Les Etangs de Corot

The setting is a big part of what makes Les Etangs de Corot special. It sits beside picturesque ponds in Ville d'Avray, about 20 minutes from Paris and 10 from Versailles. The hotel takes its name from Jean-Baptiste Corot, who often visited the area because his father had a country house nearby. He painted these landscapes, and his work is now in museums around the world. Claude Monet, Victor Hugo, and Charles Baudelaire were among the other well-known people drawn to the area. The ponds have a long history. Celestine monks created the old pond in the late Middle Ages for fish farming. In 1690, Philippe d'Orléans, brother of Louis XIV, ordered the new pond built as a reservoir for the fountains and cascades at the Château de Saint-Cloud. The underground aqueduct linking it to the park is still there. The site later became home to the Genchette tavern, which dates to the 19th century and earned a Michelin star in 1900. After several changes in ownership, Beautiful Life Hotels bought the property and carried out a full restoration between 2020 and 2022. Now it’s a four-star hotel and spa in the Relais & Châteaux collection, with 42 individually decorated rooms, a sauna, a jacuzzi, and two restaurants. Le Corot has a Michelin star, while Café des Artistes is the more relaxed option. I especially want to mention Erica at reception. She’s cheerful, hardworking, and clearly great at her job. If I opened a hotel, I’d hire her to run the front desk team. The rooms have their own character, and many look out over nature. Ours had a kettle and coffee machine, and the towels were thick, new, and fluffy. The bathrobes and slippers were comfortable too. One small thing: the window in room 404 needs cleaning, as it fell short of the hotel’s standards. The sauna is nicely heated, but the advertised jacuzzi wasn’t working. I don’t usually use one, especially when many rooms have bathtubs, but a service advertised as free for guests should be available. I’d also like Café des Artistes to add lamb dishes and salads better suited to modern health expectations. It can get pretty noisy when busy. Le Corot is only open three days a week, Thursday through Saturday, which feels like too little for a hotel of this level. Even with those drawbacks, I found the hotel cozy and harmonious, with lovely views and a pleasing mix of history, nature, and modern hospitality.

We had lunch in the garden, then went for a walk in the forest. The food was really tasty, the setting was wonderful, and the service was nice. You can also rent a jacuzzi with a view of nature, and there’s plenty of space both indoors and out. We’ll definitely come back.

The room was large, nicely decorated, with good linen and a big bed, and the restaurant was comfortable. Breakfast was a more than adequate continental spread. The hotel also has a very peaceful setting by a forest and a large pond. It was a pleasant surprise because the arrival impression wasn’t much to write home about, but stepping through the front door changed that. The staff were so friendly. I’d forgotten to request early check-in and arrived at 9am after a 12-hour flight, even though check-in was in the afternoon. They went out of their way to find me a room. It’s definitely a lively place to stay, and you won’t be disappointed.

We had a lovely stay at Les Etangs de Corot. Breakfast and all three dinners we ate at Le Café des Artistes were superb, and the reservation staff were attentive and helpful. The room was prepared beautifully each day. Room 400 felt a bit small for two people staying more than one night. It was the only room available when we booked, though, so we didn’t have another option. My impression of the hotel, its staff, and facilities was excellent, just as I noted in the survey.