Château de l’Epinay Angers

The art of living sometimes means slowing down, recharging our energy, and taking the time to appreciate simple things like healthy cooking, observing a refined décor, and treating ourselves…. The energy of the place provides our guests with a transformative and positive experience, more than just a stay.

Here, we take care of you by taking care of our environment. Every day we become the hotel of tomorrow, respectful of the environment, advocating values of respect, generosity and caring. After a spa treatment, a walk or a visit to the castles and vineyards of Anjou, you will relax in our rooms and suites. Spacious, elegant and unique, they have been designed to offer you comfort and well-being.

Surrounded by a 17-hectare park with century-old trees, the hotel wants everyone to be able to regain the balance between body and mind. This is possible thanks to its restaurant, spa and a large range of activities on site, as well as top-of-the-range service.

To make your stay easier, take advantage of our various offers: long stay (from three nights), all-inclusive formula with spa treatments and half board, or offer a romantic night to your partner! Located between the vineyards and castles of the Loire Valley, 1h30 from Paris by train, the castle of Epinay is an intimate place for an enchanting stay.

A PLACE OF HISTORY AND FUTURE
This Castle, now transformed into a Hotel, Spa and Restaurant, is a remarkable residence whose history dates back to the 12th century and may be as early as the year 1000 for the first fortifications.

The energy and power of this building is the result of multiple constructions and renovations, as the main part of the building dates from the 15th and 17th centuries. The transformation of the Château into a Hotel began in 2004, when the Montuoro family became the owner of the domain.

After the first renovations, the place opens its doors as Bed & Breakfast. Over the years, the family renovates the floors, bedrooms and outbuildings, finally opening in 2015 as a Hotel, Spa and Restaurant with 23 rooms up to date. The hotel is now family run!

Our shared vision is to promote the Château de l’Epinay in France and internationally to combine luxury hotels with an wellness center to regenerate and align body and soul. It will base its sustainability on customer satisfaction and a sharing philosophy that tends towards more responsible consumption, respectful of nature, and better for health.

A stone’s throw from the Loire Valley Castles, an avenue of roses leads to this 15th and 17th century residence. Mahogany furniture, large crystal chandeliers or even black and white family photos will immerse you in the refined and warm atmosphere of the place.

Currently, the castle has a facade with mullioned windows surmounted by dormers with pinnacles and hooks. Beautiful gargoyles, one of which is adorned with a cow’s head, punctuate this facade, the sculptures of which were left unfinished during the last alterations in the 19th century.

This main building is embedded between two towers, a 12th century window and a 15th century square tower. The fuie would in fact be a tower of the old fortified enclosure, transformed into a dovecote and covered in the 17th century with a dome with a lantern evoking Serrant.

The lantern itself is surmounted by an astonishing spike of lead over a meter high and adorned with a beautiful pigeon and three acanthus leaves. The right of dovecote, a privilege granted by the king to high-justice fiefs, included 400 bowling holes and a ladder, pivoting on a central axis, made it possible to clean and collect the manure as fertilizer.

Each bowling hole corresponded to a number of acres of land. This right of dovecote was therefore a function of the area of ​​the domain and therefore highly sought after as an exterior mark of prestige. This main facade does not suggest that at the rear of the castle, on the opposite side of the courtyard, stands a 15th century stately home which recalls the charm of some Breton manors, here mixing schist and tufa.

It retains a square tower housing a beautiful spiral staircase. Major works in the 17th century extended this house to the south by a long building with large windows and a pedimented door like the facade of the Abbey of Saint-Georges.

Opposite this 15th-16th century stately home still stand the remains of the medieval fortress: a high surrounding wall with a ruined walkway of a square entrance chatelet that gave access to the interior courtyard of the house.

SOME IMPORTANT FAMILIES
Throughout the centuries, the Château de l’Epinay has known many illustrious families. Each has been able to add its own touch and contribute to the undeniable charm that characterizes it today. Large Angevin families have owned the stronghold of Epinay. The Gastinels, founders of the fief in the 12th century, succeeded the Montalais de Vern in the 15th and 16th centuries, the La Jaille in 1451, the Brie-Serrant, the d’Andigné.

It was at the end of the 16th century that the land passed by marriage to the Andigné family, who retained the fiefdom until 1730, when the de Cumonts became owners. One of the descendants of this family, Arthur de Cumont, who inherited the property in 1874, was Minister of Public Instruction.

In our time, the fief was for a long time the property of Mr Gasiorowski, then mayor of Saint-Georges. The castle was bought in 1988 after suffering from long years of abandonment and was largely restored with great care.

The fief also evokes one of the most prestigious names in French literature, Jean Racine, whose memory is curiously associated with the history of Epinay and more particularly with the Priory by the lawsuit opposing him to Le Ferron for obtaining of this office in 1666 following the resignation of his uncle Antoine Sconin, canon of Uzès and Prior of Epinay.

After 3 years of proceedings, Racine gave up the title of Prior of Epinay and will keep the echo of these quarrels in the only comedy he will write: “Les Plaideurs”: “the chicane is a language which is more foreign to me. only to nobody and I only used a few barbaric words that I may have learned in the court of a trial that neither my judges nor I have ever heard ”.

The Countess of Pimbèche in this famous comedy therefore owes its existence in part to a disputed title of Prior of Epinay, which Racine nevertheless mentioned in the privilege of “Andromache” in 1667.

ROOMS & SUITES
The Château and its 23 rooms offer an elegant, unique and calming setting. Each room has its own personnality, it will offer you an enchanting stay : view on the park, quality bedding, fire places, exposed beams and tapestries.

During your stay, you will appreciate the room as much as the friendly atmosphere provided by a warm welcome and the many activities offered on site such as fitness, hammam, natural swimming pool, jacuzzi, snooker, tennis, bikes, canoes and many others!

LUXE & SUITES
These romantic-style rooms of 40 to 50 m² offer a magnificent view of the French garden or the park. The unique decoration of each room, inspired by the romantic century, will delight you with its hangings or superb wall decorations, some tufa fireplaces or even marble bathrooms depending on the room! Composed of a large master bedroom with a sitting area and office space, and a spacious bathroom, some suites have a second adjoining bedroom.

PRESTIGE
The “Prestige” rooms, located in the castle or the outbuildings, offer beautiful volumes and styles. Their decoration invites you to travel to the century of romanticism, some of them even having a fireplace. They consist of a spacious bedroom with an office area, overlooking the park, and a bathroom with walk-in shower or italian bathtub. One of them is suitable for people with reduced mobility on the ground floor.

CHARME
The “Charme” rooms, equipped with a double bed, are fully renovated charming rooms. They are located in the outbuildings, (most are on the first floor) with a view of the swimming pool or the French garden. Composed of one bedroom of approximately 20 m² with a separate bathroom with shower, these rooms are decorated in soft, natural tones for a relaxing atmosphere. In this category, rooms are smaller than the other categories.

L’ORANGERIE DE L’EPINAY RESTAURANT 
The restaurant at Château de l’Epinay, l’Orangerie, offers authentic and tasty cuisine in a unique setting. The Chef places the emphasis on seasonal, local products, making maximum use of fruits and vegetables from the Château’s vegetable garden, worked in permaculture.

We thus offer you a simple menu, with fresh products, and always vegetarian and vegan choices. Our ambition is to work with more and more local and organic producers, and to reduce our waste to limit our ecological impact.

Certain dishes are the identity of the restaurant, such as the creamy burratina on a bed of candied eggplants, tagliatelle with truffle cream and mushrooms, rump steak with gorgonzola and house fries, or the chef’s tiramisu, to name just a few examples.

THE TERRACE
At the first rays of the sun, the restaurant welcomes you on its terrace to enjoy a magnificent view of the park and the Castle. You can also have a drink in the early evening to observe the ocher colors reflected on the grass and in the trees, or look at the stars a little later. Inside the restaurant of 25 seats, the room with exposed stones walls is tastefully decorated combining older and modern styles.

THE GARDEN SERVICE
Do you want to live a unique experience at the Château? Book the Garden Service and enjoy an exceptional lunch or dinner, served in the grounds of the Château or near the natural swimming pool, in complete privacy! The formula includes starter, main course and dessert and two glasses of Crémant de Loire, our excellent local champagne.

THE BREAKFAST
We offer a buffet breakfast. You will find a wide selection of organic and local products:

• Drinks: Hot drinks (organic teas and herbal teas), organic orange juice, organic apple juice, Alain Milliat grapefruit or apricot juice,
• Sweet: White cheese, selection of organic cereals and yogurts, choice of different breads (organic traditional baguette, corn bread, with seeds, wholemeal bread), choice of pastries, mini-pancakes, nocciolata, jams, honey from our bees, dried fruits, fruit salad, and homemade pound cake or vegan cake.
• Salty: Ham, smoked salmon, selection of cheeses, organic eggs.

Hours: Mon-Fri: 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. / Sat-Sun: 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

HEAL BODY AND MIND
At the Château de l’Epinay, guests are invited to take a step back and relax in an exceptional setting. Thereby you will be able to combine relaxation, sports activities, healthy food and positive energy, in a tastefully decorated place, connected to nature.

Massages and treatments, provided in the old bakeries of the 15th century Château, will in themselves be sensory journeys thanks to the CINQ MONDES and DOUCES ANGEVINES brands.

THE SPA OF L’EPINAY
Treat yourself and enjoy a moment of pure pleasure at the Spa… Our Wellness Centre welcomes you in its outstanding setting so that you can make the most out of your time to relax during your stay or when you are passing through the region. Our spa is located in a 15th Century outbuildings and has been completely refurbished to provide you with the perfect blend between the charm of its old stone walls and the innovation and comfort of modern equipment.

The spa is a real oasis and will make your stay here absolutely unforgettable. Our massage therapists are at your disposition every day of the week to treat you with body massages, facial care, specialized beauty treatments, as well as Yoga lessons, Reiki healing, Meditation sessions, Hypnosis, etc. Moreover, you can also benefit from our hammam, jacuzzi and gym equipped with the very latest Technogym machines.

You will be able to create your perfect stay thanks to a wide range of treatments adapted to your needs: body massages, facial treatments, reflexology, yoga, pilates, meditation, hypnosis, reiki, sports coaching sessions, sophrology, forest bath, Tibetan bowls.

We also offer various workshops: introduction to permaculture, essential oils, medicinal plants, Bach flowers, zero-waste, or even personal development workshops. A true haven of peace, the treatments and programs of our spa will help make your stay unforgettable.

YOGA SESSION
Hatha Yoga: Hatha Yoga is a yoga suitable for everyone, beginner or advanced, which will help you find joy and serenity. The course ends with a relaxation. Vinyasa Yoga (flow): Vinyasa Yoga is a sequence of dynamic movements, initiated and harmonized by breathing. Yin Yoga (soft yoga): Between stretching and relaxation, each posture is maintained between 2 and 5 minutes to stretch the deep muscles and tissues.

THE ‘SIGNATURE’ CARE OF THE CHÂTEAU
This unique whole body treatment is a massage using hot oil which combines techniques of pressure points, kneading and stretching for a complete rest and deep relaxation. The expertise of our practitioners will emphasize on your points of tension to aid in the elimination of toxins, of muscular pains and provide you with a profound soothing effect.

RETREATS & PROGRAMS
The Château offers “Health and Fitness” stays of 3 nights / 4 days and 6 nights / 7 days. Two possibilities: the “Sport and Nutrition” program, or the “Mindfulness” program, to live a unique experience of resource, reboost, take time for yourself and re-harmonize your body and mind!

SPORT & NUTRITION PROGRAM
For who? Adults, alone or in couple, possible with family. Why? Muscle strengthening and tone, stress management, healthier life and habits, vegetarian diet, surpassing yourself. This stay includes:

• Full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
• Jogging, cycling or brisk walking on the Loire
• 1 physical activity or sports coaching per day
• 1 different personnalized workshop per day
• Loan of yoga mats and meditation cushion
• 1 purification kit
• Accommodation
• Access to swimming pool, hammam, jacuzzi, fitness etc.

BETWEEN MAGIC AND DELICACY
The Château de l’Epinay surrounded by its 23 hectare park will become the exclusive setting for your wedding, and allow you to celebrate this unique and wonderful moment surrounded by your loved ones! It is an intimate place located 20 minutes from Angers and the Loire Castles.

At the Château de l’Epinay, we operate with a unique formula that includes the privatization of the domain, the Reception room for 48 hours, 60 beds for one night and breakfasts, the free choice of all your providers, without any additional cost or bad surprises.

To find out more, download the brochure below on which everything is indicated. We are of course at your disposal to answer your questions, and would be very happy to welcome you for a visit.

A TAILOR-MADE SEMINAR
We would be delighted to welcome you to the Château de l’Epinay for your seminars, management committees, meetings, conferences, training, team building or other professional events. Our rooms and lounges are at your disposal for a half-day, study day or residential seminar.

You will have a privileged and warm welcome in our human-sized hotel where everything is included: flipchart, screen and video projector, wifi, notepad and pens, gourmet coffee breaks, drinks, meals …We can also help you organize tailor-made activities and team-building: tastings, workshops, outdoor games, etc. The ideal place for a seminar full of serenity, efficiency and positive energy

TRAININGS & RETREATS
We would be delighted to welcome you to the Château de l’Epinay for the organization of your internships, retreats, personal development stays, trainings. Whether around femininity, diet and nutrition, non-violent communication, yoga, coaching or many other possibilities, do not hesitate to contact us, we would be happy to help you organize your events.

As a wellness center, the Château makes its 23 rooms, meeting rooms and the park available to its guests so that your event combines quality and a privileged setting.

Are you a trainer, lecturer, practitioner, therapist? Call us! We will help you organize a stay in accordance with your needs and expectations, and share your events on our website and social networks. Our rooms and infrastructure are suitable for the reception of groups:

• A work room or private lounge for up to 12 people
• A large 200m2 room for yoga, larger groups, workshops …
• Provision of fitness, natural swimming pool, hammam and jacuzzi for residential stays
• Access to the park and activities of the domain
• A restaurant (possibility to define special menus)
• The Château’s lounges and living spaces
• The Spa: treatments available on reservation

LEASURE & ACTIVITIES
The Château de Epinay offers its guests many activities and leisure activities on site, for a timeless stay between nature and relaxation. For visit programs and tourist activities, go to our “Touristic Stays” page.

Borrow our bikes to stroll along the Loire, or take advantage of the tennis court, table tennis and pétanque area at your disposal. Game lovers (giant chess board, backgammon, poker) will undoubtedly find their happiness at the castle. Musicians can enjoy the grand piano in the music room. Our pool table is open to you until 9 p.m., as is our home cinema to watch a good movie on rainy days.

Whether you’re a fishing enthusiast or a great romantic, you will appreciate the extraordinary natural microcosm of the Boire de l’Epinay, a former branch of the Loire stretching over 3 kilometers and over an area of ​​7 hectares. Canoes are at your disposal to take advantage of the flight of the ducks and the blowing of the wind.

NATURAL SWIMMING POOL
The operation principle of a natural swimming pool comes from a simple observation: a polluted natural environment can be purified thanks to its fauna and its flora. The natural swimming pool is a sustainable solution to benefit from a bathing space at home without having to use chemicals.

TENNIS COURT
Our tennis court is open to everyone and available free of charge. We lend rackets and balls, so don’t hesitate to take advantage, train or simply exchange a few balls during your stay at the Château. A basketball hoop is also available on the court for children who would like to try it out!

FITNESS ROOM
The castle’s fitness room, fully equipped with Technogym equipment, is open all day from 7 am to 9 pm with free access. The 80m2 room is equipped with various bodybuilding machines, elliptical, bicycle, punching ball and boxing gloves. Between mirrors and visible stones, your training session will be a good memory!

OUTDOOR JACUZZI
Our jacuzzi, located near the pool, will allow you to enjoy a moment of intense relaxation, with the hot water, the soft rays of the sun on your face, and the sound of the fountains of the natural swimming pool. The bubbles and eddies will then take care of relaxing your muscles and tensions from the shoulders to the feet!

STEAM ROOM
The hammam is a well-being ritual particularly recommended for the care of the skin thanks to its heat. It is complimentory for all people staying at the hotel. In addition to its natural benefits, the treatments and rituals performed at the spa (exfoliation and massage) prolong the action of the steam and allow you to have the most beautiful skin!

LAKE & CANOES
Take advantage of a canoe trip on our “Boire”, a 3 km long arm of the Loire, to discover this true haven of peace shared by wild ducks, white swans, eels and pike. The less adventurous can walk along the banks at the foot of the majestic bald cypress trees of Louisiana.

PETANQUE & TENNIS TABLE
Boules players will be able to enjoy the pétanque court, to play with friends or family. We lend petanque balls free of charge on request! So are you ready to play in the rays of the late-day sun, possibly with a glass of rosé in hand? A ping-pong table with balls and rackets is also available to enjoy a game in the shade of the trees near the hanging hammocks.

BICYCLE RIDES
Mountain bikes are at your disposal to explore the surrounding countryside or along the Loire. Do not hesitate to ask us for a map or follow the magnificent route of La Loire à Vélo! The towns of Montjean-sur-Loire, La Possonnière and Bouchemaine are only a few kilometers away and you will appreciate a stop in a tavern or a picnic on the sandy banks of the Loire.

PERMACULTURE VEGETABLE GARDEN 
At the Château, we are committed to putting nature and ecology at the heart of our decisions. We therefore work our vegetable garden in permaculture, to produce vegetables while respecting the earth, animals and plants. We also favor old seeds for more richness and diversity in our food! All the production is used for the Orangerie restaurant of course!

MEDITATION & WALKS
A 17 hectare park surrounds the castle to allow you to take full advantage of the countryside and leave the bustle of the cities. A walk will allow you to feel alone in the world near the pond, take a breath of fresh air, marvel at the beauty of nature, do breathing exercises or meditate. You will be able to pass in the enclosure of the horses, to stroke them, to observe the ducks on the lake, to tread the fresh grass.

GOLF OF AVRILLE
Located 10 minutes from Angers, this golf course is located in the prestigious setting of the Château de La Perrière where century-old trees, water features and plantations come together to offer a nice diversity and quality course. All golfers will be delighted by the diversity of its departures, its well-designed doglegs, its well-defended greens and its long par 4s.

CAVE & SWING
Kids will love the cave for the hidden trails that lead to the cave ! You will see its discreet presence it in front of the castle, behind the trees and many colorful plants that surround it, to transport you to the world of Alice in Wonderland. There is also a swing on site in the shade of the large chestnut trees, near the hammocks.

VISIT THE REGION
Plan your visit around the Château de l’Epinay thanks to our selection of places to discover and visit the region. Whether you are coming as a couple, with a family, or with friends, you won’t have any trouble finding your happiness in Vallée de la Loire! See at the bottom of the page for 3 program ideas made for you! Discover also each week the activities proposed by the Tourism Office Anjou Vignobes et Villages and Anjou Tourisme.

THE VINEYARDS OF ANJOU
The Loire Valley wines that you will find in our restaurant come mainly from local vinyards including the red Anjou, Le Savennières, the white chenins, Crémant, Côteaux du Layon or Côteaux de L’Aubance. We recommend to our customers the visit some of these cellars where the winemakers will welcome you and will share their know-how with you.

CHATEAU DE SERRANT
Just a few minutes from the hotel, the Château de Serrant allows history and architecture lovers to discover richly furnished medieval rooms and a fascinating library. Surrounded by a moat, the Château de Serrant is a jewel of the Renaissance, inhabited by the same family for generations.

THE CASTLE OF ANGERS
The castle of Angers, also called castle of the Dukes of Anjou, is located in the heart of the city of Angers (department Maine-et-Loire). This imposing medieval fortress and its 17 massive towers of schist and tuffeau dominate the Maine and the city. The formal gardens that adorn the castle, as well as the Apocalypse Tapestry are to be visited without hesitation.

CASTLES OF PLESSIS-MACE & PLESSIS-BOURRE
The Château du Plessis-Macé welcomes every year the actors of the Anjou Festival . It is a medieval castle, rebuilt in the Renaissance, located about ten kilometers from Angers. The Château du Plessis-Bourré is a real fairy-tale castle: with its beautiful towers, surrounded by a moat, it seems to float in the water. The interior is very rich and refined, it is a “must” to visit!

BRISSAC CASTLE
The highest castle in France is still today the private property of the Dukes of Brissac. Take the opportunity to travel through the centuries by climbing the seven floors of the Château!

MONTGEOFFROY CASTLE
The masterful arrival at the Chateau grounds is breathtaking! This beautiful 18th century castle, entirely decorated in the style of the time, is an architectural gem not to be missed. A walk in the garden is also a must.

PARC DU PUY DU FOU
Just an hour away is the Puy du Fou, elected best amusement park in the world, it is a unique place that makes you forget that we live in the 21st century! Costume shows, falconry, Vikings: a real plunge into another world from which you don’t want to leave.

TERRA BOTANICA PARK
The Park Terra Botanica opened in 2010 and it is the first entertainment and amusement park focused on plants. It reveals the secrets of six centuries of plant history. Plant heritage and plant novelties are showcased with 500,000 plants from around the world. Between playful adventures and botanical discoveries, embark on an unusual adventure!

ROYAL ABBEY OF FONTEVRAUD
Founded in 1101 on the borders of Anjou, Touraine and Poitou, Fontevraud owes its power to the Plantagenet and its close links with Eleanor of Aquitaine. It offers all year round visits between art and history.

KANGAROO GARDEN
A hundred kangaroos are at liberty in this garden 20 minutes from Epinay. This incredible course created in a park of 8 hectares is a real discovery for children who will be able to observe the animals in a playful and educational way. Without any barriers, visitors will be able to observe the animals freely!

MAULEVRIER PARK
This 29-hectare park, founded in 1680, is recognized today as the largest Japanese-inspired park in Europe. It is one of the pilot projects for the quality of its restoration and enhancement.

ZOO DE LA FLECHE
The Zoo de la Flèche is renowned for the quality of its facilities and ranked among the top 5 parks in France. It shelters 1500 animals on its 14 hectares of park. The particularity of the Zoo of La Flèche: the diversity of the plant species it shelters. The plant decoration contributes naturally to the well-being of the animals and indirectly to the visitors’.

CARRE’ COINTREAU
In 1875, Edouard Cointreau developed the original recipe for Cointreau, a world famous drink. A visit to the only production site in Saint-Barthélémy d´Anjou will introduce you to the manufacturing secrets made of orange peel. Alcohol abuse is dangerous for health.

SAUMUR’S TROGLODYTES
If you have the time, do not hesitate to visit the Saumur troglodytes, houses and villages carved into the tufa. In Saumur, also make a detour to the Cadre Noir which offers magnificent equestrian shows!

Rooms: 23

Price: from 149 EUR per night

Source: www.chateauepinay.com