I stayed at a French castle for under $100 … here’s how it went

I’ve always been a sucker for luxury at cut-rate prices. This has gotten me into trouble on many occasions, like when I sign up for “free samples” and miss the fine print about auto-renewals. But it’s also gotten me incredible bargains—a verified Chanel belt for $30, anyone?

When I saw the Château de Boulay-Morin, I knew I had to stay there. The prices were incredible, the reviews were numerous (and great), and the history seemed unbelievable. 

I was excited. But was this my Chanel steal of the century… or just another “free sample” situation gone wrong? 

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The Goal

My sister was staying with me in Paris last August. Paris in August can be heaven, or it can be something else. Traditionally, Parisians who can afford it, leave the city in droves for an annual vacation. Having Paris to ourselves was a dream, but it also meant that many businesses had closed, and the heat was intense. 

We were cranky. We were exhausted. We needed a break. 

We planned a trip to Normandy, on the northern coast of France. It’s not a long drive from Paris, but with only a few days for our trip, we thought we’d break it up on the way back with a stay somewhere in the country. I started searching for properties that were near the halfway point. 

My main criteria? Other than location, I was looking for peaceful surroundings, a gorgeous room, and a price under $100 each (around 98 euros). 

The Castle

One glance at the Château de Boulay-Morin, and I was hooked. 

The hotel photos showed an ivory, white-shuttered castle, a swimming pool, and a two-room suite with a Jacuzzi tub. There was an open greenspace with resident deer, sculptures, fountains, and manicured French gardens. 

And, should we suddenly become energetic (doubtful), the photos showed a tennis court and games room featuring a pool table.  

All for 180 euros.

But, like any good Travel Lemming writer, I didn’t immediately whip out my credit card. Instead, I did some research first. 

The History

The Château de Boulay-Morin’s biggest selling point is that Louis XIV built it for his secret wife, Françoise d’Aubigné, better known as “Madame de Maintenon.” Born to a celebrated poet, Françoise first married Paul Scarron, a well-known writer. A canny and connected businesswoman, she moved to the French court in 1668 after her husband’s death. 

There, she took a position as the secret governess to the illegitimate children of Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan. At the time, Louis’s official wife was Queen Marie-Thérèse. 

In 1674, Françoise bought herself the title (and castle) of Maintenon. And after Marie-Thérèse’s death, it wasn’t Montespan that Louis married… it was Maintenon. She was never queen but lived a royal life—including the acquisition of homes Louis had built for her.

The Castle Today

So it turned out to be true! 

The roughly 13,000-square-foot house from 1695 isn’t as large as some of the other properties King Louis XIV built for Madame de Maintenon. But it’s still pretty magnificent. 

Today, it’s set in around 17 acres of its private parkland in Lower Normandy, with another 84 hectares of forest surrounding it. 

Hundreds of 10-star reviews. A royal history. An hour from Paris for under $100. What more could I want? 

Out came the credit card. 

📚 Related Reading: Customer reviews will make or break your trip. Here’s why.

Our Preparation 

The hotel’s small size—it has six rooms and three suites—makes it feel more like a bed-and-breakfast than an impersonal chain hotel. This became immediately apparent after booking when I received a text from the owner. 

He wanted to confirm that we had all the information we needed. He’d noted that we were American from our booking. He wrote in English and charmingly let us know that there were “deers” in the parkland surrounding the castle. 

Honestly, part of me worried that the “bed-and-breakfast” aspect of the stay would overshadow the relaxation I was looking for. I love small places with chatty hosts when I’m in the mood for it—but I wasn’t then. Luckily, I had nothing to worry about. 

Our Arrival

After our stay in Normandy, my sister and I were ready for our royal vacation. We had no trouble finding the château. The low price point had me slightly worried about the condition of the grounds and castle. But my fears were immediately calmed as we drove up the winding path to the parking lot. 

The owners’ dogs wandered the grounds but didn’t bother us (though, as dog lovers, we wished they would!). Instead, the owners’ adult son, who takes an active role in running the hotel, greeted us. 

He gave us a grand tour of the ground floor. It was a wonderful combination. The traditional French décor was perfectly suited to the period: gilded detailing and enormous chandeliers. There was also a Thai influence, as the family has a Thai heritage, evident in sculptures and decorative objects.

The only purely modern part of the castle that we saw? The sparkling-clean kitchen.

Our Castle Stay

Carrying our bags, our host led us up to our room. We’d booked one of the Jacuzzi suites: two rooms, one with a king bed and one with a double, and an adjoining bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub and shower. 

Graciously, my sister let me have the big pink room—I just wanted to nap and read, while she was ready to hit the pool. Our host hadn’t been sure whether we’d share the big bed or use both, so he made up the sofa bed in the second room for us as we began to unpack and unwind.

The Great Parts of Our Stay

I wouldn’t recommend selecting this room unless you love pink—but happily, I do. The parquet floors, chandelier, (non-working) fireplace, and views out over the parkland stunned me. There wasn’t a peep from outside except the rustling of trees or the occasional splash in the pool. (I’ll admit that later, I heard low chatter as my sister made friends with a pair of guests.)

The bed was incredible: soft, large, and with a ton of pillows. I have never slept so well.  

When I woke, my sister and I had a bit of trouble figuring out how to use the Jacuzzi tub. But those familiar with tubs will likely avoid getting water everywhere like we did! 

From the tub, you can see out over the green acres surrounding the castle. While taking my bath, I was more relaxed than if I’d been Madame de Maintenon herself, with armies of staff looking after my every need. 

The Not-So-Great Parts of Our Stay

The only snag came when dinner time arrived. We were starving after our trip, but the château didn’t serve dinner at the time (they have since begun offering self-catering and charcuterie options). They did, however, provide a great selection of menus from local restaurants that would deliver. 

We ordered and waited—but when the driver arrived, it turned out we had to go down to the gate to meet him! There are many worse problems—and even more worse problems you can encounter at a hotel. But the walk (which I remember as about half a mile, though it was likely a fraction of that) was the last thing I wanted to do on this perfect day. 

The Final Morning

In the morning, we ate the delicious breakfast our hosts had prepared. Conversation with the other guests wasn’t mandatory, though. We had ours served in our rooms, then came downstairs for coffee and conversation. 

My sister had her own plans, but I was determined to get out into the gorgeous, manicured nature surrounding us. 

I spent a few hours walking the gardens, pausing on benches to read, and taking in the late August sun. I’d planned on trying deer spotting, but I didn’t need to try—they were so plentiful that it turned more into a deer-counting exercise. 

And then it was time to go. To cap off our nearly perfect trip, one of the family’s dogs had decided to take a sunny nap next to our rental car and got to her feet for some goodbye petting. 

Take-Aways

There are two kinds of small hotel owners: those who own property and those who are hosts. 

The owners of the Château de Boulay-Morin fall into the latter camp. They were there when we needed them and invisible when we didn’t. They put care, time, and energy into the upkeep of their gorgeous property and the stays of their guests. 

I’ve traveled to tons of French cities and villages, but this was the first time I’d come to a hotel just to experience the property itself. And I can’t recommend it highly enough. This type of stay is now my gold standard for vacations!

In fact, since our trip to the Château de Boulay-Morin, I’ve made a list of other country-house and castle hotels around France that I can’t wait to visit. 

Another great stay (with another sister) took place at the Château de Saint Paterne…but there’s still plenty more to come!