Château Hôtel du Boisniard ★★★★★

Step back into the renaissance world of regal elegance in this 15th century, classically French chateau. It’s everything you’d imagine a chateau to be – white turrets and black slate roofs surrounded by perfectly manicured lawns dotted with ponds and fountains.

Built in 1407 by the Knight Jehan du Puy Fou, lord of Bois-Nyart, the chateau has changed hands many times, as well as being renovated and added to. Each of the grand and noble families who owned the chateau have stamped their mark upon the property, from Renaissance facades to coats of arms decorating the bedrooms, sculpted woodwork and initials forged onto the distinguished fireplace.

Rooms take you back to the glamour of days gone by with antique wood furniture, grand wooden beds, marble and teak bathrooms, elegantly patterned wallpapers and small crystal chandeliers. Each one is individually decorated in keeping with the style of the property, but also provides 21st century comforts – flat screen TVs with international channels, air conditioning, Wi-Fi and drink making facilities. The hotel also provides more room in its nearby manor house and in individual cottages hidden in the woods.

Like any good country hotel, Le Chateau Boisniard is a sanctuary of relaxation, where you can slow down and appreciate the finer things in life – stunning gardens, a beautiful tearoom and a luxurious spa.

The Kusmi Tea Room may sound like some new-age Japanese bubble tea lab, but once you’ve got one foot through the door, you’ll see it’s anything but. Brightly coloured, high backed chairs and sofas provide a glamorous yet cosy environment for afternoon tea – complete with chandeliers and gilt-edged mirrors. Kusmi teas have been providing fine blends since 1867 and were said to be a favourite of the Russian tsars – royal tea fit for a royal room.

The tranquil spa area is decked out in natural stone and plants, and gives you the perfect excuse for a spot of indulgence. Facilities include a steam room, swim spa and giant hot tub. It also offers luxuriously relaxing massages and holistic treatments such as hot stone or shiatsu.

The hotel’s gourmet restaurant, Le Table du Boisniard, is one of the best in the Vendée and has two notable awards. It serves refined and sophisticated French classics and organic wines, which you can choose to enjoy in the graceful and sleek Amethyst, Turquoise or Fireplace rooms, or outside on the terrace overlooking the gardens. Dishes featured on the menu include mushrooms with truffle and foie gras, chicken with cream of celery and smoked salmon. There are also plenty of delicious desserts such as poached pears on biscuits, hot soufflé with orange sorbet, and clementine tart with Chantilly cream.

If you want to learn how to recreate some of these gourmet dishes to impress your friends back home, then the restaurant also offers cookery classes to its guests, where you’ll be learning from a top Vendée chef. Those who are extra adventurous can also choose to learn molecular gastronomy or how to prepare sushi and maki. If cookery is not your thing, you can always take a few wine lessons instead with the restaurant’s head sommelier.

This hotel is perhaps less about what’s surrounding it and more about what’s within its grounds. Days can be spent admiring the beautiful landscaped gardens, lounging by the outdoor pool or meeting the various animals that live in the surrounding parkland.

This is not just a place worthy of the rich or the famous, this is a hotel worthy of Dukes and Duchesses and those of blue blood.