Guainville, France
Domaine De Primard
Storybook Estate
What it is
A manicured 18th century château on 100 acres with a Three Michelin starred chef helming the restaurant, a Susanne Kaufmann spa, al fresco pool, and even a moat.
What it isn't
Blah. Activities on offer here are pure fairytales, and range from permaculture classes in the estate’s gardens to wine tasting with the sommelier in a subterranean wine cellar.
What we think
For that “pinch me, I’m in France” feeling, you can do no better than Domaine de Primard, which was tailor-made for Instagram grandeur centuries before Instagram even existed. Guest rooms are artfully designed, beginning with the 247 square foot Superior rooms, which have overlooks of the leafy gardens, organic Susanne Kaufmann toiletries, and bottomless mineral water in the mini bar. It’s worth splurging on a suite to feel like pre-Revolution French royalty; our favorites are the Grande Junior Suite Deluxe (387 square feet with a claw foot tub and exposed beams) and the 452 square foot Signature Suite, where you can fling open your rounded French windows to the treetops.
You're here because
The hotel is a member of the coveted (and ultra exclusive) Relais & Châteaux network, which means it’s essentially guaranteed to be completely perfect. Plus, the grounds were designed by Jacques Wirtz—the landscape artist who designed the Carrousel gardens in Paris.
The Moment
As you sit at your table at Les Chemins, beside the French doors open to the garden, a spring breeze swirls. It’s fresh, and almost as enlivening as Chef Romain Meder’s dish—Savoy cabbage, blond liver and oyster.
Restaurants & Bars
Églantine - elegant dining that focuses on local products
Octave - bistrot style dining offering great classics of bourgeois cuisine
La Cuisine du Château - exclusive experience with the chef as the kitchen is transformed into a private dining room
Location
Just an hour from Paris and a 30 minute drive from Les jardins de Claude Monet in Giverny—still home to the water lilies worthy of a painting.