NUMBER OF ROOMS: 3 miniature houses for 2 to 4 people and 2 apartments for 4 people
CLOSED ANNUALLY: Open all year round
THE STORY: A few kilometers from Barbizon and Fontainebleau, lies the Château de Courances, whose vegetable patch provides some famous Parisian restaurateurs (Charles Compagnon, Tomy Gousset, Antonin Bonnet…) with produce. The best plan of attack? At the edge of the immense estate with fourteen springs and seventeen water features, the owners rent out a gîte in the former outbuildings: the hamlet was transformed into three small adjoining houses (l’Atelier, la Pompe and le Moulin) and, as of recently, the stunning groundskeeper house now harbors two apartments that you can rent out individually or together. It’s all done up with a very comfy family home style, with perfectly waxed woodwork, refined furniture, fireplaces or wood-fired stoves and private gardens, where you can make the most of château living in total serenity. Starting at €176 a night (2 nights minimum).
TOILETRIES: Algotherm body wash and shampoo.
INTERNET: Wifi (free).
BREAKFAST: No, but there’s a welcome snack composed of tea, coffee, cookies, butter and jams. For everything else, there’s a bakery just five minutes away by foot.
MINI-BAR: No, but there’s a Nespresso machine and an electric teapot.
LITTLE LUXURY: Doing your grocery shopping at the garden’s boutique, so you can bring back some produce for a quality homecooked meal.
