© Royal Hainaut
Huge, charming, chic and elegant at the same time, the Royal Hainaut Spa & Resort Hotel in Valenciennes is a pearl in the middle of the city. Upon entering this building, one immediately feels a strong history, which deserves to be retraced in a few lines.
Monument
The renovated former Hainaut General Hospital was built under Louis XV in 1751. It became a prison and then a rest home, and was devastated during the Second World War. The end of his first life was that of a too dilapidated geriatric hospital.
In 2009, at the instigation of the Belgian Xavier Lucas, president and founder of Financiered Vauban, the developer specializing in prestigious old buildings decided to invest 70 million euros to revive this building classified as a Historic Monument on June 18 1945.
An unprecedented renovation
In 2019, after several years of work, everything was rebuilt as at the time and the building can begin its second life. During the largest renovation project for a listed private historical monument in France, the roof was restored to the same, i.e. 11,000 m2 of slate which found their dormers, as in 1752.
Let us now enter the places of this jewel in the heart of the city of Valenciennes. After crossing the majestic Court Honor, we enter under the immense glass roof bathed in light. The 450 blue stone vaults and 300 windows give an imposing grandeur to the building.
A judicious choice of colors and luxurious materials highlights an unsuspected heritage. Paintings and works of art from, some of which are in the magnificent 450m2 chapel, illuminate this unique place.
Spacious Suites and Rooms
The historical and architectural bases of our stay having been laid, let's talk about what the hotel offers. The 42 Suites and 37 Rooms with more than generous proportions (30 to 120 m2) offer a cozy setting, extreme comfort and absolute calm. Seven categories of Suites or Rooms are available for prices ranging from 125 to 475 euros.
For our part, we stayed in the “Senior Duplex Suite” (from 199 euros), very spacious (minimum area of 80m²) and on two floors. The seductive “Lifestyle” atmosphere is brought to life by the refinement of baroque, chic and harmonious decoration.
A Spa that is worth the detour
Many services and spaces are available within the establishment. Let's start with the Spa immersed in the heart of 1,200 m2 dedicated to well-being.
A magnificent and huge heated swimming pool is located under the vaults of blue stones and its pillars in the middle of the water. With also a sauna and a hammam under the starry sky, the “Spa by Royal Hainaut” really allows you to relax.
As for treatments, a card for solo or duo massages is available. The services are of high quality and very professional. Make-up, manicure or hair removal are also possible.
Finally, a small fitness room with ten machines is available to all customers.
High-end catering
After the relaxation, let's move on to the restoration. After an aperitif at the Atrium Bar Lounge, we dined at the La Galerie brasserie, one of the hotel's two restaurants.
Very well received in the heart of a magnificent setting, we tasted regional cuisine simmered with local flavors through the Gallery Menu (29 euros) that we recommend. The Gallery also offers an excellent selection of producer wines and craft beers.
Breakfast is served every day from 7 am to 10 am around a generous buffet with fresh seasonal products.
Sanitary measures
Open for a little over a year, the luxury hotel is one of the establishments that completely closed their doors during the health crisis. But since the deconfinement, the Royal Hainaut has reopened and welcomes customers with many security measures.
Wearing a mask is compulsory in the hotel, spa and restaurants. A direction of circulation has been set up and the rooms are disinfected regularly. Despite the additional costs generated, the establishment has not increased its prices.
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