La Maison d'Ambronay
Playful-chic schoolhouse conversion. Contemporary design with deliberate nods to the building's past — think Art Deco boudoir meets pool changing room meets marble fireplace, all inside former classrooms. Run by a hands-on host who knows every antique dealer and good restaurant within 50km.
Book the table d'hôtes when you reserve your room — Nathalie does not offer it every night and it books up
Why It Matters
Selected by Tablet Hotels and listed by Gault&Millau. One of very few places to sleep inside a genuinely converted French village school, with rooms named after school year groups (CE1, CE2, CM1, CM2). The host, Nathalie Schlienger — a former Lyon graphic arts professional — did the transformation herself and runs the place personally.
A 19th-century village schoolhouse in Ambronay — the kind of place sold by the town hall when it got too small — transformed in 2016 by Nathalie Schlienger into a four-room B&B with serious style and zero pretension. The schoolhouse soul is very much intact: blackboards used as headboards, old school desks in the alcoves, vintage globes, maps of the world on the walls. But the rooms themselves are genuinely large (each 50m²) with XXL bathrooms, perfect linen, and total quiet. It sits directly opposite the 11th-century Benedictine abbey in the centre of Ambronay, one hour from Geneva and 45 minutes from Lyon.
Where You'll Stay
4 room types available
CE1 — Piscine
From EUR130 / nightThe CE1 is the only room that sleeps up to four people. The big design statement here is the bathroom, tiled to look exactly like a 1970s municipal swimming pool changing room — all ceramic and nostalgia. Two rattan-headed double beds (160x200 each) sit inside what used to hold twenty school bags. An alcove kitted out with old school desks is good for reading or genuinely trying to conjugate irregular French verbs.
2 x Double (160x200cm) · 50 sqm
CE2 — Art Déco
From EUR130 / nightThe most refined room in the house. Rose-powder tones, Art Deco detailing, a balcony with a view of the village castle and its orangerie. There's a writing desk for anyone who wants to feel like they're composing letters in a Parisian salon. The bathroom leans into the aesthetic with 1900-style double sinks and mosaic shower tiles.
Double (160x200cm) · 50 sqmCM1 — Estrade
From EUR130 / nightThe CM1 takes its design cue from the teacher's platform (estrade) — traditionally the most elevated, authoritative spot in the room. Here the bed sits on the raised platform, which also houses a walk-in shower and a bathtub integrated into it. It's a clever spatial trick that makes the bathroom feel like part of the room rather than a separate compartment.
Double (160x200cm) · 50 sqm
CM2 — Marbre
From EUR130 / nightThe most dramatic of the four rooms. A freestanding bathtub sits open to the bedroom itself — not tucked away in a separate bathroom — alongside a fireplace. The marble theme runs through the fixtures and surfaces. Walk-in shower and separate WC complete the layout.
Double (160x200cm) · 50 sqmThe Property
Eat & Drink
2 venues on property
Restaurant
On Property
How you'll actually spend your days.
Selection of board games and a library of books available for guests.
Foosball table in the covered courtyard — apparently taken very seriously.
The original school playground courtyard still has a hopscotch grid painted on it, under a large lime tree. Good for unwinding.
Vintage pinball machine (flipper) in the old kitchen/breakfast room.
Full ping-pong table in the covered courtyard.
Electric bikes available to rent from the property for exploring the Ain countryside and local villages.
Packed picnic baskets available on request — useful for day trips to the Ain valley or abbey grounds.
Wine tasting can be organised at the property.
Amenities & Practical Info
The details that matter for planning.
A meeting room available for hire — the property advertises itself as suitable for small professional retreats ('escapades à Haut Potentiel').
Large courtyard terrace with sun loungers, fairy lights, and a lime tree. Former school playground.
Small on-site shop selling artisan décor objects, souvenirs, paper goods, regional products, and seasonal artisan ice creams (summer).
Rainwater harvesting on site — part of the property's eco-conscious infrastructure.
Airport transfer service to/from Lyon-Saint-Exupéry Airport available at additional cost. Must be arranged in advance.
Electric vehicle charging point on site.
Private parking available. Additional free parking at the Abbey forecourt directly outside.
BUILD YOUR LA MAISON D'AMBRONAY PLAN
Rooms, dining, spa, and resort experiences — organized into one trip plan.
Start Planning