The Relais & Chateaux property Chateau de Maubreuil was once owned by a famous aristocrat.
The Chateau de Maubreuil is a stately French castle located near the Atlantic coast in the lush Loire Valley, sprawling across 35 acres of dreamy pastures in all its early-19th century glory. A towering 5-star boutique hotel—part of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux association—nestled in a region acclaimed for its wine, the 14-suite enclave is one of a kind in a part of the world that has more than its share of notable hospices.
It’s like walking into a bygone, opulent era of European history, and, if guests opt to experience the culture, taste, and villages dotted with architectural gems of this region of natural bliss, they’re in for off-the-grounds experiences of the “real” France in the Nantes countryside. The grounds include an orchard, citrus grove, mandala vegetable garden, and vineyards. The twin swimming pools blend in to the nature surrounding it.
Before it was converted into a destination hotel the Chateau de Maubreuil, built in 1815, had been owned by various colorful royals and aristocrats. Most notably, one was the namesake inventor of the Dion-Bouton automobile (1883-1953), a marquis-turned-toymaker who put his luxury French cars and motorcycles on the international map. Now the hotel provides bikes and electric Fiat Escapades to its guests. Tour the grounds or waterways by boat.
The hotel holds an insurmountably elegant, world-class restaurant, La Table du Marquis, featuring a global-meets-regional menu emphasizing seasonal herbs and vegetables homegrown in their gardens. On the grounds, guests can picnic within those gardens. The restaurant and hotel have both earned Michelin recommendations, and the hotel earned one of the famed guide’s new “key” honors.
The Chateau’s suites are a vision of transporting elegance. Furnished with antique finds from all over the world, they are detailed with huge mirrors, carved fireplaces, Napoleon III-style appointments, and checkerboard parquet floors. The intricately patterned custom wall coverings blend into the draperies, creating a dramatic cocoon-like effect. Open them and ready to be wowed.
The plush interiors are theme-inspired, boasting names such as the Venetian Room, the Japanese Suite, Babylon Gardens, and Burmese Nights. Enchanting artwork and portraiture aligns with each scheme. The peacock is a motif carried into the restaurant and suites. Fanciful plumes in vases may well have been plucked from the peacocks that strut the grounds and roost in trees.
Fine art and sculpture dot the property and are placed like surprise reveals. A dramatic centerpiece fronting the hotel entranceway is a skeletal frame from an old hot air balloon that appears like an Alexander Calder sculpture. The stunning architectural elements are set off by a moody paint scheme, original wood paneling, and hand-carved marble fireplaces.
The kitchen of La Table du Marquis is helmed by Chef Clement Vincent, who has described its gastronomy directive as such: “My culinary vision is to create an experience where the whole world meets in a single dish, while paying homage to the purity and simplicity of local ingredients. Each plate is a journey, a story that links the global to the local, the exotic to the intimate.”
That mission comes to fruition with Chef Vincent’s five-course dinner, prepared for group tables and changing with the seasons. Wine and cocktail pairings included. Go over tomorrow’s plans and the à la carte menu at the romantic mahogany-paneled Bar Zelele, which has rare aged armagnacs and other liquid treasures to enjoy.
Standout starters include oyster granita, carpaccio sea bass, and a warm Grenobloise-style salad. Entrees look like works of art in their presentations, among them yellow Pollack from the Loire, a grilled filet of beef, fricassee of seasonal mushrooms and chard, and a roast shoulder of lamb that is perfect for sharing. And it wouldn’t be a taste of France if dinner guests didn’t try the cheese plate featuring aged Comte varietals such as an Aligot. A standout desert is called The Grape, a sorbet with tangy vine leaves and white wine.
The Spa Le Maubreuil and Cinq Mondes Spa Le Maubreuil are something to behold. They are basically located in a vaulted wine cellar. Guests feel as if they are in a cinematic space. Each tile, as the hotel says, tells its own story. “Relaxing to the bone, treatments include massages, facials (for all types), and Cinq Mondes beauty rituals and Maubreuil beauty rituals.”
There is a trio of treatment cabins, hued in tiled pink, as well as what the hotel calls “a sensory area for deep relaxation.” This is all located underneath the Chateau, a whole subterranean world where you can forget about quotidian cares. The hotel’s spa boutique provides regional and holistic product that can’t be found elsewhere.
Take a dive: This is wine country. That includes tours to vineyards producing Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, and Sauvignon Blanc. A specific tour of note is a countryside drive to the historic village of Clisson, home of Muscadet at its finest. The package includes a French country classic lunch. Other excursions include heading to the La Baule and Pornic shores, where bounties of sea fare arrive off the boats in these coastal towns.
The Chateau de Maubreuil hotel is in the fold of the Relais & Châteaux, established in 1954, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. The luxury association is affiliated with 580 hotels and restaurants around the globe. Many are owned and operated by independent families. They are environmentally conscious, and are presented by UNESCO since 2014.
What began in 1954 under the original “Routes du Bonheur”, connecting eight properties between Paris and Nice, has expanded to a global association spanning 65-plus countries, “renowned for excellence in hospitality, gastronomy, and most importantly a commitment to sustainability and cultural preservation—the true art of living well” as it was done in a more elegant age.
Nor is Relais & Chateaux merely mired in the past. “Ahead of the curve in its commitment to environmental and cultural sustainability since its inception, sustainable development, the preservation of biodiversity, landscapes and buildings, and regenerative use of resources are all shared objectives for the global members,” they note.
