Villeneuve Abbey was built in 1201 by Cistercian monks.
Partially damaged by the weight of the centuries, it had been transformed into a hotel in 1974.
It has just undergone heavy work again and will reopen to the public on June 15.
She is an old lady over 800 years old.
And it is about to turn a new page in its history.
Closed to the public for almost two years, the Abbaye de Villeneuve, in Sorinières, south of Nantes, will reopen its doors on June 15 as a four-star hotel.
The medieval building, of which some parts dating from the 13th century remain, had already been a top-of-the-range hotel establishment since 1974. The former owner, who had transformed the building then abandoned, had received some prestigious clients there, image of the Dalai Lama (2008), Catherine Deneuve or the French football team led by Zidane.
But he had chosen to hand over in 2020 and it was the Akena group that became the buyer of this atypical setting.
“It was a hotel known to many people, well located, very attractive in its past, but which no longer corresponded too much to the times.
We had to change a lot of things to make it a standard 4 star for our group”, explains Marc Plisson, president of Akena.
“The result is breathtaking”
More than 6 million euros have been invested to restore the abbey, modernize the 18 rooms and add a bar, a brasserie, a wine cellar open for tasting and a cigar club.
“The work lasted two years,” says Marc Plisson.
The site was colossal, especially for electricity and fiber.
We also made some bold choices but the result is breathtaking.
It goes beyond what we imagined.
We wanted to give a chic dimension while bringing a cocooning atmosphere, where we feel comfortable.
»
The gourmet restaurant has been retained but its menu has been revisited, in conjunction with Philippe Legendre, former three-starred chef at Georges-V.
The hotel also has two seminar rooms, a large reception room, a circular swimming pool and a vast garden with trees.
Count from 150 to 490 euros per night.
"In terms of services, we could claim 5 stars", considers Thierry Kremper, the new director, who confides that he intends to create "ten additional rooms" in the medium term.
As for the historical elements, they have been carefully safeguarded, in particular the old cloister built by the Cistercian monks.
“This exceptional heritage should be valued.
You feel that the stones have lived when you enter here,” insists Thierry Kremper.
The new Abbey of Villeneuve employs about forty employees, against a dozen previously.
This will be the 27th French establishment of the Akena hotel group, based in Rezé.
Its first in the 4-star category.
In full growth, the brand will grow to 35 hotels by 2023.
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The Nantes conurbation has other hotels housed in a building remarkable for its past (Radisson, Sozo...) but the most luxurious of them is the Château de Maubreuil in Carquefou.
Open since then, the establishment is the only 5-star hotel in Nantes.
It has 14 suites, a gourmet restaurant and a spa.
From 250 euros per night.
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