The feel of home

How to feel right at home in a beautiful chateau! Marty of Chateau Vaulx makes it all so simple. You are immediately part of the family and welcomed with open arms into the most magnificent abode that somehow retains a feeling of home. Elegantly furnished with an understated charm that you know must have come at an enormous effort but flows seamlessly throughout the house with

taste and warmth. Oil paintings in every nook and cranny that in reality have no connection but all have been welcomed into the family and seem right at home. Baby grand piano just begging for a song, fabulous gardens awaiting your camera lens to capture the grandest shot at every turn, three generations of friendly canine welcoming you to their home and the family. And the food! Marty has a real talent in the kitchen outside of his gregarious welcoming character. Seemingly effortless arrays of food come sashaying into the dining room on the arms of Marty and his staff, all created with love and creativity, all shared with a changing roster of equally contented visitors willing to share experience and local finds with other overlapping guests. There are also tasty choices locally that Marty is happy to direct you to. You'll be very happy in your individually decorated rooms or suites and will always feel you have been given the best room in the house! The views are outstanding from every window. There are lovely chateaux in the area to visit even if you are somewhat outside the Loire Chateux tour, a great stopover in beautiful countryside, well worth the stop and surprisingly restful. Thanks for the memories Marty.

www.tripadvisor.com, Jenni C. and family, 18 juillet 2013

Excellent

This place is stunning inside and out. Lovely views of the surrounding area, beautiful furniture and art everywhere. Excellent meals. Marty is a charming host. This part of Burgundy deserves more visitors than it gets, but that is good for those who do come because you don't see many tourists.

We enjoyed visiting Chateau de Dree and Chateau de Digoine-- both magificent with fine gardens. We had an outstanding lunch at Restaurant de la Poste in Poisson. Highly recommended.

www.tripadvisor.com , MB747, 24 septembre 2013

Expansive and spectacularly memorable

"Another magical visit. We arrived in pouring rain, but what better consolation than to be welcomed by our warm-hearted host, Marty, and invited to cosy up by an enormous roaring fire before being served a candle-lit dinner in the gorgeous drawing room? Next day the sun came out and we were able to marvel at the wildflower meadows cascading down from the avenue of limes

overlooking the rolling charolais landscape. Our fellow-guests that evening were a delightful young couple who became engaged on the terrace, and I can think of no more perfect little piece of heaven in which to receive a proposal! Thanks Rosie. What an amazing find! We were thrilled by our visit and long to return.

Just before we arrived we had a slight accident involving a local motorist and - our French not being quite up to the occasion - we asked her to accompany us to the chateau to get help in translation. Marty was quite wonderful, smoothing ruffled feathers and charming everyone with so much warmth, kindness and impish humour that we all relaxed, and instead of it spoiling our holiday we felt so looked after that we look back on our visit as a highlight of our trip. Everything about Marty and the chateau is expansive and spectacularly memorable, and the love and flair with which he and Thierry have restored, decorated and furnished their home is heart-warming, as is the generosity with which they share it. The far-reaching views from their hill-top avenue are glorious: it would be very tempting to return and see their wonderful garden and grounds in all the different seasons. Add to that a charming landscape dotted with mellow old villages and Romanesque churches, grazed by charolais cattle and alive with birdsong: what more could you ask for?"

Alistair Sawday's Special Places to Stay, Rosie and Roger, September 2011 and May 2012