Le Nessay: a Breton fairytale

With its brick facades and turrets rising out of a pine forest, this château is, above all, a piece of the collective memory of the people of Saint-Briac. Built at the end of the 19th century on the ruins of a medieval fortress, and then abandoned for a long time, it was the meeting place for generations of children who came to visit the castle.of children who came here to play hide-and-seek, before running off to the Grande Salinette beach below, one of the most beautiful in Brittany... Set on the Nîmes peninsula on the Nessay peninsula and surrounded by the ocean, this magical and mysterious place came back to life in 2018, under the impetus of young entrepreneur Martin Bazin, who commissioned architect architect Dominique Bergerault and interior designer Stéphanie Cayet to restore and convert it into a hotel. All with a clear roadmap... A refuge that feels like a family home, where you are welcomed as a friend.

Right from the entrance, the tone is set with children's photos on the walls and coat racks holding oilskins and rain hats for a stroll in a possible downpour. The living room has a similar ambience, with two large fireplaces, deep sofas and views of the ever-present sea. Spread between the château itself, two posterns at the entrance to the park and an annex on the beach, the 17 rooms and suites benefit from the ocean light filtered through the pine trees. Decorated with antique furniture and cozy fabrics, they all open onto the sea, but our favorite is the Le Nessay suite: perched on the top floor of the château and measuring 55 m2, it nestles partly in a turret where a round bed has been fitted out, facing a terrace that lets you glimpse the changing blues and greens of the ocean.

Designed in the same spirit, the restaurant's large dining room opens onto the kitchen, where the (very) talented Thomas Estrader (ex-Semilla, Paris) officiates. By candlelight, with the sea (always) as a backdrop, you can savour a cuisine that celebrates local fish caught that very morning, after enjoying an aperitif on the dreamy terrace, facing the sunset. A well-deserved break after a busy day: spa treatments by Breton brand Phytomer, golf at Saint-Briac (with easy access for Le Nessay guests), a stroll along the Emerald Coast or a swim at Grande Salinette.

You've tried to book, but the hotel is fully booked? Rest assured, there's still one last chance with the Maison du Nessay, just 2 km away. Inaugurated in 2021, this sturdy Breton mansion houses 5 bedrooms, a living room with fireplace, a fully equipped kitchen and a heated swimming pool in the garden, not to mention all the hotel's services: massage in the house on request, delivery of meals from the restaurant. All the spirit of Le Nessay, with the added intimacy of a private home.

• Martin Bazin, hotel general manager and president of Groupe Sable

Le Nessay is the only French hotel to be selected by Small Luxury Hotels of the World in 2022. What qualities do you think justify this recognition?

Martin bazin I think it's down to our sincerity and the sense of pleasure we strive to cultivate. A hotel can be the most luxurious in the world, with a spectacular view, but it can't really seduce if it lacks what I consider to be essential: service, a genuinely attentive welcome. It's this kind of hospitality that we wanted to create. Here, there's no protocol, no ready-made formula. The team listens to guests as they arrive, adapting to their moods, moving as quickly as possible if the children are excited by hours of travel, offering to show them around the house a little later so that they still know every nook and cranny and feel at home. At the moment, my head bartender is experimenting. Yesterday, she invited a guest to taste and give her opinion. Here, every guest feels unique. They discuss, exchange and share with the team and other customers.

Who are your guests? French? Foreign? Local?

M. B. We opened at the end of 2018 and closed for 18 months during the pandemic, so our clientele is still building up. Most of our guests are French, but the number of foreigners is growing: English, Swiss, Belgians, Dutch... What do they have in common? Most of them come back to celebrate an event with their families. This is also true for our local clientele. Even in winter, the locals come to have a drink and warm up in front of the fireplace. Their presence brings life to the peninsula all year round.

What are your plans for the place and the Sable group you've just set up?

M.B. For Le Nessay, the plan is to instill the same energy so as never to disappoint repeat customers. Consistency is our challenge! As for Sable, it brings together several places I own - Le San Sebastian, a tapas bar in Saint-Briac; Kan Avel, a hotel in Saint-Lunaire; 3 bakery-pastry shops in the surrounding villages. This group is designed to unite my colleagues around the same benefits and the same spirit.

Le Nessay

Boulevard Bechay

35800 Saint-Briac-sur-Mer

www.lenessay.com

Active involvement of local artisans

Nestled in the heart of the Emerald Coast, Le Nessay is also a part of Breton culture and soul. That's why Martin Bazin asked the architects to work mainly with local craftsmen - over 90% of the entire restoration. Local masons, roofers, plumbers, electricians and carpenters took turns on the site, which lasted a good year. Not only were they on hand for the structural work, they were also on hand to sign off on every detail, such as these napkin rings and key rings made by a local craftsman. Would you like to buy one of his works? Nothing could be easier, as he's at the weekly market in Saint-Briac.