A Weekend 2 Hours from Paris: Our Hotel Recommendations

Keep your spirits up! Let's hop in the car and escape, leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the City of Light, its honking horns, and its frenetic pace... For a weekend, discover our selection of countryside getaways for a refreshing and comforting break just two hours from Paris.

Les Hauts de Sancerre, for a weekend in a castle amidst the vineyards

For this first address, head south for a leap into the past. Overlooking the Berry hills and the Loire River and its vineyards, the 5-star hotel Les Hauts de Sancerre stands as a beautifully reinvented historical treasure. Closed to the public for over a century, this red brick château has regained its splendor thanks to the ambitious project of its new owners, Audrey Dumont and David Chicard, lovers of the region. Since July 2025, it has been the ideal new hotel for a Weekend 2 hours from Paris.

As soon as you cross the threshold of the property, you are impressed by the beauty of its French gardens: impeccably designed, punctuated by sculptures, fountains, and ponds, they offer a magical preview of a journey through the centuries. Within its walls, the aristocratic charm of the 19th century is revealed in every detail: herringbone parquet floors, sculpted ceilings, and original moldings blend with imposing volumes and enhance the grand neo-Gothic staircase. To this history, interior designer Jérôme Lescrenier brings a subtle modernity: designer furniture, contemporary tapestries, and Scandinavian furniture in soft tones adorn the decor. Here, one takes pleasure in curling up in the living room, a Sancerre within reach, admiring the vineyards stretching as far as the eye can see. 

The suites, in turn, are unveiled in clean lines, dressed in linen curtains and noble materials. Natural light makes the exposed beams sparkle, creating an atmosphere that is both warm and refined. The comfortable bedding and the walk-in shower transform the suite into a soothing cocoon, from which it is difficult to tear yourself away. Today, eight suites are open for stays, including a few, perched in the tower, offering rare intimacy and refinement. 

To punctuate your weekend with gourmet moments, the fine-dining restaurant led by Arnaud Munster, a contestant on Season 15 of Top Chef, offers highly refined regional cuisine, dictated by the seasons. Each plate unfolds like a work of art. From Wednesday to Sunday, the restaurant invites you to a five-course dinner for 90 euros. On weekends, a four-course lunch menu for 78 euros complements the experience, where flavors and presentation subtly complement each other. 

On the spa side, the La Chênaie area invites you on a true sensory journey combining enveloping textures and woody scents. Each treatment – targeted for the body, face, or scalp

Chevelu is inspired by the benefits of forest bathing and the regenerating properties of oak to ensure deep letting go. 

Finally, if you feel like learning more about Sancerre traditions, Hauts de Sancerre offers a multitude of activities: visit the Maison Charlois, discover contemporary ceramics, a day by bike through the vineyards, or a tasting of grand cru wines in the medieval cellar. The more adventurous can opt for a hot air balloon ride over the heart of the Loire Valley to beautifully conclude this wonderful stay. 

The Highs of Sancerre 
8 keys, prices starting from 270 euros per night
Esplanade Caesar's Gate, Sancerre, France 

Loire Valley Lodges, for a weekend perched in the trees

For an ode to disconnecting, one could hardly ask for better. Welcome to the Loire Valley Lodges, a true open-air museum-hotel nestled in the heart of the Esvres-sur-Indre forest, a few minutes from Tours, where sculptural works, design, and contemporary art boldly spring forth in the heart of a botanical sanctuary, offering an immersive and explosive escape for a weekend. Suspended four meters above the ground, 18 eco-designed wooden lodges blend into the vastness of the 300 hectares of protected forest. Here, there is no Wi-Fi: you wake to the song of birds, surrounded by ancient oaks, pines, and chestnut trees, and joyfully savor a fresh breakfast delivered by a pulley. Ideal for a Weekend nature in France. 

Anne-Caroline Frey, founder of these arty cocoons, took on the challenge of designing ultra-design lodges made in France where 4-star style and comfort perfectly blend: goodbye to the uninspiring image of Spartan cabins. Fully equipped: walk-in shower, minibar, fridge, safe, separate toilet with flush… Each lodge has a large private terrace with a Jacuzzi, and some even have a private spa. But the real asset lies in the design: contemporary artists such as JonOne, Charlélie Couture, Jacques Bosser, Carolina Ritzler, and Aurèle have taken turns decorating the suites, with some staying for several days to soak up the atmosphere and let their creativity flow freely. Each cabin thus becomes a unique work of art: Aurèle's «Yellow Shelter» radiates with sunny colors, while the «Lucien» lodge pays homage to Serge Gainsbourg. 

Here, time slows down. On foot or by bike, explore the vegetable garden or the Bee Lodge to observe nature. As you approach the aromatic courtyard, you'll be tempted to enjoy herbal teas and fresh herb salads, accompanied by homemade thyme and rosemary sorbets. Appreciate the house's exclusive sylvestrian massage, a blend of forest leaves, flowers, and essential oils for a true energy boost. Guided meditation, forest walks, a 20-meter swimming pool, and a heated Nordic bath await.

complete this wellness parenthesis, a suspended moment that you won't soon forget. 

In the kitchens of this forest lodge, Chef Thomas Besnault, a 2024 Michelin selection, offers a «carte blanche» menu, naturally drawing inspiration from the herbaceous notes of the forest. With a choice of 4, 6, or 8 courses, the Ardent restaurant celebrates vegetables, wild foraging, and local game, enhanced by a selection of regional wines. The decor follows the same theme; fir-green armchairs, wooden tables, and herbaceous touches create harmony between the dishes and the surrounding forest. For lighter or more spontaneous cravings, a continuously open bar offers platters, salads, and small plates, and the room dining option allows you to savor the herbaceous dishes directly from your lodge. 

Loire Valley Lodges
18 lodges, prices starting from 574 euros per night 
1, Duporterie Alley, Esvres 

Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde, for a weekend in a castle in Normandy 

Built in the early 15th century by Guillaume II le Roux, the Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde, a classified Historic Monument, stands as a Renaissance masterpiece. Over the centuries, this magnificent edifice in Rouen has had multiple owners, even becoming a bank specializing in agricultural financing, before finally being acquired in the early 2000s by a company specializing in historic buildings. Located on Place de la Pucelle, in the heart of the city of a hundred bell towers, the hotel hides true treasures: the salamander of Francis I, the meeting at the Field of the Cloth of Gold, and typical Renaissance frescoes adorn the decor like imprints of the past, creating all the historical charm of this 5-star hotel in France. Its 78 rooms reflect the hotel's centuries-old history with a blend of stone, wood, and antique woodwork as components. But it's in the spa area that the highly luxurious atmosphere truly comes into its own. With 700 m² entirely dedicated to well-being, its scale is impressive: its 18-meter by 9-meter indoor swimming pool makes it the largest covered pool in Normandy today. A steam room, sauna, and treatment rooms housed in majestic stone vaults enhance this luxurious sanctuary where relaxation reaches its peak. 

Hotel de Bourgtheroulde
78 keys, prices starting from 202 euros per night
15 Place de la Pucelle, Rouen 

La Côte Saint Jacques & Spa, for a weekend by the Yonne

In a preserved corner of Burgundy, between art-filled city houses and the banks of the Yonne River, La Côte Saint Jacques & Spa is a cozy retreat, ideal for rejuvenation, just 1.5 hours from Paris by train. At the heart of this establishment founded by Marie Lorain in 1945, La Côte Saint Jacques & Spa owes its renown to its famous restaurant, a true haven for gourmets. With its two Michelin stars, this grand table is orchestrated by chefs Alexandre Bondoux and his uncle Jean-Michel Lorain, attentive to every detail. The dishes, deceptively simple in appearance, are unforgettable signature creations, such as the steamed Bresse chicken or the mille-feuille with three light creams. And as with any respectable wine region, the sommelier team, led by Thomas Noble, curates a selection of some 800 wines: from Burgundy's grand crus to the rarest treasures, each is meticulously chosen to enhance the flavors of the dishes. On the hotel side, the 22 suites and rooms are decorated in sandy, beige, and light wood tones, bathed in light, like cocoons opening onto a natural setting of calm and serenity. Its 800 sq m spa, spread over two floors, offers balneotherapy, a solarium, a panoramic jacuzzi, and a donkey milk treatment, the house's signature. It's hard to ask for more: here, luxury, comfort, and refinement harmonize with rare precision, for an inspiring getaway for two for spa weekend, as a family. 

The Côte Saint Jacques & Spa
22 keys, prices starting at 297 euros per night
14, Faubourg de Paris, Joigny

La Bellême bleue, for an intimate weekend in a guest house

This address, with its sweet poetic notes, is discovered along the winding roads of the Perche Normand. After only a 2h15 drive, you'll be captivated by the warm atmosphere of this 17th-century guesthouse, sublimely renovated by Magali Valabrègue, the owner. The setting, a blend of stone and solid wood, punctuated here and there with African artworks, gives you an irresistible urge to go treasure hunting in the surrounding flea markets and to extend your evenings by the fireside. Here, the program is tailor-made, including your choice of rooms. There are five, each a tribute to a prominent figure of their time: Aristide Boucicaut and 19th-century Parisian luxury, Mata Hari and her enigmatic aura, Billie Holiday and her jazz concerts, Frida Kahlo and her flamboyant paintings. In terms of dining, you'll feel like part of the family here. Every morning, a fresh, local breakfast is served in the large dining room, while from Monday to Wednesday, a dinner aperitif – spreads, regional cheeses, rillettes, and charcuterie – invites you to gather around a glass by the fire to savor the conviviality of the moment and forget Paris for a while. Weekend in Normandy.

The Blue Bellême
5 keys, prices starting from 95 euros per night
28, Cemetery Street, Bellême