Raymond Blanc’s Beloved Countryside Hotel Is Closing For Refurbishment

Raymond Blanc OBE’s beloved Oxfordshire retreat Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, A Belmond Hotel first welcomed guests through its doors in 1984, and it has been moving from strength to strength ever since. A pioneer of the garden-to-table movement with a laser-sharp focus on local, seasonal ingredients, the manor house hotel boasts two Michelin stars (which it has held onto for four decades) and a newer Michael Green Star as well as three Michelin Keys, setting Le Manoir apart as a truly exceptional place.

But for the first time in its 40-year history, Le Manoir is about to close its doors so it can begin a visionary redevelopment. Here’s what you need to know.

Inside Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons 18 Month Refurbishment

Le Manoir is set to close its doors in January 2026 with a scheduled reopening in summer 2027. It will be the historic countryside manor house we know and love zhuzhed up, with new suites and guest rooms in the Grade II listed main house, newly built garden villas, a spa and a second restaurant all on the agenda. The refurbishment has been in the works as early as summer 2022 when the £36 million plans got the green light from the local council, and will also include the all-new Raymond Blanc Academy set to be built in a timber-clad barn. Meanwhile the conservatory dining room is expected to be demolished and replaced, while the cocktail bar will shift to allow easier access to the formal gardens.

Le Manoir first welcomed guests through its doors in 1984. (Belmond)

Describing Le Manoir as his ‘the canvas of [his] life’s work,’ Raymond Blanc OBE calls his hotel ‘a sanctuary where passion, excellence, and beauty have come to life every single day for over four decades’.

‘Together with my extraordinary team, we have built something truly timeless,’ Blanc says. But the famous French chef is looking forwards, not back. This new redevelopment ‘will allow Le Manoir to evolve for the future’, Blanc says, ‘to meet the needs of the modern guest while staying true to its soul and values. It is not simply a renovation, but a reinvestment in sustainability, in creativity, and in the spirit of excellence that has defined us.’

Blanc, now aged 75, will also be taking a step back from his duties at Le Manoir upon the reopening, describing his role as ‘evolving’. ‘I remain deeply committed to guiding and nurturing the spirit of Le Manoir, as its Founder and Lifetime Ambassador, with the same love and vision that have shaped it since the very beginning,’ the chef says. ‘Lifetime Ambassador’ is not just a heartwarming notion: it’s Blanc’s new job title as he continues to champion innovative and responsible business practices at Le Manoir.

Blanc calls Le Manoir ‘the canvas of my life’s work’. (Belmond)

While Le Manoir was acquired by Belmond (then Orient-Express) in 2014, Blanc kept his position at the helm. Speaking to C&TH in 2023, Le Manoir’s head chef Luke Selby (who took the reins from Blanc in 2023) said: ‘I don’t think [Blanc] will ever stop. He’s always involved, he’s always here, he loves it. This is his home. He says it’s not about his legacy or anything, he just wants to leave it in a better place and make a difference. And he’s doing that.’ Belmond was acquired by French megapower LVMH in 2019, taking Le Manoir with it.

Ahead of the closure at the very beginning of 2026, Le Manoir invites guests to join Blanc and the team at the legendary property, with events on the autumn and winter schedule including a Four Hands dinner with Chef Helene Darroze, winter wreath making sessions, candlelight carols and more.

Prioritising sustainable, seasonal gastronomy and re-setting the agenda in the UK’s food sphere, Le Manoir has been a pioneering venue across its four decades, all under Blanc’s steering. To date, the beloved restaurant has trained 34 chefs who have gone on to earn Michelin stars, including Heston Blumenthal and Marco Pierre White.

A bedroom at Le Manoir.

On the hotel side, Blanc’s reimagining of the time-worn British bolthole has changed our nation’s hospitality game. Gone are the days of stiff upper lips and silver service: Blanc ushered in this era of indulgent, playful luxury that prioritises comfort and joy. As C&TH’s Amy Wakeham wrote of Le Manoir in 2023: ‘Everything is seamless. Every sight line is immaculate. From the moment you arrive and are handed a chilled glass of Veuve Clicquot or Hundred Hills English sparkling, to the moment you are waved off by the personable (but never stuffy) team, your stay at the hotel and restaurant feels guided by a warm, omniscient hand.’

All this earned Le Manoir the highest Michelin Key rating upon the system’s launch in the UK, as well as C&TH’s inaugural Sustainable Hotel of the Year Award in 2023.

Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons on the cover of C&TH’s Great British & Irish Hotels 2023/24.

Back then, sustainability journalist and judge Juliet Kinsman described Le Manoir as ‘a wonderful winner for really demonstrating how a high-end heritage hotel can reinvent itself as sustainable in so many ways, interrogating its existing processes and adapting its back of house, while also delivering second-to-none service and making its supply-chain processes part of the story.

‘We think Le Manoir will help disrupt the traditional luxury travel sector significantly,’ Juliet added. ‘It is also a really happy hotel, which is often neglected when we talk about hotels.’

Rooms at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons start from £854 per night.

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