Just outside Paris, in the heart of Chantilly’s forests, Château de Montvillargenne has entered a new chapter under the name Jeanne & the Forest. Once the private residence of Baroness Jeanne de Rothschild, the château was built in 1914 and has since become the largest château-hotel in France. Now, following a complete transformation led by 369° Hôtels et Maisons, the property has been revived with a focus on well-being, leisure and a new kind of work-life balance.
Jeanne & the Forest has been redesigned by interior architect Chantal Peyrat, drawing inspiration from Jeanne de Rothschild’s appreciation for art, architecture, and nature. The interiors combine Belle Époque elements with modern design, featuring velvet, brass, antique furniture, and Art Deco touches to create a comfortable, welcoming setting. Details like classic mouldings, fireplaces, wallpapers, and rugs have been carefully chosen to give the château the feel of a lived-in family home that respects its history while meeting today’s needs.
The estate spans six hectares and includes three main buildings: the château itself, the Factory and the Hangar. Across these spaces are 119 rooms and suites, coworking lounges, event spaces, a wellness centre with a pool and spa, and multiple dining areas. The château alone houses 80 rooms, most offering views of the surrounding park. One of the standout suites is Room 226, Jeanne de Rothschild’s former retreat, which overlooks the terraces and forest and still holds original woodwork and fireplaces from the early 20th century.
Dining options at Jeanne & the Forest are designed to suit different moments—from laid-back to more structured meals. The Social Club and Social Bar offer informal areas to pause and meet, while La Table opens on weekends with interiors that match its menu—French cooking influenced by Asian flavours. Dishes by Linda and Nicolas Bisani include scallops with yuzu kosho and foie gras with dashi-kumquat sauce, alongside traditional Chantilly cream.
Guests can choose between terrace seating and quieter indoor spaces. The buffet serves a mix of dishes throughout the day, and Sunday brunch comes with performances inspired by the château’s past.
Room service at Jeanne & the Forest comes in the form of Paniers de Jeanne—meal hampers that guests can enjoy in their rooms or outside in the park. On weekends, tea time is offered with pastries and desserts served from a trolley. The Social Bar, lined with pages from old books, takes inspiration from English clubhouses and features a cocktail menu with both classic options and house specials like La Passion de Jeanne and Floreale, made with botanicals from the château’s gardens.
Jeanne & the Forest was built with flexibility in mind. The coworking areas allow guests to work from a peaceful setting without feeling cut off. The Home Office on the ground floor and the Work Lounge near the Kids Club provide quiet, design-led spaces for focused work or collaboration. Several areas can also be booked for events, whether it’s a wedding, conference or creative workshop. Families are welcome too, with children’s workshops, weekend activities and shared spaces designed for both adults and kids to engage together.
The Factory building, a 1970s brutalist-style structure once used for artisan training, now holds 39 “Pro Work” rooms for guests who need a functional but comfortable space to stay productive. These rooms carry a minimal yet industrial style, with dedicated working areas and the option to transform into suites that sleep up to four people. Also in the Factory is the Kids Club—a pastel-hued, nature-inspired space where children are free to play, with surprises like activity books and soft toys waiting in their rooms.
For well-being, the Health Club delivers a full experience. The space, painted in Klein blue, includes a heated indoor pool, sauna, hammam, gym, and five spa treatment rooms. Treatments use Codage products or the Renata França massage method, which focuses on lymphatic drainage and deep relaxation. A refreshment lounge with daybeds connects everything, making it easy to transition from movement to rest.
The Hangar, formerly a chapel built in the 1940s, has been reimagined as a multifunctional space for work and creativity. Its clean lines, T-shaped layout and stained-glass windows retain traces of its religious past, while new interiors support events and collaborative work sessions. Jeanne’s Greenhouse, located deep in the forest, serves as a glass-enclosed venue open from May to October, offering a stunning backdrop for both private and professional gatherings.
Nature plays a central role in everything at Jeanne & the Forest. The estate’s park, known as the Nursery, includes restored gardens originally designed by Charles Masson. Guests can explore named areas like the Baroque Forest or Enchanted Forest and visit Jeanne’s Rose Garden, which holds more than a hundred varieties of roses, including Crème de Chantilly. The château also keeps its own beehives, producing IGP linden honey used in its cuisine and breakfast offerings.
The château’s signature scent, Le Parfum de Jeanne, reflects its natural setting with notes of pine, earth and vanilla. Jeanne’s herbal tea—made with ingredients from the gardens, extends this connection to nature into the dining experience, served at the Social Bar.
Beyond the design and the setting, the spirit of Jeanne & the Forest is carried through by the experiences it offers. Every month, the property hosts activities that reflect its values: reconnecting with nature, nurturing creativity, and slowing down. From herbalism and pottery workshops to yoga sessions, candlelit dinners and outdoor cinema, the château invites everyone, from remote workers to families, to feel part of something thoughtful and quietly special.
The story of Château de Montvillargenne is one of evolution. From its beginnings in 1911 when Jeanne de Rothschild commissioned its construction, through war and reinvention as a novitiate, training centre and eventually a hotel, its history is layered and textured. Today, Jeanne & the Forest carries that past forward, not by trying to recreate it, but by letting it live and breathe in a space made for the present.
