A True Gem in the French Country Side

Despite meticulous planning, we did not have a hotel after we drove from the South of France to the North. We had just assumed that we would stop in Lyons, but as we entered the city at rush hour, it was clear we didn’t want to wing it. Lyons is huge and crowded and the prospect of GPSing our way to some random hotel at the city center, parking, then negotiating a room was too daunting.

I took our my phone and spent the next hour at very precious data rates finding a place between Lyons & Beaune. And what a place I found. In a tiny, tiny town in the country: Saint-Amour-Bellevue. One hotel. One wineshop. One restaurant. And that was pretty much it.

The hotel is called Auberge du Paradis – Inn of Paradise. When I walked in I couldn’t believe this 18th century humble country facade held a chic, modern Wifi enabled inn. Each of the rooms were unique, studio apartments (san kitchen) and were named after cooking spices. Our room was gingenbre (ginger). Valerie is the owner and designer of the hotel. I wish we could’ve chatted more about the design and her inspirations but she only had traveling English and I only have traveling French.

I did let her know the hotel was tres, tres charmant. She smiled. We previously had a rather unfortunate mis-communication over the breakfast table regarding yogurt (note: if in the French countryside and someone asks you if you want something that sounds like ‘Goat’ say ‘Oui, merci’).