Guess the Hotel: History, Elegance, Cuisine

This boutique hotel has only 22 rooms and suites, yet it employs a staff of about 100 to take care of guests and the extensive upkeep of the hotel and grounds. We'll have more of the hotel's history in our full review to come, but there's a U.S. connection, even though this isn't a U.S. hotel.

The astounding rooms have been painstakingly restored, down to intricate ceiling moldings, stained glass, and wooden floors. Accenting all of them are gorgeous bouquets of flowers from the hotel's own gardens.

Guess the Hotel: Flowers adorn the grand parlor

Flowers by a window that looks out to one of the outdoor fountains

With each room and suite individually decorated, it's hard to choose. Even this (comparatively) modest sized room has a four poster bed and its own balcony, with a view of one of the hotel's smaller fountains:

Room balcony, overlooking another hotel fountain

As alluded to in the post title, gastronomy is a highlight, with dinner in the main dining room the piece de resistance. From an extraordinary quartet of amuses bouches (I requested the recipe for one of them) to this masterful lobster composition and delectable guinea fowl main, it's surprising that the restaurant doesn't yet have a Michelin star, as the quality is definitely higher than a number of other Michelin star restaurants I've dined at.

More casual a la carte dinners are also available, in what used to be the servants' dining room. This pea risotto was fresh and flavorful, with some of the ingredients grown in the hotel's own garden.

Pea risotto in the hotel's casual dinner restaurant

There's also the Conservatory/Greenhouse, which serves lunch in the warmer months, and gets amazing light from its glass panes.

Breakfast offers plenty of choice, with various eggs benedict and smoked salmon options, brioche french toast, acai bowl, avocado toast, etc.; it was no problem for the kitchen to make smaller portions of items so I could try more than one dish. I especially enjoyed creamy yogurt with fresh berries, drizzled with the estate's own honey, plus housemade granola (another recipe that I'd love to get).

Breakfast yogurt with berries and estate honey

I also really liked this thick yet light pancake, topped with berries, maple syrup, and edible flowers from the hotel's own garden.

Pancake with berries, edible flowers, and maple syrup

Speaking of the garden, definitely walk up from the hotel to take a look at the many flowers, vegetables, and fruits the hotel grows itself, to fashion the bouquets and culinary dishes that delight its guests.