"Domaine des Etangs proclaims itself to be in the business of “art de vivre” and, for once, the marketing blurb is on the money. The setting is the turrets of a 13th-century château reflected in a glassy lake, wrapped up in 2,500 acres of forest, ponds, and meadows—posing pastures for sleepy herds of Limousin cattle. Seven Isabelle Stanislas-designed suites unfold in the main building, with more in six far-scattered cottages and a farmhouse. Rooms are filled with modern and antique furniture, while the bones of the building—stone walls, eaves, gargoyles—sing out. Art is taken seriously throughout. There’s a peaceful minimalist gallery, La Laiterie, harboring an Yves Klein, and the estate hosts everything from Olafur Eliasson pieces to Hergé’s Tintin illustrations. Eating well starts with perfect crêpes and market fruits for breakfast, and restaurant Dyades’ locavore menu (noted in the Michelin guide) elevates the herbs, flowers, fruit, and vegetables of the kitchen garden. Children are catered for in a laissez-faire way, with a playground and zip wire, a tennis court floating on a lake, and a beamed attic filled with games. My highlights were rowing across the lake with a picnic after too much rosé and walking with groundsman Jean-François Magnan, who spent his boyhood wandering the rain-green pastures and orchid-filled copses. Since 1986, the Domaine has been owned by the Primat family, which oversaw its refurbishment. In 2023, the French countryside hotel entered the Auberge Resorts Collection, and it’s clear that its spirit, graciousness, and slow pace remain gratifyingly unchanged. From $485. —Lydia Bell" - CNT Editors
