Chartres, France
Hotel & Spa Le Grand Monarque Chartres
Historic coaching inn
Historic coaching inn
This coaching inn has welcomed travellers since 1634, running today under the same family with thermal baths and storied Loire cellars.
What it’s good at
Notable
Former seventeenth-century coaching inn keeping original iron horse-tethering rings in the courtyard.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
The interiors have been updated, and their antique character has been respected, but also updated, with modern gestures that complement the original elements.
Right in the middle
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Place des Épars sits at the edge of the historic center, just a short walk through town from Chartres Cathedral.
The rooms
Bedrooms preserve their period antique character alongside crisp modern bathrooms, keeping the unhurried scale of a traditional French home.
The pool
Bring a swimsuit.
The heated indoor sensory pool looks out through glass doors onto an open sun terrace.
Sauna and cold plunge
A cedar sauna looks toward the courtyard, steps away from a mood-lit polar cold plunge bath.
The spa and gym
Treatment cabins use Vinésime and Baïja products, set beside a fitness studio equipped with a Pilates Reformer.
At the table
Michelin-starred Le Georges cooks with regional Loire ingredients. In the courtyard, Brasserie La Cour sits beneath a glass-roofed orangery.
How it began
The inn takes its name from King Henri IV, the only French monarch crowned inside Chartres Cathedral.
The app
Like this one? There are so many more.
Swipe any city’s hotels and heart the ones you love. The app gets your taste.
Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.