Chateau De Villette
Elegance and comfort reign at the historic chateau.
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Perhaps the only thing lovelier than April in Paris is April just outside Paris. Chateau de Villette, located 35 miles northwest of the City of Light, has accommodated everyone from Voltaire to General Lafayette, and most recently garnered attention as the estate of the eccentric Sir Leigh Teabing in The Da Vinci Code.Originally designed in 1668 for Louis XIV’s ambassador to Italy by François Mansart, and finished in 1696 by Mansart’s nephew, the chateau was completely renovated between 1999 and 2002. “The French historical monument society kept a very close eye on me,” recounts Olivia Hsu Decker, the owner and San Francisco real estate broker who purchased the estate in 1999 and oversaw every detail of the renovations. “I, of course, wanted to maintain its history, but at the same time, it was in need of an update.” She installed 16 new bathrooms (there had previously been only five) to make sure each of the 18 bedrooms has its own en suite, along with new furnishings and systems updates. “Unlike the tiny French ones, the baths here are large and the rooms all quite spacious. I also spent two years scouring Paris for antique furnishings that would be in the style of the house, but would not make guests feel like they’re in a museum—no one wants to vacation someplace where you can’t put your feet on the coffee table,” Decker explains. “It’s mostly Americans who stay here, and I wanted them to have elegant antiques but still be comfortable.”
The 200-acre property includes the main house with three kitchens, a gym, library, billiard room, chapel with reception rooms and music salon, along with grounds for hunting, riding, hiking, tennis and even fishing in the private lakes. Designed by André Le Nôtre, best known for his landscaping of Versailles, the gardens spread out beyond the chateau in formal landscaping fashion on a central axis, flanked by two perfectly symmetrical rectangular ponds. “It’s very French,” says Decker. Priced at €6,500 ($8,500) per night or €45,000 ($58,000) for the week, Chateau de Villette can cater to a variety of guests’ needs. “We frequently arrange things like cooking classes and golf reservations,” Decker says. “Guests also like to throw huge parties here, and we’ve done everything from organize a fireworks show to a private opera.”
Chateau de Villette
415.435.1600, www.frenchvacation.com
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