There are many romantic Chateau hotels in France, from the Loire to the Alps, Paris to the French Riviera (or Côte d’Azur). We have picked ten of the best, ideal for weddings, honeymoons, or just a weekend break. Many of our choices come complete with turrets, bags of character, fine food and wine, and whimsical views. All are romantic and worth visiting.
1. Chateau Eza
Heading down to the South Coast of France, you will find the historic and romantic Chateau Eza. Arrival is via a winding mass of medieval alleyways that take you past jaw-dropping vistas and finally to your destination – the Chateau Eza, where you can stay in a fairytale setting from a bygone age.
Eze is a medieval village perched at the top of a mountain and looking down upon the deep blue waters of the Cote D’Azur in France. At around 30 minutes from Nice airport by taxi and sitting just west of Cap Ferrat, Eze is easy to get to but feels a world away from the hustle and bustle of the Cote D’Azur.
The hotel’s reception is through a tiny arched doorway to one side of one of many windy cobblestone paths. You check-in inside this teeny, tiny cave-like room before being led to your accommodation further down one of the historic passageways.
The whole hotel is spread among this seemingly endless maze of passageways, and the hotel feels more like a collection of tiny renovated houses than an old-fashioned Chateau.
Rooms have impressively thick, bolted, and arched doors that look like they are borrowed from ancient churches. Inside, the feel is of a Rapunzel’s turret, with dark oak walls and luxurious thick rugs framed by parquet floors. This hotel is cozy in summer or mid-winter, with fireplaces set up and ready to light. Modern bathrooms with astounding views have a generous array of sweet lemony L’Occitane toiletries.
If your room has a balcony, the dizzyingly high views span right from Nice in the distance, over the entire Cap Ferrat, and then out to sea. The balconies are so high that helicopters fly below your eye level!
In the summer, a selection of terraces invites patrons to spend an evening on comfy sofas, enjoying a drink or two with the incredible view once again providing the backdrop. The bar at Chateau Eza is a particular highlight, with an enormous fireplace and a romantic ambiance. This cozy room offers a large balcony, giving guests yet another opportunity to take in the vista below.
The gourmet restaurant at Chateau Eze is also extraordinary, with the same astonishing views.
With only 12 rooms, Chateau Eza is a deeply loved hotel. The rooms are unique and historic, and the views are almost unbelievable. You’ll never stay anywhere else quite like this Chateau in the magical Eza.
2. Chateau de la Barre
The beautiful green river Loire Valley, with over 100 castles, including the Châteaux d’Amboise, de Villandry, and Chenonceau, is another excellent choice is Chateau de la Barre.
Located less than 2 hours south-west of Paris, between Chartres, Le Mans, and Tours in the heart of the Loire Valley, this stunning Chateau de la Barre is privately-owned and has also been home to the family of Count and Countess de Vanssay for more than 610 years.
It is the epitome of French elegance. As soon as you catch your first glimpse, you begin to understand the opulence, style, and understated luxury that await. There’s much to feast your eyes on at the Chateau, with a magnificent collection of antiques, tapestries, chandeliers, grand fireplaces, and family portraits dating back centuries to browse inside and outside vast, romantic gardens surrounded by XVIth-century fortifications.
There are just three suites and two rooms which makes the experience even more intimate. Each guest room is unique and individually designed with antiques, oil paintings, designer fabrics, and Versailles parquet floors. All have an ensuite bathroom, most of which include a bath; if bathrooms are your thing, then it has to be Suite Marin de Vanssay with a simply exceptional bathroom.
If you love a view, Suite Esprit de Jouy enjoys a Juliet balcony and a large window overlooking the garden and park. The suites can be combined with single or small double rooms, which would be ideal for a traveling family.
Elegant formal dinners are hosted twice a week by the Count and Countess in the Grand Dining Room. It’s a fascinating opportunity to socialize with your fellow guests and hear tales of the history of the family. The Count likes to select a vintage wine or two from the chateau wine cellar, which is home to 150 different French wines, to ensure a really memorable evening.
A generous English breakfast is served daily, with local delicacies aplenty when you’re off sightseeing. A picnic hamper can be provided, and come the evening, enjoy a three-course brasserie-style dinner served on the terrace or in the small dining room. There are also several gourmet restaurants in the nearby villages, and your hosts will happily furnish you with tips of the best.
3. Chateau d’Audrieu
The history of Normandy lies in its chalky cliffs, its D-day beaches and the walls of Chateau d’Audrieu. This family-owned manor, set upon 62 acres of parkland, dates from the 1700s, although its roots reach back to the 11th century.
Château d’Audrieu, located between Caen and Bayeux, offers the opportunity to travel back in time. This 18th-century edifice, listed as a historical monument, is set in an extensive 25 hectares of wooded grounds and gardens.
Its noble heritage is evidenced by the royal coat of arms, along with plentiful antiques, gilded moldings, and crystal chandeliers. A multi-year renovation ups the opulence factor with a Sothys spa and fresh appointments in the 29 guestrooms and Luxury Tree House. Le Séran restaurant has a new red hue and a seasonal menu focusing on local ingredients.
Chef Olivier Barbarin proposes a continuous renewal of the menu of the Château d’Audrieu’s restaurant, which has been named “Le Séran” as a tribute to the history of the Château.
The restaurant contains three dining rooms on the ground floor and has been completely renovated during the first stage of the works. It now has a warm atmosphere with a strong color: The “Terre d’Égypte” red!
Two of the three rooms have also been decorated with grey, whilst the central room, the “sanctuary of gastronomy” according to Chef Olivier Barbarin, is completely red from the walls up to the ceilings and the damask curtains, perfect for romance.
4. Château Saint-Martin & Spa
Located in 32 acres of tranquil gardens and possessing awe-inspiring views across the Cote d’Azur, Château Saint-Martin & Spa, a Virtuoso hotel that sits among a 300-year-old olive grove under the warmth of the sun.
Relax to the sounds of nature itself and the occasional, distant splash of laughter from the outdoor pool. Picture yourself on the terrace of one of the six private villas. Menus present only the finest local produce and Michelin-awarded culinary expertise.
The view stretches gently into the warm waters of the French Riviera. It is, quite possibly, the most peaceful and tranquil, and romantic corner of France.
5. Chateau La Cheneviere
Chateau La Cheneviere is a magnificent Norman chateau dating from the eighteenth century. “La Chenevière”, finds its charm in the testimony of the times it went through.
Constructed in an area dedicated to the cultivation of hemp in the eighteenth century, then a breeding farm for exceptional foals during the nineteenth century, the Chateau was then occupied by the Germans during World War II, and then the Americans after the D-Day landings.
It was fully restored in 1988 to become the lush hotel restaurant that it is today. La Chenevière has 29 spacious and comfortable rooms that reflect the elegance and romance of its design. The decor of each room has been designed individually, but always with attention paid to the combination of modern comforts with traditional luxury and romance.
6. Château des Briottières
Set in the Loire countryside, the 18th-century Château des Briottières, Champigné has been in the same family for seven generations.
Situated at the crossroads of Brittany, Normandy, and the Pays de la Loire, this Chateau is a convenient distance from the Ile d’Yeu or the Ile de Ré, between Mont St Michel and the splendid Chateaux de la Loire.
Traditional interiors include the red velvet drawing room and an impressive marble staircase that leads up to 10 elegant bedrooms. Each charming guest room contains antique period furniture, four-poster beds, alcoves, wallpapers, and materials from renowned houses. Views here are beautiful, looking over the park.
Every evening, your hosts offer a unique menu inspired by their own family recipes but adapted for the modern taste. Your candlelit dinner is enjoyed in the 18th-century dining room.
Depending on the weather and the time of year, you will also be served an aperitif, a local sparkling Crémant de Loire, in the drawing room or outside under the pergola.
7. Chateau de Lalande
Chateau de Lalande sits amongst verdant trees and pretty lawns. The pool is dreamy, and the interiors are classy and elegant.
This 18th to 19th-century castle has been fully refurbished with a charming style. It offers 17 quiet, highly comfortable guest rooms, including six suites and junior suites, all air-conditioned and customized through meticulous decoration.
The park, the swimming pool with its hundred-year-old wisteria, and the outside terrace are the stuff of romantic fairytales. The gourmet restaurant is the perfect place for a romantic evening.
8. Chateau de Charly
Chateau de Charly is the perfect place for romance. You will find eight sumptuous bedrooms with luxurious ensuite bathrooms. An elegant dining room and a secluded heated swimming pool set within 32 tranquil enclosed acres of gardens, parkland, and an orchard. This boutique chateau hotel is ideal for privacy and heaven for dogs.
Chateau Charly was built in 1839 within 32 acres of parkland. On the ground floor, there is a large kitchen, dining room, salon, and three big bedrooms with walk-in showers in addition to baths – ideal for intergenerational groups. On the first floor, there are five ensuite bedrooms, a washroom, and a library/games room.
This hotel offers a vista of neat lawns and endless space with well-trimmed lawns; 19th-century Château Charly is surrounded by acres of space.
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