Questions and Answers : Q&A

The Château is equipped with an Orange Fiber Wi-Fi router, ensuring excellent internet speeds. Wi-Fi repeaters are installed throughout the house as part of a single mesh network, allowing you to move from one room to another without losing your connection or having to reconnect.

This setup allows for remote work—even outdoors—HD streaming on your tablets and phones, gaming, video calls, or simply quick internet browsing. The bedrooms are equipped with small desks so you can work in peace.

The large living room features a large-screen Samsung Smart TV connected to an Orange TV Box offering a wide range of French and international channels. From this box, you can connect to your favorite streaming services: Netflix, Prime, etc.

To promote relaxation and maintain a minimalist aesthetic, the bedrooms do not have televisions; we know from experience that our guests come to the Château with their tablets and computers.

Finally, you’ll find a powerful, wireless, and waterproof Bluetooth speaker on-site, perfect for enjoying on the terrace or by the pool.

Don’t clutter your suitcases with sheets and towels—everything is provided at Château du Colombier.

You’ll find the beds already made upon arrival, with four pillows for the double beds. You’re on vacation—we’re not going to ask you to make your own beds!

Large bath towels are available in every room, as well as small hand towels for your face or hands. Bath mats are, of course, provided as well.

I also provide special pool towels so you don’t have to take your bath towels out to the garden. Two large clotheslines are available for drying them in the sun after your swim.

The kitchen features:

• A Smeg electric range with five burners and three ovens,

• Two dishwashers,

• A washing machine, and outdoor clotheslines for drying,

• A toaster,

• A kettle,

• A large American-style fridge-freezer,

• A De Longhi automatic bean-to-cup coffee maker, plus a Nespresso machine: be sure to bring coffee beans and/or standard Nespresso capsules. Neither machine is compatible with ground coffee,

• A KitchenAid stand mixer,

• A microwave with a grill function,

• A raclette machine,

• A fondue set,

• And all the small kitchen gadgets you might need!

You’ll also find mosquito repellent in the kitchen for the summer, as well as a small first-aid kit for everyday minor injuries.

Each bathroom has a toilet, a hair dryer, and a towel warmer. Toilet paper and toilet cleaning products are provided for your convenience. Bath mats are placed in the bathrooms before your arrival. Hand soap is also available in every bathroom, in the shared restrooms, and in the kitchen.

At the Château, beneath the Colombier, you’ll find a large terrace equipped with two spacious tables that can comfortably seat 12 people, thanks to modern garden chairs. A large rectangular umbrella allows you to enjoy lunch in the shade on hot summer days. A small outdoor seating area is also available in this space, complete with a parasol. This terrace faces southwest, allowing you to enjoy the sun until sunset.

A second terrace off the kitchen has been set up facing southeast, allowing you to enjoy the rising sun while having breakfast in the morning!

A Weber barbecue is available on the terrace: don’t forget to buy charcoal and fire starters if you’d like to use it. A Weber fire starter is also provided to help you light your barbecue with ease!

A large pétanque court will let you enjoy games of boules with friends or family: we provide pétanque balls and jackets, as well as a traditional wooden Molkky set.

Finally, the "Colombier" (the dovecote)—from which the Château takes its name—welcomes you to its upper level, which we have transformed into a small lounge/rest area/library: it’s the coolest spot in the Château during the summer for taking a nap away from the hustle and bustle or simply reading a book in peace.

The Château features a spacious 12-meter pool, with a depth of 2.20 meters at the deep end. It is generally open, weather permitting, from May 1 to October 15. The pool is fully automated and uses a salt-based treatment system to ensure crystal-clear water even during the hottest hours of summer. You don’t have to do any maintenance… except for skimming the pool daily to prevent insects and leaves from settling at the bottom.

The Château’s pool is heated to between 26°C and 29°C depending on the season, using a standalone heat pump. It is equipped with two powerful LED spotlights for your midnight swims!

Regarding safety, we’ve installed a new electric roll-down cover that meets current standards, ensuring the safety of young children when used correctly. Upon your arrival, I’ll demonstrate how the cover works and provide you with a document to sign, confirming that you’ve read the pool safety rules and understand how to operate the anti-drowning surface protection.

A wide range of accessories is available for your use at the pool: lounge chairs, armchairs, umbrellas, small tables... As well as toys: foam noodles, kickboards for the little ones, and various inflatable and fun items.

Seriously, just bring your clothes!

When you arrive at Château du Colombier, you’ll find a basic supply of groceries on site: oil, vinegar, salt, coarse salt, granulated and brown sugar, various flours, spices, coffee beans in the machine for your first morning, teas and herbal teas, and several cooking condiments.

There are also dishwasher and laundry detergent tablets, dishwasher rinse aid, dish towels, rags, sponges, washable wipes, various household cleaning products, dish soap, paper towels, and trash bags (black for household waste, green for compost, and yellow transparent for recycling).

You’ll also find aluminum foil, parchment paper, ice cube bags, and freezer bags.

Of course, several rolls of toilet paper are provided in each bathroom, as well as in the shared restrooms on the ground floor. A cleaning product suitable for septic tanks is also available next to each toilet. There is also a high-quality hair dryer in every bathroom.

We may have forgotten something on this list, so please don’t hesitate to ask me!

Your Arrival:

I’ll welcome you personally when you arrive: here, there are no impersonal key boxes or locks to unlock on your phone. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have, give you a tour of the property, and show you the various amenities. 

I’ll take the time to familiarize you with this historic building and its unique features, such as its 19th-century windows and shutters. I’ll also provide a safety demonstration for the pool to ensure the youngest guests are safe.

Check-in is generally from 4 PM. However, outside of July and August, the château is often ready to welcome you earlier. You will receive a message one week before your arrival to specify the time you can arrive, and so that you can let me know your approximate arrival time so I can be there to meet you.

I require a security deposit check for €3,000, or a bank loan for the same amount.

Your departure:

During peak season (July and August), check-out is at 10:00 AM. I will arrive around 9:45 AM to check you out and return your security deposit. During the off-season, it is often possible to enjoy the Château until 3:00 PM on your last day of your stay, so you can have lunch there before your departure. I will let you know about this option before your arrival so you can plan accordingly.

Final cleaning is included in the rental price. However, we ask that you follow these basic courtesy rules; tidying up is not the same as cleaning: 

• Strip the beds and gather all linens in the ground-floor bedroom, including bath towels, bath mats, and kitchen towels,

• Do not leave dirty dishes: they must be placed in the dishwashers, which must be started before departure,

• Empty the refrigerator and freezer,

• Return all outdoor equipment to where it was upon your arrival: lounge chairs, patio furniture, barbecue, pool toys, petanque sets, etc.

• Store the small pool umbrellas under the awning where they were upon your arrival,

More generally, the house must be left in the same condition as you found it upon arrival: please tidy up to make cleaning and preparation for the next guests easier for us!

We try, as much as possible, to reduce our carbon footprint at Château du Colombier. However, this is an old building, partially listed as a historic monument: our facades are designated as Historic Monuments, which prevents us from installing double-pane windows or exterior insulation. Nevertheless, these old buildings ultimately have much greater thermal mass than many modern structures.

Here, there’s no need for air conditioning; in the summer, all you need to do is open the windows at night and close the shutters and windows during the day to keep the interior pleasantly cool. The large vaulted room at the back of the Château, which serves as a kitchen/dining room, faces north and provides a cool haven even when the outside temperature exceeds 35°C in the summer.

For heating, we’ve opted for a modern wood pellet boiler, which comfortably heats the Château during the winter holiday season to an indoor temperature of 20°C. A charming fireplace completes this setup in the vaulted kitchen/dining room. We are generally closed from January to March to reduce the impact of heating. Each bathroom is equipped with a modern towel-warming radiator, which we ask you to turn on only when you are using the bathroom.

We take special care with waste sorting: we provide a trash can for general waste, a recycling bin (for metal, plastic, paper, packaging, etc.), a compost bin, and glass recycling bins for bottles and other items. Special bags are provided for each bin (black bags for household waste, yellow bags for recycling, and green biodegradable bags for compost).

Almost all of the Château’s light bulbs are LED, allowing you to turn on the outdoor lighting on the facades and terraces without restriction, including the pool spotlights.

Your stay at Château du Colombier includes everything: bed linens, towels, final cleaning, a starter pack of groceries and kitchen supplies, heating during the winter, as well as firewood for the fireplace, etc.

However, you will need to pay the visitor’s tax upon arrival: this is why I ask you before your arrival for the composition of your group (number of adults and children) so that I can send you the amount to be paid in advance, ensuring there are no unpleasant surprises. I remit this tax in full to the local tourism office to support the development of our rural areas. An invoice for the corresponding amount will be sent to you before your stay.

Items consumed during your stay are, of course, to be paid to me at check-out: bottles of wine sold at the Château, deliveries from the bakery, and charging for the electric car. Please note these expenses in the notebook provided on the bar.

Château du Colombier is delighted to partner with Maison Duchon in Châtel-Censoir, one of the best bakeries near the guesthouse. Cyril can deliver bread and pastries in the morning while you’re still asleep: he’ll quietly leave them under the awning next to the kitchen around 7 a.m.

Orders must be placed by noon the day before for delivery the next morning at the Château.

If you speak French, you can contact them at +33 3 45 75 39 93 (leave a message on the answering machine to place your order). If you do not speak French, please contact me so that I can place your order the day before for the following morning.

I offer themed “Tasting” workshops focused on local wines (whites, reds, classic and unexpected grape varieties, etc.). My workshops are based on tasting eight wines, which is the maximum number needed to fully appreciate the nuances of each one. Several workshops feature “Grand Cru” Chablis, bottles rarely opened during tastings. The tasting is accompanied by explanations about terroirs, vintages, grape varieties, and vineyard cultivation methods. “Organic” and “Biodynamic” farming are important to me, as I live in the Chablis region where our groundwater is unfortunately polluted by intensive, chemical-based viticulture.

If you particularly enjoyed certain wines, I sell them by the case of 6 bottles (mixing and matching within the same estate is possible)… to prolong your memories of Burgundy. Enjoy the tasting! Any opened bottles will be left for you to take home after the workshop. This is why the price of each workshop is based on the value of the opened bottles, not on the number of participants.

The tasting is accompanied by local culinary specialties (cold cuts, cheeses, gougères…).

I also offer a fine selection of local wines: white wines from Chablis, Sancerre, and other regions... as well as red wines from Irancy, Epineuil, and Tannay. The wines are available at the Château, in the bar, and in the kitchen wine cellar. Simply note the bottles you’ve tasted in the logbook; payment is due at checkout.

You can download a sample list of the wines sold at the Château here: “Wines of the Moment”

I work with several partners who offer a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities: feel free to check out my “Partner Activities” page to learn more:

• Electric bike rentals: Grégory can deliver them to the Château. He can also accompany you on rides through the region’s vineyards.

• Canoe rentals and guided canoe trips: Pascal will guide you as you explore the Yonne River, which flows past the Château. He is based just 2 km from the Château.

• In-home massages with Valérie, or at the “Prieuré des Sources” Spa

• Introductory painting workshops: Céline, a painter, comes to the Château with all the supplies

• In-home yoga classes (contact me)

Yes, of course! This promises to be an unforgettable evening: the chef arrives before dinner and prepares everything for you, from the aperitif to the dessert.

I work with two chefs who come to the Château. Both are bilingual in French and English. They will be happy to make suggestions tailored to your wishes or requirements.

Please see my ‘Chefs, caterers and bread’ page on the website.

Unfortunately not. Following several incidents that caused damage, we have decided to ban animals from the Château, however cute they may be.

But above all, the presence of our cat also means we cannot have other animals here. It is his home, after all!