Chateau de Villette is a truly wonderful place to spend a few days, or if you are lucky, even more time. Catherine and Coen are perfect hosts - you feel completely at home as soon as you arrive. The peace and tranquility surrounding you is unique. We stayed in Chambolle Musigny, which is a lovely two bedroom suite with stunning views over the estate and beyond. The suite is charming and has an airy feel that is both welcoming and comfortable. Everywhere was extremely clean. We were very pleased to be able to dip into the pool to cool down from the hot summer temperatures, it was difficult to leave this peaceful spot in the late afternoon, but an early evening meal was tempting us. We enjoyed several delicious meals at Villette, whilst savouring the unique beauty of the magical environment around us. If you wish to head out in the evening, Catherine and Coen can recommend a variety of restaurants in the region and will even make the reservations for you! Your hosts are very knowledgeable about this beautiful location within the stunning Morvan Regional Natural Park and can help you plan a relaxing day - maybe wine tasting in one of the many famous vineyards or, if you feel more adventurous, cycling to the top of nearby Mont Beuvray. Breakfasts in the garden are a treat - a wonderful selection of fresh, local produce combined with friendly and attentive staff mean that you linger for as long as you can before you have to leave this rural idyll and head back to the outside world! Thank you Catherine and Coen for making our stay with you so special, we very much look forward to returning again.

A nightmare. Simply abysmal experience like I have never had at any other establishment before. After a 7-hour drive, we were so happy to finally arrive at the chateau until…..we were shown into a room where my children were meant to sleep. The room had black mould on the wall and mess/mould on the floor. My children discovered it first but I knew something was wrong because of the strange smell and stale air inside. My children became very upset thinking they had to sleep “in the mouldy place”. The owners were abroad so we asked the sister, who showed us the room, if there were any alternative rooms available. She told us no other rooms were available. I was shocked because, as can be seen by the photographs, the state of the property cannot have been a surprise to anyone. Mould like that does not just develop overnight and break through wallpaper. If it had not been discovered, it made me wonder whether it also meant that no one had bothered to even clean the room? When I first spoke to the owner over the telephone, he was utterly nonchalant and said it was too bad that we were “unhappy” with the room. I pointed out that unhappy was an understatement. Not only did the room not look anything like the standard depicted online, but it had hefty amounts of mould inside the wall cracks, which can be a hazard to health for a number of reasons. We were exhausted, with two children who needed food and rest. This was the high season (early July) and we were left with no suggestion of redress. I told the owner I would need to investigate my rights, and he replied that for that reason (me seeking my rights) he would not return my deposit. We ended up having to find emergency accommodation to the tune of over €2000 (on top of the €390 deposit we had paid to Chateau de Villette in January via bank transfer, per their request). We had to drive 1.5 hours in the night to the new place. Both my children and I were in tears. The other owner (the wife) promised me via text message that she would pay my deposit back when she returned to France the following week. I replied asking her to please just pay me back the money and that I wish to never hear from them again. “Please” was my last word. Not only did they not pay back the deposit nor respect my wish to please be left alone, but barraged me with messages on all sorts of media during my holiday. I believe that upon realizing that I have photographs and videos the husband undertook to “apologise”. When I finally psyched myself to read the message, it seemed like a genuine apology until….half-way when it became a litany of excuses for the mould in the room and conditioning the return of my deposit on me accepting such explanations. I simply did not have the strength to spoil my holiday further and did not wish to deal with them after the ordeal they caused us. I had asked to be left alone. Then, while still on holiday, I checked my work email and found a note from the husband owner stating that because I did not accept their offer (????), they would apply their “standard terms.” I was confused and replied that my hope was that their standard terms included the full refund of money to which they were not entitled since they did not provide any service. We could not physically stay at the property on account of it being, in our opinion, unfit for human habitation due to mould. We booked in January - there had been half a year until July to maintain the property properly and ensure we had a room. The owners were in no position to make me an “offer” because they owed me the deposit money outright due to their negligent failure to provide a habitable, let alone the represented online, place to stay. No one books holiday rooms with mouldy walls. If they had been truly sorry, they would have simply returned the money and left me in peace after the expense and anguish they caused my family. Upon returning from holiday, I discovered that they charged my credit card (weeks later) over EUR 900 without my knowledge or consent. I was not even aware this card was kept on file by them. The charge was made two weeks after we did Not stay at this place. I was astounded by the insolence and sneakiness. How one sleeps at night after subjecting a family with children to such an ordeal and then charging a credit card I will never understand. All the owners had to do was take responsibility from the beginning without any lame excuses, apologise genuinely, and do the honest and right thing by returning the deposit. We would have never had to deal with each other again. Now I have had to engage the help of friends and colleagues in France to activate the relevant authorities. I do not care what type of excuse the owners concoct in any reply. I felt it was my duty civil duty to set out my experience as a cautionary tale. Please refer to the photographs, which speak for themselves. It just beggars belief. More than anything, it disappoints me that anyone thinks it is OK to treat people like this.

Château de Villette is a stunning architectural gem with excellent, relaxed hospitality surrounded by glorious gardens and spectacular views. I have stayed more than once and my rooms have been exceptionally comfortable with the best beds and linen you will ever sleep in; bathrooms have really good power showers with big white fluffy towels, and every room is exquisitely furnished. Catherine is a highly-skilled cook and her food is as good as any serious restaurant without being pretentious; expect delicious, fresh, seasonal produce all cooked with a nod to Burgundy’s traditional classics and some clever twists. Coen is a wine expert with a varied cellar and plenty from the region. This is top hospitality and makes returning inevitable.

This hotel was as good as we thought it will be, and our expectations were sky high. We were initially planned to come during what turned out to be the Corona virus lockdown, but Catherine was very accommodating and kindly enabled us to postpone our booking to what turned out to be the very first moment we could leave the UK. The joy of arriving there was therefore amplified by being just released from months of quarantine, it was like going from zero to one hundred. The setting is perfect and the view everywhere you look is stunning. The building itself if a well refurbished countryside manor house, modernised wherever possible but generally kept loyal to its period. The grounds are gorgeous, manicured gardens surrounded by grand old trees. The rooms are comfortable, not the most luxurious and they do suffer from some quirks that stem from the fact you are in an old building, but then that's part of the charm of staying in such an old building in the first place. Breakfasts are a true highlight, especially when the weather is nice enough to be served outside on the terrace. The team are lovely, very helpful and made the stay a delight. The 'honesty bar' was good value and frequently used by us! I highly recommend a stay in this special and unique hotel.

We rented La Grenouilliere, a beautiful gite with stunning views across the hills. A really tranquil place, superb for walking, cycling and enjoying the wealth of wildlife (a lot of which can be seen when sitting out on the terrace at the rear of the cottage). This was the nicest gite we've stayed in (which says a lot as we have stayed in some amazing ones before!). The two gentlemen who were looking after the place whilst the owners were away were charming, so welcoming and friendly, that straightaway we felt at home and that nothing was too much trouble for them. We made the most of the lovely swimming pool as the weather was glorious whilst we were there. The kitchen was extremely well equipped which was fantastic as we love cooking, and we ate all our meals outside enjoying the stunning views and spotting the many different birds flying over. A highlight of the trip for me was the beautiful cycle way from Santenay to Beaune which meanders through vineyards and beautiful villages, and my husband enjoyed the challenge of cycling up Mont Beuvray and enjoying the sunrise (unfortunately a bit too hazy to see the swiss alps on this occasion). Definitely a place we'd love to return to, thank you for a wonderful holiday!