L’Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay, a four-star luxury hotel, is nestled in the French countryside, about 45 minutes outside of Paris.
The hotel is a former Cistercian monastery, founded by monks in 1118, and it has a rich history, having been abandoned during the French Revolution and later restored by Baroness Charlotte de Rothschild.
Baroness de Rothschild, an eccentric visionary, rescued the property from ruin and hired architect Félix Langlais to restore each building and add new structures, shaping the estate as it is today.
As an art lover, painter, and musician, Baroness de Rothschild hosted the artistic elite, including Gioacchino Rossini, Frédéric Chopin, and Heinrich Heine.
During World War II, the abbey sheltered statues from the Palace of Versailles before it was seized by the Nazis, marking the end of the Rothschild era.
The property was auctioned in 1945 and purchased by an industrialist, changing hands several times before being converted into a hotel.
The hotel’s history is still palpable, with its picturesque approach, winding road, and pastoral grounds, where alpacas and herons roam about.
The massive gray stone manor exudes exquisite craftsmanship, and a gravel path leads to its iron-gated entrance.
Related: Four Brilliant Light Designs Spotlight Creative Vision
L’Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay offers all the expected amenities, including magnificent restaurants, several cocktail bars, a spa, tennis courts, a theater, and an arcade room.
The design details, however, set it apart, with stunning interiors created by Cordélia de Castellane, artistic director of Dior Maison and Baby Dior, who added warmth with layers of textures and rich colors, beautifully telling cultural stories through the original crumbling stonework and antiquities found on the property.
Cozy spaces, from salons to guest rooms, are adorned with textile walls, original millwork, and marble fireplaces.
This latest incarnation of the abbey is the result of another passion project, spearheaded by Laurent de Gourcuff of Paris Society.
Gourcuff and his team spent more than four years infusing the luxury hotel with their unique vision of hospitality.
Anything newly added feels as though it was selected by Rothschild herself.
The hotel is a place to be experienced, not just read about, with its unique blend of history, art, and culture.
