Private castle for up to 15 people – Domaine Désirée

Welcome to Domaine Désirée

Live for a few days in a castle on a human scale, entirely privatized for your group.

In the heart of the small village of Méreuil, in the Hautes-Alpes, Domaine Désirée is a historic residence dating back to 1780.

Located on rue du Château, this castle of about 400 m² can accommodate up to 20 people in an authentic and friendly atmosphere.

Far from the castle-museum or the impersonal palace, Domaine Désirée is above all a large, living house, in which you can really settle down for a few days.

With its 10 bedrooms, shower rooms and bathrooms and its many living spaces, its configuration even allows twenty people to stay together without having the feeling of being on top of each other.

Everyone can find their place, isolate themselves for a while if they wish, then meet up with others around a large table, in the park, in the courtyard or in one of the living rooms.

A CASTLE JUST FOR YOUPGJyPg
This announcement concerns the privatization of the Domaine Désirée for your group.

Here, the idea is simple: you arrive together and, for a few days, you really take ownership of the house.

We prepare meals in the large kitchen, We meet around a large table, some play pool or piano while others enjoy the park, everyone goes to their room when they feel like it...

The Domaine is particularly suitable for family holidays, reunions with friends, birthdays, stays with several generations, or simply the desire to spend a few days together in a different place.

WHAT WE LIKE HERE

What we like most about Domaine Désirée is precisely this possibility of being numerous while conserving space.

First of all, there is the inner courtyard, surrounded by old stone walls. In the evening, it naturally becomes one of the places where we like to linger. You sit there, you chat and sometimes time passes without you realizing it.

Then there is the park, its huge trees and the birds that have made it their territory. You can walk there, sit in the shade, read, chat or simply take some time for yourself.

On sunny days, life also moves to the large covered terrace of about 90 m². Even when the summer evenings become cool, you can continue to enjoy the outdoors and organize large tables for up to 20 people.

EVENINGS UNDER THE STARS

Nights are also part of the charm of the place.

The south of the Hautes-Alpes benefits from particularly favourable conditions for observing the sky, thanks in particular to low light pollution. The region is also home to several sites dedicated to astronomy, including the Observatory of the Baronnies Provençales.

At the Domaine, when the sky is clear, all you have to do is go out into the courtyard or the park and look up. The amount of visible stars and the Milky Way can be striking.

It's one of those very simple pleasures: staying outside after dinner, looking at the sky and extending the evening a little longer.

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Inside, too, everyone ends up finding their favourite spot.

After a sauna, you can take a shower or enjoy a quiet bath.

For a quieter evening, the cinema lounge and its large screen allow a few people to watch a film comfortably.

And then there is the Salle Désirée, about 70 m², probably one of the liveliest rooms in the house.

There is a real old billiard table and a piano. We played music, organized karaoke, danced, improvised jams and experienced memorable rehearsals.

Depending on the moment, it becomes a room for games, music, parties, meetings... or simply the place where everyone ends up together.

And finally, some of the best moments are the simplest: those discussions with friends or family that start after dinner and end very late at night, in the courtyard or in one of the large rooms.

AROUND THE ESTATEPGJyPg
We also love the Estate for the diversity of what you can do around it.

In summer, the lakes and lakes in the area make it easy to go from the mountains to swimming. The lakes of the Germanette, near Serres, offer swimming and water activities.

To walk, there is no need to prepare for a large expedition: the paths start almost at the exit of the castle and allow you to discover the surrounding landscapes on foot.

A few minutes' walk away is also the village's petanque court, a meeting place for bowling enthusiasts and local competitions.

In winter, we like to go to La Joue du Loup, a resort in Le Dévoluy where you can ski in a family atmosphere. We also go back there in the summer for the mountains and walks.

There is also O'Dycéa, the Bains du Dévoluy, with pools, wellness area, saunas and hammams.

And then there are all these small restaurants and good family addresses that you can discover in the surrounding villages.

So you can move around a lot... or choose to do almost nothing.

Go for a walk in the morning, swim in the afternoon, dine outside and then end the day in the courtyard under the stars: that's also our idea of a holiday here.

A HOUSE FROM 1780 THAT HAS HAD SEVERAL LIVES

History is truly part of the identity of Domaine Désirée.

Built in 1780, the castle has survived nearly two and a half centuries and known different lives.

Over the course of its history, it has been a residence, an orphanage, an aerium and a medical home. We do not know the full chronology of these different periods with certainty, but each one belongs to the history of the place.

The estate also has a special history linked to Sweden and the Bernadotte family, as well as to the Swedish Red Cross and the French Red Cross.

The Bernadotte Pavilion and various elements still present in the property bear witness to this past.

It is in this history that the name is inscribed Domaine Désirée, in reference to Désirée Clary, who became Queen of Sweden and Norway under the name of Desideria.

What touches us perhaps most about the history of this house is that it was never simply a decoration.

It has been inhabited, transformed and used by successive generations.

Children have lived there, people have been welcomed or cared for, others have worked on it.

Today, a new page is being written and the Domaine is rediscovering a vocation that seems to have always been part of its history: to welcome.

SEMINARS, TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL STAYS

The Domaine also welcomes companies, trainers, associations and professional groups.

La Salle Désirée and the different spaces can be configured for a meeting, a training course, work collective or moments of conviviality.

Participants can work, eat, relax and sleep in the same place.

AN AREA THAT CAN ADAPT TO YOUR STAY

We also have several musical instruments and sports and weight training equipment.

This equipment is not permanently installed, but some can be made available upon prior request and when the configuration allows it.

Musical or sports stay, training, internship, rehearsal or special project: tell us about it before your arrival and we will look together at what is possible to organize.

THE SPIRIT OF THE DOMAINE DÉSIRÉE

The Domaine Désirée is not intended to be a standardised luxury hotel.

It is a castle on a human scale, with the character, the volumes and also the particularities of a residence built nearly 250 years ago.

Above all, it's a house made to be lived in: for large tables, children playing in the park, pool games, music, summer evenings and conversations that last much longer than expected.

Whether you're coming to meet your family, gather your friends, work together or simply live for a few days elsewhere, we want you to be able to make the Domaine your home for the duration of your stay.

Welcome home to Domaine Désirée.