The good thing when living abroad for a limited time is that you are closer to places that would be too far to go for a weekend usually. Living in Lausanne enables me to deeply discover France which is typically a minimum of 6-7 hours driving from Austria or Munich. Therefore I used my last six weeks in Switzerland to enjoy the beauty of the neighbouring countries and thought, the end of April is perfect for dipping into Burgundy. Famous for its “climats”, we can say the most famous Grand Crus come from this renowned region: Chambertin, Romanee-Conti, Clos de Vougeot, Montrachet, Corton and the list is never-ending. When I go to France, there is only one requirement I have. No way I stay somewhere else than at a Relais and Chateaux property because I feel that only then I immerse the region and get the best out of the vibes a place has. Honestly, if you need to decide on staying at a Relais & Chateaux, France is the place to go for it. Nowhere else in the world will you have the chance to have a hotel experience closer to the lifestyle of the good old days than in the country of origin of the brand.

Driving into sunsets is always amazing, but this time it was even more special once I left the highway in Beaune and immediately were driving through the beautiful vineyards of the Cote d’Or wine region. It took me about 20 minutes once I reached the dreamy town of Bussiere where at the end of the centre, I found a large gate indicating “Abbaye de la Bussiere”. I have a weakness for hotel gates that open when you ring the bell or are authorised to enter the property (L’Andana in Tuscany does this pretty well), and so once the gates opened and I drove into the park, I was already impressed. It felt like driving into a different world once I came to the big lake that is the heart of the grounds. At one point I got a glimpse on the Abbey – the main building – where the sun rays now turned the place into a unique, spiritual one. I was speechless and needed to stop a few times to take pictures of this picture-perfect setting. At one time, the owner passed by with the house dog and greeted briefly – turns out it’s not the first time guests stop every 10 meters to make pictures of the ever beautiful grounds.

At a certain time, I finally made it to the main entrance of the hotel where the owner was already waiting for me, and his lovely daughter just came out of the lobby to welcome me as well. It felt like as if I came to see a bunch of friends for the weekend. I mean that’s what makes travels so special, not only do you get to see many new things and places, it’s also great to connect and meet people you would usually never have the chance to meet. I was accompanied into the abbey, and I still didn’t process all these feelings. It wasn’t the first time I stay at a Relais & Chateaux in France but it was the first of this kind (a Chateaux styled luxury abbey), and I, therefore, had to “WOW” every 10 seconds. Check-in was done super quick, and they needed nothing from my side which was very cool and convenient after such a long drive. So therefore we immediately started the tour to the room.

Walking up the huge staircase in the main abbey felt like entering another world. There were four common lounges on the first floor, each with a different theme: one art loft, one hunter room as well as the bar/main lounge with fireplace which was my absolute favourite place during the stay. They even serve drinks there so I couldn’t resist a small aperitif before my dinner reservation in their Michelin starred restaurant. When we continued the tour, I got to see the restaurants from above, and then we finally reached the end of the building where my room was located. I was allocated “Fontenay” which is a Deluxe Double Room on the first floor. To be honest, I really like corner rooms as you have additional windows on the side and their layout is always a bit more special. So I was absolutely happy with the choice and still hesitate to decide what I loved most about the room. Was it the amazingly beautiful bed, the large bathtub or the view onto the lake and the green of the garden?

Let’s have a look into my room: There was a massive bathroom with double vanities, toilet, walk-in shower, large bathtub with Jacuzzi facilities as well as plenty of amenities including the exclusive Bulgari toiletries which made the stay even more pleasant. The rest of the room was a combined living- and bedroom with a window next to the comfy double bed, two bottles of complimentary water next to it as well as a desk with a welcome bottle of local cassis spirit. In the centre of the room was a sofa with a table where they provided a handmade cake with cassis as well as a sideboard with television, Nespresso coffee machine. Other than that there was a wardrobe with safe and a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the hotel garden. Turndown service has also been done, however, I arrived after 8 pm so that’s why it was provided already. In general, I loved the attention to detail and the many welcome amenities you begin to see rarer in today’s times.

Since I had a reservation at their gastronomic restaurant, there was not much time left to enjoy the room so I showered quickly and changed so I was back down at 8.30pm. Read about the restaurant in the separated restaurant check. What I found most interesting is that Abbaye de la Bussiere offers dedicated weekend offers that includes a two-night stay with breakfast, a dinner in the Michelin-starred restaurant and one dinner in the Brasserie which is a great deal given that there are not too many restaurant options nearby (besides Beaune and Dijon). So I will just write about breakfast in this review. Served in the Brasserie and a salon on the ground floor, the style is a buffet and a bit of a la carte (for any egg dishes). I was welcomed in a friendly way and served excellent coffee and orange juice. Generally, the buffet is huge considering the size of the hotel and the quality is top-notch. From fresh local cheeses, amazing Baguette and pain au chocolat to fresh charcuterie from around the area. Overall I was happy with the breakfast offer and didn’t need to have lunch as I was so full still.

Overall, my stay at Abbaye de la Bussiere was just perfect to explore Burgundy at its best – the location is very good for checking out the famous vineyards and cultural sights this area has to offer. I absolutely loved the personal touches by the Cummings family who is on site throughout and even lives on the grounds. They told me that they are in the process of building an outdoor pool and a few more rooms which I really look forward to as I think the abbey is a great place to stay especially in summer when you can bike and do picnics all over the pretty spots in Burgundy. I can warmly recommend this fantastic Relais & Chateaux property, and if you book early enough, you are able to score prices with excellent value for money.

Disclaimer: During my trip to Burgundy, we were guests of the Cummings Family and stayed at Abbaye de la Bussiere for editorial purposes. Opinions are our own as usual and have not been influenced. Luxury Executive is a blog published by tourism experts and all reviews purely focus on the hotel and destination.