Resorting to luxury
Six different European locations, one common theme – the finest facilities, food and ambiance that
money can buy
Chantilly
If you demand proximity to Paris without the big city stress, why not stay 30km north of the city in tranquil Chantilly? It is fair to say that the commune is more popular amongst the French themselves than international travellers, who probably only connect the name with the airy, vanilla-flavoured cream. But this simply means that Chantilly is a well-kept secret, and there’s plenty to do in the locale.
Chantilly, France
200 guest rooms and suites are complemented by lovely forest or golf views, whilst there is plenty to occupy guests onsite, with a fitness centre, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a sauna, hamam, tennis court, golf course and jogging trails. The hotel has three superb restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Carmontelle, and nightly rates in a Superior room
include breakfast.
From: £105 :: €120 :: $170 per night
Dolce Chantilly: +33 (0)3 44 58 47 77
The four-star Dolce Chantilly hotel was completely refurbished in 2008 and is surrounded by a protected forest of 15,676 acres – a haven for walkers and wildlife lovers. Other local attractions include the 16th-century Château de Chantilly, described by 18th-century dramatist Louis-Sébastien Mercier as ‘the most beautiful marriage ever conceived of art and nature.’ The château grounds host the world’s largest fireworks competition every June, and the building itself houses the Musée Condé. This holds 800 paintings from the likes of Boticelli and Raphaël – the most significant collection of old masterpieces in France after the Louvre.
Chantilly is also a noteworthy destination for equine lovers. The chateau’s magnificent Great Stables contain a fine horse museum, and were built in 1719 at the bequest of Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon. Servicing the legend of eccentricity amidst royal families, the duke believed he would be reincarnated as a horse, and demanded stables befitting his rank. The more waggish amongst you might enjoy imagining that the nobleman himself is one of the thoroughbreds on display at Chantilly Racecourse, which neighbours the stables.