Château Stays have become such a lovely part of life at Château de la Boutinière this year.
We have been delighted to welcome guests who want to come and experience a little of life here for themselves. Some arrive curious about the château and its history. Some want to see the rooms, the gardens and the restoration work more closely. Others simply want to spend a few days somewhere peaceful, characterful and completely different from ordinary life.
It has also been wonderful to welcome people who have followed our story on television and now want to see the château, the village and the surrounding countryside in real life. Every group is different, of course, but we are beginning to understand what people most enjoy when they come here.
Recently, we welcomed two separate couples for a Behind the Scenes Château Stay. Quite by coincidence, one couple had travelled from Australia and the other from New Zealand. They had not met before they arrived, but very quickly they seemed to settle into the château together.
During their two nights with us, we gave them a tour of the château and showed them some of the spaces that are part of our ongoing restoration. A Behind the Scenes stay is not just about the finished rooms. It is also about seeing the building as it really is, with all its history, character, quirks and work still in progress.
The balcony views were a highlight, as they often are. From there, the château feels quite different. You can look out across the estate, take in the gardens from above, and understand the scale of the place in a way that is hard to capture in photographs.
Food is always part of the welcome here too, and Zion cooked his salted salmon, which has become one of his specialities. It was a relaxed and happy evening, with guests from opposite sides of the world brought together in a small corner of rural France.
That is what we are enjoying most about Château Stays. People arrive as guests, but sometimes they leave as friends. By the end of the stay, there were already promises being made to visit each other “down under”, which was rather wonderful to hear.
When it was time to say goodbye, it felt genuinely sad to see them go. A two-night stay may be brief, but it can still be enough to make a place feel familiar, create lasting memories and turn strangers into friends.
We now offer six different Château Stays: Romantic Escape, Behind the Scenes, Let Us Spoil You, Antique Hunting, Wine Tasting and Château Tours. Each one offers a slightly different way to experience the château, the estate and this beautiful part of France, personally hosted by Alison and Zion.
So, if you would like to see Château de la Boutinière for yourself, spend time in the house, explore the grounds and enjoy a more personal stay in rural France, our Château Stays are now available to book.
