Le Castel, Normandy, France

Le Castel is a beautiful chateau in the Manche region of Normandy, in a wonderfully secluded, quiet and very green area, but within comfortable driving distance of loads of tourist attractions. The rooms inside are beyond gorgeous and all decorated terrifically with with their own bathrooms and an interconnected room for the kids. They are decked out in thick carpet, lovely beds and windows that open onto the huge garden - which is full of peaceful-looking hammocks, marquees, wendy houses, swings, bikes, toys, and a terrace perfect for lounging in the sun with a novel. It's impossible to overstate just how lovely and comfortable the accommodation was - we could have happily spent days and days in our high-ceilinged room, at the writing desk or in the bath, lounging by the window, (plus free wifi) - it was honestly extremely romantic, at night the only sound was crickets and the trees in the breeze which was so soothing, I slept like a log.
And while this was great for us, there's an incredible amount of thought been given to children. The idea is that the three suites (plus two self-contained gites) will either be fully booked out, or have a family in each, which means that the kids will be happy to play together so parents can relax.
Each of the three suites in the chateau has its own room for children, which each have something to make it a little extra special, like a huge stuffed tiger, colourful wall-hangings, bright paintings, plus low child-sized beds, and of course, books and toys and likewise for gites. I spotted toys in almost every corner of Le Castel - it really achieves a great balance of being perfect for kids without losing any of its style and sophistication.
The kitchens had plastic plates for kids, kettles, microwaves, plus plug converters, a hair dryer and even a baby monitor so you can enjoy a glass of wine downstairs in the main chateau living room without worry.
When we weren't drinking coffee in our suite, or lounging on the downstairs sofas with the two household cats, we ventured out into the countryside for some day trips. Our host, Jon, was extremely welcoming and friendly, and provided us daily with recommendations on what we might fancy, plus a helpful guide he'd written ('don't bring a pushchair to Mont-Saint-Michel' being one to remember!). We went to St Malo and took in some of the lovely sea-side views, and enjoyed some tasty galettes in the medieval town before we went for a wander around the cobbled streets, then on to Mont-Saint-Michel which was possibly one of the highlights of my year, let alone my trip - the Abbey is such a fantastical building that twists and winds like a labyrinth through cavernous rooms (which would be great for Harry Potter fans given how Hogwarts-esque it feels, especially the center garden.) And upon our return to the Chateau we were immediately offered a much-needed glass of wine - lovely!

We were offered many restaurant recommendations which was really helpful, and one memorable place in particular was suggested to us where we ate our weight in Moules Frites, right on the beach. The food at Le Castel was also delicious, with a fab spread of bread and pastries, jam, fruit, yoghurt and cereal each morning and then dinner in the evening was equally great (while we were there we enjoyed a brilliant meal of Duck Confit with local cheeses to follow) and we were made to feel quite welcome to help ourselves to a glass of wine whenever we fancied.

The attention to detail for children, plus the gorgeous interior and location makes Le Castel a really excellent place to stay on holiday, and I would recommend it.