City Trips

Just outside Paris, you will find this amazing (kid-friendly) hotel

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Lotte at Hotel Le Barn in Paris pets a horse, walks by the water, a beautiful white farm, nature, food, strawberries, dining room with yellow benches

We saw it years ago in Vogue: full page and we immediately fell in love with this hotel: Le Barn. A mega beautiful hotel in the countryside, in the middle of a beautiful forest and less than an hour from Paris. This is also the hotspot where the fashion world escapes to recover from a fashion week marathon or the madness of the city and wants to spend some time in nature. And it's great here even with kids. We were there when Wolf, my oldest son, was a few months old. This place is truly magical, and even more fun now with a child who is a bit older. We are going again in the fall – who knows, I might see you there?

Where is Le Barn exactly?

Le Barn is located in the heart of the Haute Vallée de Chevreuse (just google it: it's really beautiful), on an estate of no less than 200 hectares. Horses roam freely, you sleep in converted farmhouses, and the view? Greener than green. If you really want to get away from it all, then this is the place to be.

What makes Le Barn so nice?

The atmosphere is so relaxed. Le Barn is not a classic, stiff hotel where you feel watched when you show up for breakfast in your hoodie. You can just sit at the table in your pajamas if you feel like it. There is no dress code, but there is style. Think of an inspiring, typically French interior – stylish, but absolutely not stiff.

Eating and drinking at Le Barn? Très bien

Everything comes from its own garden or from local farmers. That really makes me happy because believe me: you can taste it. The breakfast is small but nice, with a delicious buffet. The atmosphere is relaxed, as if everyone has known each other for years (which is not the case). During the day you eat light, fresh dishes from the menu. And in the evening you sit down for a raclette or fondue. So cozy.

What do you do there?

Nothing is mandatory, everything is allowed. Yoga, horseback riding, wild swimming, walking through the forest, or treating yourself to an Ayurvedic massage in the spa. And on Sunday? No check-out time. You can just stay in bed. Or you drive towards Paris (tip: book a parking space in advance, it saves a lot of hassle and money).

And the kids?

No animation here, so if you were a bit worried about that: rest assured. The kids can run wild in nature here. Running across the fields, petting animals, roasting marshmallows by the campfire, playing hide and seek in the woods, playing football – and other entertainment or games that different parents bring along. You? You sit back with a good glass of wine on a lounge chair in the grass or on the nice terrace. Win-win.

Why book now at Le Barn?

Because it's even prettier in the spring (although autumn or winter is also magical). And because if you're already in Paris, you won't find a better place than Le Barn. So: book, pack your suitcase, start the car and go. Maybe you'll spot a well-known fashion editor at the breakfast buffet.