Great Hotels Of The World: L’Abbaye de Talloires, France Review
Great Hotels Of The World
L’Abbaye de Talloires
France
Reviewed by Christine Charlesworth
Abbaye de Talloires has the kind of magic that will call you back to stay time and again. Certainly there was a couple whose 33rd visit corresponded with our stay and I can understand why they enjoy re-visiting every year. Set alongside the remnants of a Roman road, beside the peaceful banks of Lake Annecy, known as one of the most breathtakingly beautiful lakes in the Alps, L’Abbaye de Talloires emanates an air of peace and tranquillity. Converted into a hotel in the 17th century, the Abbaye is steeped in history and, as such, is a listed building of outstanding historical interest with many of its original features carefully preserved.
We arrived at Talloires mid-afternoon on Wednesday 3rd September having travelled by car from Southern France via Annecy, which nestles at the end of the lake is known as the ‘Venice of the Alps’ because of the flower-lined canals that run through the old town. The lake is among the cleanest in Europe and Talloires, the ‘Pearl of the Lake’, sits a short drive round the shore at the foot of the mountains Dents de Lanfon and Tournette.
As soon as we parked the car we were met by the porter who carried our bags and showed us into the main reception area, set in the original cloisters, which look into the central courtyard of the hotel. These are now a showcase for sculptures displayed in the cloister garden and are viewed through large arched windows set round three sides of the courtyard. To one side is a comfortable seating area with a clever trompe l’oeil depicting monks and to the other side is a large meeting room. The reception area is central to these two areas. The ceilings are high with ancient beams and the floors are polished stone.
Once we were welcomed and checked in by the very helpful staff at reception, we were taken up the wide stone staircase to our suite on the second floor. Our room overlooked the sparkling waters of the lake at the front of the hotel and another window gave a view over the rooftops of the small village of Talloires. We had a small sitting room with sofa, chair, table and TV together with two small dressing rooms, a separate toilet and a large bathroom with Jacuzzi bath, bidet, walk-in shower and twin washbasins. There were towelling robes and slippers for our use and a selection of good quality toiletries. The bedroom was large, with excellent furnishings, a marble fireplace and extra large bed. On a small table in front of the sofa there was a vase of fresh flowers from the garden, together with a bottle of sparkling water and a bag of delicate home-made cakes. Glancing round the bedroom I noticed a painting that I recognised. ‘Le Lac d’Annecy’ was painted by Paul Cezanne while he stayed in l’Abbaye from 1895 to 1896. This was a painted copy given to the hotel by the Courtauld Institute in London, where the original painting is on display.
Setting out for an early evening stroll we walked out of the front of the hotel, down the main steps and passing large conical shaped yews, we walked under a roof of pollarded plain trees, which offered a beautiful natural canopy for the candle-lit tables set for evening drinks overlooking the private pontoon beside the lake. It was a magical evening.
We were served dinner that evening in the restaurant ‘Aux Jardins Delices’ situated on the ground floor of l’Abbaye. Head Chef Olivier Descotes has been running the kitchens at l’Abbaye for a number of years and always insists on selecting his herbs and vegetables from the brick-paved garden, a heritage from the monks, approached through wisteria-clad arches at the side of the hotel. There are also special flowers grown in this garden which are used to great effect in many of his dishes. I really enjoyed the Courgette flower stuffed with Pelardon goat cheese and many of the other dishes have small flowers scattered within the garnish. My second course choice was duck breast fillets served with plums from the garden. We chose to select from the A La Carte menu, but there was also a L’Instant Du Chef menu for 70 Euros, which comprised 4 signature dishes according to the season or L’Instant Gourmand menu for 48 Euros which changes according to the Chef’s market basket. The hotel has a wine list which boasts over 850 types of wine. Charly, the sommelier, shares his passion for wine with visitors at various wine events, held at the hotel, throughout the year. It is also possible to have a tour of the historical wine cellar, situated in the vaulted caves beneath the hotel, where you can sample some of the wonderful wines.
The following day I met with Mme Dunja Studen Kirchner who has been the General Manager of L’Abbaye de Talloires for over 12 years. She had an obvious love for the hotel and an excellent rapport with her staff and all her guests. We sat out under the trees at the front of the hotel, drinking a fragrant tea made with a selection of fresh herbs from the garden and eating delicate small cakes made by the Pastry Chef, Isabelle Rouget. Mme Kirchner was able to tell me much about the hotel, which over the years has been visited by many famous guests, including Mark Twain, Paul Cezanne and Gabriel Lippman, who was the inventor of colour photography and who took his first successful colour photograph in the cloisters. Also politicians such as Winston Churchill and Richard Nixon and composers, Cesar Franck and Gabriel Fauré have all stayed at the hotel. French film actor Jean Reno loved the hotel so much that he became a shareholder and visits regularly.
The hotel is a wonderful venue for weddings and has a large marquee and gravel area leading into the gardens beside the hotel for wedding receptions. There are many events held in the hotel throughout the year, including concerts in the Grande Galerie, which is also the venue for art exhibitions and other events.
A number of the 33 bedrooms have been converted from the original monks’ cells. Some have balconies, others have lake views. Suites are situated on the second floor and high up in the eaves on the top floor there is a wellness centre with Jacuzzi and sauna for use by the guests, where special treatments can be booked, including massage, body wraps and face care.
Beside the lake there is a private pontoon with reclining seats and a small jetty giving direct access for the hotel’s private motor boat. We enjoyed relaxing here in the hot sunshine before venturing out for a row on the lake. The water was crystal clear and, surprisingly, not too cold for a swim. Looking up towards the mountains behind Talloires we saw that the sky was dotted with groups of paragliders. Because of the excellent thermals in this area, and the good road access to the top of the mountain, it has become a well-known area for this sport. Early the following morning, however, while we relaxed on the pontoon after breakfast, the silence was interrupted by a helicopter that had been called to rescue a person hooked by his paraglider on trees at the side of a high cliff. Apparently this is not an uncommon occurrence.
We ate lunch at La Table de Cezanne , the hotel’s brasserie restaurant, in front of the hotel, shaded by the canopy of trees. The food was very good and the service excellent. Buffet Breakfast was served each morning in the grill room next to the main restaurant and we were pleased to be offered a selection of local and national newspapers. English newspapers can also be ordered in advance at reception.
Because this hotel is of historic interest it is impossible to have lifts fitted or to alter or extend the building. There are also no air conditioning units, but all rooms are equipped with fans. Rooms have been furnished for comfort and all are in keeping with the age of the hotel.
L’Abbaye de Talloires will be closed from the end of October until St. Valentine’s Day next year for a variety of works to be carried out. Mme Kirchner explained that the main work this year would be to take off and re-paint all the shutters and also several of the bedrooms would be completely refurbished.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the hotel and look forward to visiting again in the future.
Rating: 5/5 
l’Abbaye de Talloires, Chemin des Moins, 74290 Talloires, France
Information & Reservations:
Tel: 33(0)4 50 60 77 33 / E-mail: abbaye@abbaye-talloires.com / www.abbaye-talloires.com
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