If you missed my coverage of this stunning Loire Valley property the first time around, and since I couldn't fit it into my recent "top five travel destinations for fall" roundup in the Globe, here's the review again. After all, I can think of no better place to revel in the golden glow of autumn and savour the pungent aromas of a ridiculous cheese tray.
Anyone seeking overnight accommodations in the Loire Valley’s most famous châteaux is out of luck. But there’s more to this UNESCO World Heritage Site than pretty castles.
Take Europe’s largest abbey: Founded in 1101, Fontevraud was at one time home to more than a thousand monks and nuns, whose matriarchal order eventually stretched from Portugal to Poland. It all came crashing down in 1792, however, when French revolutionaries ordered the evacuation of all religious residences in the land. The abbey was soon converted into a prison, which earned a brutal reputation before closing in 1963. Two decades later, after extensive restoration work, it reopened as yet another deconsecrated historic monument.
But this wouldn’t be the last of Fontevraud’s transformations. In June of 2014, after a $24-million overhaul, the abbey’s former leper ward (of all places) opened as a stylish, eco-conscious and technologically aggressive hotel.
LOCATION, LOCATION
The only remarkable thing about the typically winsome village of Fontevraud-l’Abbaye is its namesake, which fans out from a lovely cobblestone square. Once guests have found the hotel parking lot at the rear of the 14-hectare estate – the signage is tiny and easy to miss – they are whisked to the lobby in golf carts. That 60-second ride is a rousing introduction to the abbey’s sky-scraping spires.
DESIGN
New arrivals are encouraged to relax in the adjacent iBar, a dramatically lit blend of medieval, modern and futuristic sensibilities.
The former chapel’s vaulted ceiling soars over stylish oak banquettes, while padded room dividers line the stone walls to prevent conversation from echoing endlessly. (The monks and nuns took vows of silence, after all.) Here, educational touch screens act as tabletops; swipe a finger across them and prison blueprints replace views of the medieval abbey.
The hotel doesn’t shy away from its lean legacy and it soon becomes clear that this isn’t a typical hotel experience, which may rankle guests who expect air conditioning and plentiful toiletries. The compact rooms are clean and comfortable, with simple furnishings that evoke the abbey’s monastic roots. A staffer admits the expansive stone spaces may get chilly in winter – the complex is heated by a green-roofed, wood-fired power plant – but then points to a row of coat hangers that will carry complimentary cloaks.
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW IN THE GLOBE AND MAIL
Anyone seeking overnight accommodations in the Loire Valley’s most famous châteaux is out of luck. But there’s more to this UNESCO World Heritage Site than pretty castles.
Take Europe’s largest abbey: Founded in 1101, Fontevraud was at one time home to more than a thousand monks and nuns, whose matriarchal order eventually stretched from Portugal to Poland. It all came crashing down in 1792, however, when French revolutionaries ordered the evacuation of all religious residences in the land. The abbey was soon converted into a prison, which earned a brutal reputation before closing in 1963. Two decades later, after extensive restoration work, it reopened as yet another deconsecrated historic monument.
But this wouldn’t be the last of Fontevraud’s transformations. In June of 2014, after a $24-million overhaul, the abbey’s former leper ward (of all places) opened as a stylish, eco-conscious and technologically aggressive hotel.
LOCATION, LOCATION
The only remarkable thing about the typically winsome village of Fontevraud-l’Abbaye is its namesake, which fans out from a lovely cobblestone square. Once guests have found the hotel parking lot at the rear of the 14-hectare estate – the signage is tiny and easy to miss – they are whisked to the lobby in golf carts. That 60-second ride is a rousing introduction to the abbey’s sky-scraping spires.
DESIGN
New arrivals are encouraged to relax in the adjacent iBar, a dramatically lit blend of medieval, modern and futuristic sensibilities.
The former chapel’s vaulted ceiling soars over stylish oak banquettes, while padded room dividers line the stone walls to prevent conversation from echoing endlessly. (The monks and nuns took vows of silence, after all.) Here, educational touch screens act as tabletops; swipe a finger across them and prison blueprints replace views of the medieval abbey.
The hotel doesn’t shy away from its lean legacy and it soon becomes clear that this isn’t a typical hotel experience, which may rankle guests who expect air conditioning and plentiful toiletries. The compact rooms are clean and comfortable, with simple furnishings that evoke the abbey’s monastic roots. A staffer admits the expansive stone spaces may get chilly in winter – the complex is heated by a green-roofed, wood-fired power plant – but then points to a row of coat hangers that will carry complimentary cloaks.
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW IN THE GLOBE AND MAIL
