A member of the Design Hotels collection, this 17th-century château is now owned by Dutchman Johan Bouman, who has turned this historic residence into a warm refuge where heritage is skilfully heckled by design and contemporary art. A rare and cosy place, conceived as a guest house.
Twenty years ago, Johan Bouman decided to restore the château to its former glory by transforming it into a new kind of refuge. Far from the (very) traditional hotels that are the hallmark of the region, he chose to turn the premises into a lively family home rooted in the times; a house that doesn't eclipse the traces of its history, but mixes them with works of art, pieces of design and pure lines that give it all its modernity.
A successful gamble for this residence, which attracts a growing number of loyal guests every year, seduced by the charm of the premises as much as by its owner's warm welcome. There are no valets or luggage handlers here. You're welcomed by Johan, who accompanies his guests to one of the 10 rooms and suites, divided between the château, the old farmhouse and the janitor's house, which has been converted into a luxurious guest house of some 125 m². All are uniquely decorated - in a classical style with antique sculptures, a loft feel with designer pieces (bathtubs by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola), and sculpture-like old timbers. All different, the rooms and suites nevertheless have much in common - an ultra-rich Farrow & Ball color palette, palatial bedding and real space (35 m² for the smallest and up to 75 m² for the suites), all opening onto the park and the Rock Growth sculpture by artist Arik Levy.
This contemporary refinement also extends to the Art de Table restaurant, where guests gather for breakfast and dinner to savor the witty cuisine of Brazilian chef Iaman Santos.Iaman Santos Costa, who concocts delicious Burgundian revisited menus and, every Saturday, a more gastronomic score with, as always, local products and a large proportion of vegetables.
Catering to every desire, this is also the motto behind the creation of the wellness area, which includes a fully-equipped gym (exercise bicycles, exercise equipment, etc.).e (exercise bikes, rowing machines), a Finnish sauna, a Turkish bath and treatment and massage cabins by Codage; not forgetting the personalized yoga classes led by coach Valentin Préti. Once you're back in shape, all that's left to do is plan what's next. You can explore the vineyards of Chablis, the surrounding Cistercian churches and the historic center of Auxerre, or you can take your novel and relax in the deckchairs lining the beautiful swimming pool nestling in the gardens. Many choose the second option...
Three questions to Johan Bouman, owner of the château
You acquired Château de la Resle in 2005. How did you go about restoring it?
Johan Bouman: I came to the region in 2005 for a professional project, and fell in love with both Burgundy and the château. I decided to transform it into a hotel in 2010, to bring it back to life and share its beauty, all with conviction. To embark on this type of restoration, which is necessarily very ambitious, you need a real project and a business model. I come from a family very involved in design and architecture, and I chose to play the role of master builder, with the help of local craftsmen. My goal? To design a place that combines the refinement of a luxury hotel with the warmth and intimacy of a guest house.
The space features works of art and design. How did you choose them?
J. B.: I come from an art background and have always had a taste for works and objects. I don't want to build a collection, but to live in the midst of art, in a dialogue between creation and heritage. The architecture of the château has been totally preserved, and it's the art that comes in to shake things up and give the whole place its modernity. I choose the works as I fall in love with them, discovering them in galleries and at contemporary art fairs... The result is a mix of sculptures, photographs, paintings and design objects. I'm very proud of the sculpture by Arik Levy that dominates the park, the chef's open kitchen - a unique piece created by Dutch designer Roderick Vos. Or the works of Italian painter Luigi Salvi.
What are your plans for the coming seasons?
J. B.: I have in mind the rather crazy project of expanding the hotel offer by constructing a more contemporary building in the heart of the park. The idea is to preserve the intimate character of the site, but also to meet the growing demands of our guests. Today, we welcome not only Parisians, but also many Europeans and Americans. A community united around two passions: authentic Burgundy and contemporary art.
These news might interest you
Hotels & Bed & Breakfast
There are villages that you can only reach by slowing down. Listed, yes, but above all, they've remained intact, clinging to the hillside, curled up in a river bend or set at the end of a path that nobody takes by chance. You often arrive at the end of the day, when the light is catching on the tiles, the shutters are slamming gently and the smell of wet wood is wafting up from the alleyways. And there, behind a wrought-iron gate or a monumental portal, is a hotel. Sometimes it's a three-bedroom attic hotel, sometimes it's a five-star hotel in a lovingly restored former maison de maître. Marble has replaced cob, swimming pools have taken the place of former orchards, but the soul has remained. You'll sleep in the folds of the landscape, between centuries-old stone and precise service, in a rare luxury that doesn't seek to outshine the place.
Les Bories & Spa in Gordes
Here, ancient bories still dot the fields, as if the shepherds had just left. Some have been discreetly integrated into Les Bories & Spa, without breaking the line of the dry stonework. The farmhouse extends over eight hectares of olive and cypress trees, and under the roof tiles are 34 light-filled rooms, some of them in an old farmhouse. Luxury is discreet: plant-covered terraces, an enveloping spa and a glazed pool overlooking the Luberon. A peaceful address, just a few bends from the ochre silhouettes of Gordes and Roussillon.
Price: €342 per night
Where? 9 Route de Senanque, 84220 Gordes. Tel. 04 90 72 00 51See Gault&Millau's review of Les Bories & Spa
Le Bailliage in Salers
at the entrance to Salers, a listed village with gray lava houses and sculpted balconies, Le Bailliage has been perpetuating a sincere art of living for three generations. Since 2020, Antoine and Marion Bancarel, heirs to the house, have taken over the reins with discreet elegance. In this 23-room hotel, everything has been thoughtfully redesigned: intimate spa, homemade cuisine, no-frills welcome. The meat comes from the family's own farm, the rooms overlook the old gardens, and the air, at an altitude of a thousand metres, has that taste of meadows that you never forget. A warm and welcoming address, in the image of the village.
Price: €124 per night
31 Rue Notre Dame, 15140 Salers. Tel : 04 71 40 71 95See Gault&Millau's review of Les Baillages
La Capitelle in Mirmande
Behind the light-colored walls of a house once inhabited by painter André Lhote, La Capitelle watches over the rooftops of this Drôme village with its Provencal palette. Eight sober, peaceful rooms, with views of the Ardèche mountains or the Rhône valley, extend the discreet charm of the sloping streets. Just eleven simple, bright rooms, a restaurant with slates that change according to the season, and the quiet attention of Ludivine and Sylvain Croce, who run the house with constancy.
Price: €102 per night
1 rue du Boulanger- 26270, Mirmande. Tel : 04 75 63 02 72See Gault&Millau's review of La Capitelle
Coquillade Provence Resort & Spa in Bonnieux
Set in the heart of a 30-hectare vineyard, this hamlet unfurls its 63 rooms and suites, with their sober, mineral lines, over the landscapes of the Luberon. The Tata Harper spa, 2,000 m² of calm and light, offers lavender and grape treatments in a plant-based atmosphere. In the kitchen, Pierre Marty, a Ducasse disciple with Monaco and Macao experience, orchestrates the Avelan gastronomic table: five-course menu, raw-marinated sea bream from Grau du Roi, poultry Pithiviers... Patisserie by Aurélien Trousse, medallist at the French Dessert Championships. Here, Provence is expressed with precision, right down to the plate.
Price: €497 per night
Route du Perrotet, 84400 Gargas. Tel. : 04 90 74 71 71
See Gault&Millau's review of Coquillade Provence Resort & Spa
Château de Troplong Mondot in Saint-Émilion
Restored in 2019, Troplong Mondot cultivates the art of entertaining as an extension of the land. The main building, with its sober, warm lines, houses a communal lounge where the fire crackles on winter evenings. Here you can read, chat or simply watch the day fall over the rows of vines. In summer, the private terrace of each house opens onto the paths lined with low walls, typical of the local landscape. The rooms, divided between several of the estate's buildings, combine blond wood, deep fabrics and unobstructed views as far as the Saint-Émilion bell tower. In the morning, chef David Charrier serves a generous breakfast of seasonal fruit, homemade jams and warm pastries. Nothing ostentatious, but attention to every gesture, in a place that invites you to retreat.
Price: €250 per night
Château Troplong, Mondot - 33330 Saint-Laurent-des-Combes. Tel : 05 57 55 32 05See Gault&Millau's review of Château de Troplong Mondot
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey in Sauternes
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey watches over the vines like a peaceful old soul. The estate, a famous premier grand cru classé, is now home to a hotel signed Lalique, thirteen rooms and suites subtly laid out in a 17thᵉ century château. Walls in reds and pinks evoking wine, antique beams and chiseled crystal faucets: every detail is a delicate nuance. Settle into the small lounge to enjoy a drink before joining, under the luminous glass roof, chef Jérôme Schilling's gastronomic table. A rare place of discreet elegance.
Price: €504 per night
1707 Route des Gourgues, Lieu-dit Peyraguey- 33210 Bommes. Tel : 05 24 22 80 11See Gault&Millau's review of Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey
Les Sources de Cheverny in Cheverny
Les Sources de Cheverny is a gentle hamlet designed for sharing, in the wine-growing lands of the Loire Valley. at reception, the lacquered green box recalls the forest rangers' kiosks. The 49 rooms and suites, designed by Alice Tourbier and studio be-pôles, feature antiques, a bohemian atmosphere and lush natural views. The Caudalie spa, with its sober lines and recycled materials, has slipped into the old building, like a contemporary echo of the neighboring château's beams. On the terrace, sip a wine from the estate, the prelude to a Michelin-starred dinner in the Favori dining room. An elegant address, anchored in this Sologne village with its rich Loire heritage.
Price: €279 per night
23 route de Fougère- 41700 Cheverny. Tel : 02 54 44 20 20See Gault&Millau's review of Les Sources de Cheverny
Royal Champagne Hôtel & Spa in Champillon
Behind the walls of a former coaching inn lies another world: a vast 10,000 m² contemporary hotel, designed by architect Giovanni Pace, where champagne flows more often than coffee. The 49 rooms, suspended between vineyards and classified forest, offer the luxury of not rushing into anything. at the table, Christophe Raoux, Meilleur Ouvrier de France, orchestrates gourmet cuisine served on a terrace bordered by rose bushes and a very real kitchen garden. The spa, immense and hushed, is as much for guests as for curious neighbors. And if you listen carefully, you can still hear Dom Pérignon whispering from the bell tower of Hautvillers.
Price: €1,041 per night
9 rue de la République- 51160 Champillon. Tel : 03 26 52 87 11See Gault&Millau's review of Royal Champagne Hôtel & Spa
At the heart of the Paris of arts and culture, Le Meurice, the first Parisian luxury hotel
Every month, Gault&Millau plunges you into the history of a great Parisian palace. In May, discover the first Parisian hotel to be called a "palace": Le Meurice.
Castel Clara: the new teen cure that reconciles thalassotherapy and Gen Z in Belle-Île-en-Mer
Castel Clara, Belle-Île-en-Mer's iodine star, inaugurates a cure designed for 14-18 year-olds. A first: posture, skin, stress and a balanced diet are on the menu for a week of well-being.
Road trip in the South: 6 hotels to stop at between Marseille and Nice
Curves that smell of heated pine, lunch breaks that are too long, and that end-of-day light that sticks to your rear-view mirrors. There are a thousand ways to take your time... and as many hotels to do it in style.
More and more museums and collectors are offering hospitality to their visitors, allowing them to discover the works in a unique immersive experience. Here are our favorite addresses, all of which combine luxury, art and pleasure.
