Château de la Resle

Château de la Resle stands among the vineyards and wooded countryside north of Auxerre, within easy reach of Chablis. Parts of the estate date to the 17th century, while the château was substantially restored in the 19th century following a fire. Slate roofs, white shutters, climbing ivy, formal gardens and a distinctive round tower preserve the image of a classic French country house. When Johan Bouman and Pieter Franssens discovered the property in 2005, it had not been permanently inhabited since the Second World War. Its transformation happened gradually: first the principal house, then the former caretaker’s quarters and finally the pool and wellness spaces. That slow evolution helps explain why the finished hotel feels more like a home assembled over time than a conventional hospitality project.

Burgundy Meets the Netherlands

Inside, the architectural history is deliberately left visible. Oak panelling, open fireplaces, delicate plasterwork, old staircases and exposed beams provide the setting for a much more contemporary layer of Dutch furniture, lighting and art. Designer Roderick Vos created elements including the kitchen, combining untreated oak with black powder-coated steel and using the building’s structural forms as inspiration. Other commissioned objects sit alongside antiques and pieces from the owners’ collection, creating rooms where centuries coexist without being forced into a single style.

A Château as a Living Gallery

Contemporary art is integral to the house, but Château de la Resle never feels like a gallery with beds. Bouman and Franssens brought their own collection into the property and continued commissioning work from designers and artists they admired. Pieces by Carolina Wilcke, Reinier Bosch and other Dutch creatives appear throughout, sometimes functional and sometimes purely sculptural. Against navy and white walls, historic fireplaces and old timber, the contemporary work becomes more expressive — while the architecture itself becomes easier to notice.

Ten Rooms, Plenty of Space

There are just ten rooms and suites within a surprisingly generous estate, distributed between the main château and adjoining buildings. Interiors vary accordingly: some lean towards antiques and rich timber, while others introduce more overtly contemporary furniture and fittings. The Fontenay Suite encapsulates the approach particularly well, combining whitewashed pitched ceilings and exposed beams with a sculptural Venetian staircase, purple velvet seating and an open bathroom featuring pieces by Patricia Urquiola. Throughout the hotel, uncluttered layouts, natural light and tactile materials keep even the more design-led rooms relaxed.

From the Garden to the Table

Two hectares of landscaped grounds surround the house, incorporating orchards, glasshouses, lawns and a heated saltwater pool. A hammam, sauna, gym and treatment space add a modest wellness dimension without turning the estate into a resort. Food follows the same relationship with its surroundings. Art de Table works with regional, organic and free-range produce, herbs from the gardens and menus that change with availability. Burgundy inevitably provides the vinous context, with Chablis vineyards forming part of the landscape beyond the gates.

The Château as a Collector’s Home

What distinguishes Château de la Resle is not simply the contrast between old architecture and new design, but how naturally the two have been allowed to accumulate. The château remains romantic without becoming nostalgic, while its contemporary art and Dutch design never overwhelm the building that contains them. After a renovation carried out room by room and building by building, it feels less like a historic property given a fashionable makeover than a collector’s country house that gradually became a hotel.