Globetrotter008
February 22, 2024
The château sits on the edge of the village of Bourron-Marlotte, accessible on two sides of the park via gates with intercom. Approaching the delightful manor from the front you cannot help but be impressed with the whole complex: moat, two guardhouses at the front, and the cute brick and-stone style palace with a horseshoe-shaped staircase at the end of the gravel driveway. It all looks magnificent especially in the evening when the lights are switched on. That feeling of awe somehow diminishes once you enter the building: a small hallway and reading room, quite dark interior and a simple staircase. Our Chambre Prestige (a standard room) was in the main house and overlooked the back of the property. It was quite small with limited built-in wardrobe space and felt a little cramped. It was very cold inside as the radiators were either lukewarm or not working. On request, we were given an electric heater so it heated up eventually. The bed was comfortable. The window shutters, with the ancient locking system (we noticed similar ones at the Château de Fontainebleau!) blocked the morning light very effectively. There were no tea or coffee-making facilities in the room but we could use the facilities downstairs. Neither was there any TV – apparently that is the policy of the owners, which was fine. The bathroom was quite standard with a walk-in shower, His and Hers sinks, and a toilet tucked in at the far end. Bathrobes and slippers were provided. We had a dinner in the Les Prémices restaurant, housed in the former stables, some 5 minutes walk from the Château. The food was quite limited but just fabulous and wine list quite extensive. Breakfast was the traditional, rather simple type, with no hot dishes or cakes on offer. The hosts were very friendly and approachable. Probably best to bring your own wine as there wasn’t a bar as such in the Château. An honesty bar would have been a neat solution here. At the end of the day the Château de Bourrier is more like a posh and expensive B&B but has the kudos of staying in the home of comte and comtesse de Cordon. As the proprietors have said themselves, “part of the charm of Château de Bourron, is to be entertained by the owner of the castle”.