Domaine de la Baronnie, France, rooms 1
Domaine de la Baronnie, France, rooms 2
Domaine de la Baronnie, France, rooms 3
Domaine de la Baronnie, France, rooms 4
Domaine de la Baronnie, France, rooms 5

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Domaine de la Baronnie

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Ile de Ré, France


The grande dame in town, this mansion hotel oozes history, along with style and comfort in a park-like setting

Reviewed by Judy Naftulin

OVERVIEW



Enter through heavy iron gates and step into some French history. La Baronnie is a stone mansion with 18th century French baronial pedigree. Unlike other ‘town-house-turned-hotels’ commonly found in St. Martin de Ré, the island's busy capital town, La Baronnie is much grander in scale. The hotel is imposing, inside and out. Think summer home away from the palace (albeit on a smaller scale) and you’ll be about right, though the ambience is not at all royal, more well-to-do, family friendly. (If you want something more intimate, book at the Baronnie's baby brother next door, Domaine du Bien-Etre.)

The Pallardys - he a famed osteopath, she a model turned interior designer - have sympathetically restored the place, keeping histories intact but not forgetting about guests' comfort. The accommodations have a French traditional decor, with bucolic views. After a day of discovering the best of Ré, including the town harbour (only moments away from the hotel), return to what feels like your own grand home, leaving the commoners behind, so to speak.

HIGHS
  • The building is a historic gem with very interesting interiors and personal touches everywhere
  • Quiet gardens to relax, away from the summertime crowds, lurking just outside the gates
  • Great location, with harbour and all that town offers moments away
  • The owners really know the island inside out and have lots of suggestions for your time there
LOWS
  • 18th century decor is a bit sober and heavy-looking, which may not appeal to those on a beach holiday
  • Breakfasts could be a little grander (no cappuccino and espresso, for example)


ROOMS

Rooms are large with high ceilings, antique woodwork, parquet floors, metres of period-style fabric and deep pile rugs to give you that lord-of-the-manor feel. Each has a saturated colour theme and twin beds (put together) or queen. Note that there's no air conditioning, although the proximity to the sea keeps the temperatures from getting too sultry.

Bathrooms are decently sized and well-equipped, but not extravagant. Most have showers only; all have hairdryers.

Double rooms are best, all of them with garden views. Our favourite is "Madame de Sevigne" (left) with its opulent 18th century style and wonderfully verdant views - but it has a shower only. The turret room, "Tour des Amis", is our least favourite: the space is tight, there are steep stairs and the decor is very simple, though it's the only room with a view to the sea.

The less expensive courtyard suites are also lovely, but you trade the terrific green view for a cobblestone one. These are family rooms, one ideal for a couple with one child, the others sleeping 4 in a double and 2 bunk beds (extra beds are available for larger families).

EATING

Breakfast is served buffet-style in the dining room or weather-permitting, in the garden. It's a traditional, simple French breakfast: croissants, fruit, fresh orange juice. Paper napkins have replaced linen ones (unfortunate but understandable, since on-premise laundering uses so much water).

Tea time in the garden, or anytime for that matter, is relaxing and it will be brought to you with a biscuit, if you ask. There's no room service (this is a guest house, not a hotel, Madame Pallardy notes). On Saturdays, informal meals are served on a table d'hote basis at the Bien Etre, with fresh seafood and salads featuring prominently.

Otherwise, good recommendations for lunch and dinner in town near the harbour (and no drive!) are: Bistro du Marin (lunch), La Sarassin St Martin for galettes, and Le Serghi (dinner), 15 Quay Clemenceau.

ACTIVITIES

There are no organized activities at the hotel, but there's lots of good advice: the Pallardys really know their island. To start with, they'll tell you to rent a bicycle, (10% discount for guests at Tout a velo in Saint Martin), the key to fully enjoying the island. They'll recommend what to see in all the towns, where the best beaches are, and their favourite restaurants, simple or gourmet. Most importantly, they'll tell you how you to avoid summer crowds.

Within the pretty 17th century port town of St Martin de Ré, take a stroll past the blue or green shuttered townhouses with flowers out front; visit the church of St Marie and Vauban's citadel; lick a cone, sip a glass of wine or try Ré's own micro-brewed beer at one of the many quayside cafés; shop for shoes or a Breton striped shirt; rent a bicycle and venture forth to the seaside.
 
 FEATURES

Safe Box
Cots Available
Extra Beds Available
Breakfast
Dinner by Arrangement
Organic Produce
Vegetarian Options
Garden
Internet Connection
Fax Available
Communal TV
Laundry Service
Meeting Rooms
Babysitting
No Smoking Room
Parking Available
Ecotourism



 ACTIVITIES

Cycling
Fishing
Golf
Hiking / Walking
Riding
Tennis
Historical Sites
Nightlife
Shopping/Markets
Birdwatching
Nature Reserves
Sailing
Surfing
Swimming
Windsurfing


Getting there


   
     
Name Domaine de la Baronnie Location Saint-Martin de Ré, Ile de Ré
Type Historic Guesthouse: 6 rooms Country France
Price Guide Dbl: €190-340, BB Open 21 March - 30 October

DISTANCES Airport: 15km Nearest Shops: 0.1km Nearest restaurant: 0.1km Beach: 3km



 
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