Château de Saint Paterne, located in Normandy, is a beautiful family business that has been in their ownership since the 16th century. The building itself is incredibly striking from the moment you arrive on the grounds, with a wealth of character; and that’s even before you’ve entered the building.
The Château itself is very intimate, boasting only 11 rooms. The personal touch is certainly evident here, which manifests in the hotels beautiful furnishing and fittings.
“This hotel marries culture and tradition with warm hospitality.”
During our stay, we experienced the Chambre de Madame. The room truly does fail to disappoint and we felt as though we had found a real gem. The highlight for me was the four poster bed, seconded only by the traditional roll top bath, of which I was more than willing to try. The furnishings throughout our room worked extremely well, and gave a real sense of authentic French, chic style.
With beautiful views over the grounds and swimming pool area, we can see that this room would be a real delight on a good day. Unfortunately for us, that day wasn’t during our stay, as it was raining at the time, which rendered us unable to make full use of the outdoor swimming pool.
At 7.30pm, it is aperitif time at Château de Saint Paterne, and guests are invited into the lounge area for a pre-dinner drink. When we arrived, the hosts appeared and introduced themselves in welcome, and we relaxed and enjoyed a glass of rouge. We simply could not miss the attention to detail of the furnishings, which went a long way to confirm what a special place the Château truly is. With a great sense of history, this hotel marries culture and tradition with warm hospitality.
After our aperitif, dinner was served. We were shown through to the intimate dining room, which features around six tables. We were unsure at first what to expect, but I can honestly say that it completely exceeded our expectations. Château de Saint Paterne offers home cooking at its finest, with the menu being a surprise each day. From start to finish, we could not fault our dining experience, which is a real must if you were to stay.
With our meal we enjoyed a bottle of 2011 Saumer Champigny and savoured each dish with relish.
The wonderfully welcoming hosts are always at hand during your stay to give you tips as to how best to plan your time there. There’s plenty to see in the region, including the Haras du Pin, the beautiful old town of Alençon, Pays d’Auge or Alpes Mancelles. It really does offer a stunning location for a spot of sight seeing.
We were thoroughly impressed with our stay at Château de Saint Paterne, and would certainly look to return. We would definitely recommend that it be on your list to visit in the region. Château de Saint Paterne offers authentic French culture and hospitality in an unrivalled setting, and is the perfect place to go for a truly relaxing break.
The Bill: £240 per night
