Hotel Le Bois Dormant: A tranquil haven in the woods

“There are times when you just want to disconnect from the stress of everyday life,” says Elie Sclafer, manager of Le Bois Dormant (‘The Sleeping Wood’) Hotel, Restaurant and Spa in eastern France. “And that’s what our guests can do here, in our haven in the woods.”

Amidst some six hectares of green woodland just west of the French/Swiss border, and about two hours’ drive north of Lyon, the hotel aims to be a haven of peace and tranquillity. “Each of our 40 bedrooms looks out onto the wooded parkland around the hotel. We have a variety of rooms from twins and doubles to triple and family rooms which sleep up to four people, and they are all specially designed so that you can either see the sun rise or the sun set.”

With a designated space for meetings, seminars and functions, as well as an outdoor children’s play area, the hotel is equally well-suited to both business, leisure and family visits.

There’s also a spa with a large swimming pool surrounded by picture windows looking out to the woods. Other facilities include a Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room, not to mention a wide range of well-being massage treatments such as reflexology and foot massage.

For business guests, Le Bois Dormant’s meeting space, complete with audio-visual equipment, is suitable for a range of different-sized events from between ten and 140 people, such as team-building weekends and seminars to conferences and presentations.

“Whether our guests are visiting for business or leisure, good food is also an aspect which is key for us,” says Sclafer. In the summer, lunches and dinners can be enjoyed on the outdoor terrace or, for business events, in the private function room.

The menu features a mix of local specialities, traditional recipes and the chef’s innovations, with dishes including risotto of baked scallops with saffron, the chef’s own secret recipe for ‘vendace’ (whitefish) with chanterelle mushrooms and grenoble sauce, as well as traditional favourites such as steak with cream and mushroom sauce and veal escalope.

There is also a wide selection of home-made ice creams and sundaes, as well as an extensively stocked wine cellar.

Web: www.bois-dormant.com