Country retreat in Normandy with a rustic look, surrounded by lush forests and rolling hills

d’une île / Rémalard / Normandie / France

150 km from Paris in a rural part of Normandy there is a natural park called Le Perche. In the centre of this area, surrounded by forests, fields and a landscape dotted with cute little villages, there is a small hotel, or chambre d’hôtes called d’une île. And this post is about this place.

Dutch couple Sofie and Michel stumbled upon this property when they were actually looking for a place to buy somewhere else. You know how the story goes, they fell in love with this 17th century hamlet and decided to go for it. And aren’t we glad they did.

The hotel is made up of 5 buildings and there is a total of 8 rooms. The style is true to form. We are talking rustic, eclectic and, I mean this in a very positive way, haphazard mix of furniture and interior design features. The look is the result by someone who has that magical ability to combine items that to most would never think possible. And even though Sofie and Michel are Dutch, the result feels utterly French. Maybe sometimes it takes an outsider to best interpret something that is typical for a country or region.

Something that must be mentioned when writing about this hotel is the restaurant. It is the country annex of Septime, a Paris restaurant, offering up food that is in line with the style of the hotel, rustic and delicious with a focus on vegetarian dishes (although not completely vegetarian).

This is a hotel where you are invited to spend lazy days in the sun, lounging by the pool, sweating in the barrel-shaped sauna or just laying in the grass listening to the birds, reading some French novel. If you want to be more active there are hiking trails, great opportunities for biking or you can visit one of the many villages in the area. We went to Mortagne au Perche in time for the weekend market which was a treat for all the senses.

M heading to our room, located in one of 5 buildings on-site

A lot of what is served in the restaurant is grown in this garden

In one of the buildings there is a lounge where you can retreat if the weather would force you to stay indoors.

We went into Mortagne au Perche when the market was on. Loved strolling around perusing the different stalls with the locals.

Our friends the Bäckström family were staying in a hotel close by so we met up with them in the village. A visit to Cire Trudon is a must when here. M and Susanne deciding what candle buy.

We bought some stuff from the market and brought it back the hotel for a picnic in the shade.

There are some great hiking trails in the area. M and I are out for a little hike in the woods.

d’une Île is a bonafide gastro hotel so dinner must not be missed when staying here.

This dessert almost made me light headed. It was that good.

I love to get up early in the morning to catch that soft morning light. And it is a great time to snap photos without too many people in the shots.

French butter… There is no other butter quite like it.

RG inside info

This place is perfect if you…

…are looking to have an authentic French hipster experience where the vibe is super relaxed, the food is delicious and the look is really rustic. If all of this sounds good to you, trust me when I say that you’ll love d’une île

My favorite thing about this place…

…is the Frenchness of it all. This is a kind of hotel that you would never find anywhere else. The look, the vibe and the almost nonchalant approach (in mean this is in a positive way) is so wonderfully French.

What not to miss when staying here…

…is to visit one if the cute villages in the area. We really liked Mortagne au Perche where there is a cute little market on Saturdays. And if you like scented candles, Cire Trudon are from here and they have a shop in town. Also make sure to book dinner at the hotel. It is popular also among non-residents and must not be missed.

If you like this hotel you might also like:

Maison Ceronne / Mortagne-au-Perche, Normandie, France

The Royston / Powys, Llanbrynmair, Wales

Hotel Stelor / Gotland, Sweden