to offer, with the luxury of escaping the mayhem and noise at the end of the day.
To elevate your relaxation and wellness further, the spa treatments are exquisitely relaxing, and are backed up by clever nods to wellbeing, such as a box on each dining table for mobile phones to promote conversation over meals, and gratitude cards left on your pillow with the turn-down service.
Details
Double room: from €280 per night.
Double room + breakfast: from €310 per night.
A la carte breakfast only: €38 per person
Chateau d’Audrieu
A three-hour drive north through the stunning Normandy countryside and you arrive at the beautiful Chateau d’Audrieu, a listed building that dates from the 18th-century. Like Lumieres, d’Audrieu is also one of the luxury 2L Collection family of hotels, and a 5* Relais and Chateau property too. Situated amidst 25 hectares of private gardens and ancient forest, this is a place of utter tranquillity broken only by birdsong and butterflies. After the urban environment of Versailles, d’Audrieu offers a complete immersion in Nature – particular joys here are the swimming pool situated in a walled garden, and the 2 resident rescue donkeys which young visitors are encouraged to feed.
A family home up to the end of the second world war, the luxurious Chateau d’Audrieu combines the elegance, comfort and relaxation that define a family retreat. Comprising 29 beautifully appointed rooms and suites with airy bathroom stocking locally sourced toilettries, there is also a luxury tree house for families. Notably homely touches include a bottle of welcome cider from the nearby Les Vergers Ducy, an organic apple orchard and farm that produces exquisite apple juice, cider, calvados. As an aside, the orchard is just 10 minutes away and is well worth a visit. Make sure to try the wonderful Poiree, Normandy’s deliciously light ‘champagne’ made, as the name suggests, from pears.
Under the auspices of chef Samuel Gaspar – a rising star clearly on his way to acquiring a Michelin star, cuisine at d’Audrieu is a veritable treat. Guests enjoy two dining rooms, with al fresco dining on the terrace. Our final evening’s stunning degustation menu is defined by seasonal, local ingredients – the extensive cheese board featured only those from Normandy – with exceptional wine pairings. My personal favourite was a roasted langoustine tail paired with zucchini cooked three different ways and served in a langoustine bisque.
No visit to Chateau d’Audrieu would be complete without a few hours exploring the local environs. A few miles away is Bayeux, the charming medieval town that is home to the famous tapestry which depicts the times of William the Conqueror. Bayeaux is also the location of the beautifully maintained and extremely moving Commonwealth War cemetery, site of some 4,300 graves.
6 June 1944 marked the beginning of the D-Day Landings, one of the most ambitious military operations of all time and a turning point in the Second World War. On that single day, 150,000 soldiers landed on five Normandy beaches beginning the battle for the liberation of France by the Allies.
Longues sur Mer, where several of the German batteries remain in situ, offers panoramic views of two of those beaches, and drives home just how challenging this operation really was. A short drive away is the charming seaside town of Arromanches-les-Bains which offers views of the remains of Mulberry Harbour B. This temporary port was a feat of engineering that saw prefabricated structures towed across the Channel and assembled to create a landing place for both supplies and troops.
Our tour was organised by the wonderful Lesley Coutts, and my personal highlight was the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer. Designed in the shape of the Union Jack, this quiet and indescribably moving memorial is also the site of a temporary exhibition called Standing with Giants. 1,475 silhouettes, each representing one of the British fatalities on that single June day, with bowed heads. ‘For our today, they gave their tomorrow.’
Against the backdrop of these two stunning hotels, this incredible two centre trip enables the discerning traveller to experience two Frances – the elegance of Versailles before the Revolution, and the world of the DD Landings. History is not only seeing, it’s also feeling and this trip delivers both – marrying fascinating sightseeing away from the crowds with refined relaxation, exquisite French cuisine, and curated wellness.
Details
Double room (classic): from €295 per night.
Junior Suite: from €500 per night.
Buffet breakfast: included in all rooms
By Anna Hunt
