Les Hauts de Loire

Les Hauts de Loire is a 19th-century hunting lodge set in a 70-hectare private estate on the heights above the right bank of the Loire, in Veuzain-sur-Loire, in the heart of the Valley of the Kings. The château looks out over an English lawn and a pond framed by woodland; the grounds offer marked trails, a carefully tended kitchen garden and sculptures by Pierre Yermia, including the great stag that greets arriving guests.

The property is a member of Relais & Châteaux and the H8 Collection and has been awarded a Michelin Key. Two further buildings, the Demeure and the Pavillon, stand beside the château and complete the 36 rooms and suites. The estate has a gourmet restaurant, a bistro, a Spa by Clarins, an outdoor pool, a tennis court and a fitness room. Blois is about 20 km away and Amboise around twenty minutes by car.

Les Hauts de Loire is a five-star Relais & Châteaux run with the attentive service of a great country house. On request the team arranges château visits, tastings in the cellars of the Valley and bike rides along the Loire; bicycles, a tennis court, pétanque and a Kids Club are available on the estate.

Private parking is free, with electric vehicle charging points. Pets are accepted on request, though not in the gourmet restaurant. The property is entirely non-smoking and, given the layout of the historic buildings, has no rooms adapted for guests with reduced mobility. Check-in from 4 pm, check-out by 11 am.

The 36 rooms and suites are spread across three buildings. The château houses Classic and Superior rooms and the Prestige Suites, with wood panelling, patterned wallpapers and period furniture; the Demeure, built in the half-timbered style of the Sologne with exposed beams, has rooms and suites opening onto the gardens; the Pavillon, set apart in the woods, offers family suites with two interconnecting bedrooms. The Prestige Suites, around 60 m², have a terrace overlooking the park.

All rooms have a bathroom with bath and shower, air conditioning, minibar, kettle, Bose sound system, satellite TV, free Wi-Fi and Clarins toiletries; the suites also have a Nespresso machine. Rooms are on several floors and the buildings have no lift.

The gourmet restaurant is led by young chef Arthur Peta, working with pastry chef Marion Arzel: seasonal cooking built on short supply chains and responsible sourcing, served in an elegant dining room overlooking the park. It is open for dinner from Wednesday to Friday and for lunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday; booking is required, hotel guests included.

The Bistrot, awarded a Bib Gourmand, serves regional cooking with meats roasted on the spit and in the only charcoal oven in the area, and has a terrace facing the kitchen garden that supplies its herbs and vegetables. Breakfast is a continental buffet served in the dining room or, in fine weather, on the terrace. The wine lists give ample space to Loire producers, from Vouvray to Chinon and Sancerre.

The Spa by Clarins lies within the estate, in wood-lined rooms in shades of white and red, with treatment rooms, sauna, steam room and a herbal tea lounge. Face and body treatments follow Clarins protocols and should be booked in advance.

The spa is open to hotel guests and day visitors alike. The estate also has an outdoor pool, open in summer, and a fitness room.

Veuzain-sur-Loire, which includes the old village of Onzain, lies between Blois and Amboise on the stretch of the Loire Valley listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Across the river, a few minutes away, stands the Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire with its International Garden Festival.

Blois is about 20 km away, Amboise and the Clos Lucé around twenty minutes, Chenonceau about 35 km; Chambord and Cheverny are roughly three quarters of an hour by car. The surrounding vineyards of Touraine and Vouvray are close by, and the ZooParc de Beauval is about 40 minutes away. Tours is 40 minutes and Paris under two hours by car.