|
Where Do Hotels Get All Those Great Design Items?I visited the SourceBy Madelyn Miller, The TravelLady
That cute clock. Those cozy chairs. The elegant table settings? How do hotel owners find those wonderful things? Many of them are smart enough to visit Le Manoir au Lac, where the owners not only entertain guests, but supply many hotels and inns with their fabulously unique decorations and accessories.
So it is fun to visit this beautifully designed property and drool offer the posh place settings and artistically arranged knick knacks. But the surprising thing is not just the elegant objects, but its location in a rustic region of France. A MANOR FOR ALL SEASONS
In the heart of the mountainous Vosges region of Eastern France, the area around the town of Gerardmer looks more like the backwoods of Canada then continental Europe. The forest is an inescapable part of life here. Amid a profusion of oak, pin, maple, beech and birch trees, it’s not surprising that the locals have learned to craft toys, musical instruments, furniture, and of course, magnificent chalets out of wood. One of the latter, the Manoir au Lac, is the superb hotel overlooking Lake Gerardmer. Built in 1830, the manor welcomed many luminaries of French literature over the years, including Jules Renard and Guy de Maupassant. A century and a half later it was bought by Claude and Marie-LuceValentin, who spent several years renovating it before opening the doors to their first guests in 1997.
Claude is also the decorator, and has transformed this charming property into a veritable showroom for prestigious brand names, with Porthault linens, Baccarat crystal, Ercuis silver, etc. The rooms are spacious and inviting, all decorated differently and tastefully.
The hotel is very relaxing, and you may never want to leave. But the surrounding region offers a wide variety of outdoor activities including hiking around the lake or through the nearby forests, both downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating and even dog sledding. In the evening you can curl up in front of the fireplace or head for the casino besides the lake for a few hands of blackjack. In December, Christmas markets crop up all over the region, and in late January, the Fantasy Film Festival (formerly held in Avoriaz) is a summit meeting for fans of “scary movies” from all over the world. Romantik Hotel Le Manoir au Lac GREAT GUIDEBOOKSSIXTY MILLION FRENCHMEN CAN”T BE WRONG AA FRANCE TRAVELBOOK EYEWITNESS GUIDE TO FRANCE FROMMERS FRANCE 2002 CHATEAUX & HOTELS DE FRANCE Romantik 2006 How to Pronounce French, German and Italian Wine Names Hello France HIDE THIS FRENCH BOOK COOKBOOK THAT CAPTURES THE FLAVOR OF FRANCE CARLOS TO GET A TASTE OF FRANCE AT HOME Cooking at Home on Rue Tatin MUSIC TO MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE IN FRANCE French Café Rumba Flamenco French Playground BACKGROUND READING TO GET YOU IN THE MOOD Weekend in Paris HOW TO SPEAK LIKE A FRENCH PERSON LOOK LIKE A FRENCH PERSON The French Diet: Secrets of why French Women Don’t get
Fat Madelyn Miller is a writer and web entrepreneur who writes for www.travellady.com, www.chocolateatlas.com, www.cocktailatlas.com, www.carladynews.com, www.todaysgooddeeds.com |
|
TM
In
2000 they acquired the 18th-century chalet next door, which they converted into
seven additional rooms, and soon later, they added three two-level suites.
A
vast veranda doubles as the breakfast room, and the hotel also offers a spa,
sauna, indoor pool, and library where guests can sip tea and sample homemade
pastries.