The perfect weekend just a stone's throw from Paris

At the end of Saint-Germain-en-Laye's Grande Terrace, a forest path leads to this hunting lodge built by Louis XIV, which will be gently awakened in 2021 to become the country house of everyone's dreams.

Forty-nine rooms in shades of sand and forest, a four-hectare wooded park opening onto the undergrowth, a library of ten thousand books where you can lose yourself with delight: the Maison du Val cultivates a chic country charm, halfway between a family home and a four-star hotel. It can be reached in thirty minutes from Paris.

A kid-friendly place that doesn't make a fuss

Here, there's no gaudy decor or thunderous animation. Kid-friendly is woven into the DNA of the place with remarkable discretion. Rosalies in the aisles, nature workshops, a cosy cinema room, board games galore: children enjoy themselves without adults losing their touch. The kids' club takes over every weekend and during school vacations. The result: parents head off to the Nordic baths, and the kids never want to leave.

The table, a major argument

This is perhaps where the Maison du Val surprises the most. Entirely homemade and seasonal, the cuisine is generous and creative under the guidance of the chef, who creates a unique menu every day. Richly garnished buffets at lunch and dinner: quality is never diluted by abundance. Children eat the same dishes, adapted without being impoverished. And the all-inclusive formula - unlimited meals, drinks and cocktails - dissolves any mental burden. At last, a family dining experience that makes no compromises on food.

Invisible luxury: no more anticipation

We arrive on Saturday, put down our bags. The children disappear into the park. Lunch on the terrace. Forest walk, late afternoon massage. In the evening, dinner in the grand salons while the kids go to the movies. The next day, an interminable brunch in front of the hundred-year-old trees, and this thought that comes back in a loop on the way home: we didn't organize anything, and everything was perfect.

An address that succeeds in doing what few places can: making children happy without ever forgetting the adults.