Carpe Diem guest house and gîte in Sélestat

The guest house Carpe Diem is located in a big house from the 30’s in Sélestat. Virginie and Eric originally lived in an apartment in this house, which was originally divided into two units. As the other owners were leaving, the idea of buying back their apartment and opening a guest house was born in their minds. This required a lot of adjustments, of course, but they didn’t mind and they did it well! The result is a beautiful guest house that can comfortably accommodate its guests!

The first floor of the house is now where the couple lives and where meals (breakfast and table d’hôtes) are taken, while the upper floors are dedicated to guest rooms (including a studio that can also be rented as a gite) and a large common living room. Finally, the basement has been converted into a spa. The large garden has also been designed to be very welcoming: tables and chairs on the terrace as well as a petanque court await the amateurs. So the space available is really important, which is nice!

I love it when guest rooms have a common room, which allows for more space than a single room, but also eventually to get together with others and share good times. The Carpe Diem lounge has been particularly well thought out in this sense: more than a lounge, it is a real playroom! In addition to having a tea or coffee in one of the big armchairs, you can play a game of pool (for young and old alike: there is an extra mini pool table so that the little ones can enjoy it too!) or borrow one of the many board games available. Unless one prefers to read one of the books on Alsace found in the library…

My room at Carpe Diem

I stayed in the studio “Coeur”, a duplex studio that can be rented as a bed and breakfast or as a gîte. It is indeed fully equipped with a nice kitchen, so you can choose to rent it as a vacation apartment. The studio is comfortable and the space is really nice: the beams have been preserved, which really gives the place charm. It’s sometimes a little convoluted, with lots of nooks and crannies, but personally I really like this type of atmosphere! The “first floor” of the studio has a living room, dining room and kitchen area while the bedroom and bathroom are upstairs.

I was also able to visit another room, which can accommodate families: it has a room with bathroom for the parents and a room with two single beds and a bathroom for the children. Very well thought out and laid out! This is one of the points that is important to Virginie and Eric: that every “type” of traveler can feel comfortable in their guesthouse, whether it is a family, a couple or a solo traveler! That’s a nice state of mind 🙂

Guest table

Eric has always loved to cook: the opening of the guest house was a good opportunity to get behind the stove and make good food for the guests! He takes great pleasure in cooking local products (most of the products are bought by Virginie in the surrounding farms) to make traditional Alsatian dishes and/or revisit them. In any case, you can enjoy it from appetizer to dessert!

Breakfast at Carpe Diem Guest House

The breakfast is very copious. Various breads, cold cuts, cheese, fresh fruit salad, homemade jams, fruit juice, cakes, brioche or homemade kougelhopf made by Virginie… A great way to start the day!

Spa at Carpe Diem

Carpe Diem Guest House has a small, beautifully appointed spa in the basement of the house. It features a Jacuzzi, a hammam and a small relaxation area with bubble chairs. For a guest house, this is already really impressive!

Location

The Carpe Diem guest rooms are located in a residential area of Selestat, 5 minutes walk from the train station. The city center is not far either (15 minutes walk) and I advise you to visit it, Selestat is not very well known but very cute. The Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle is just a stone’s throw away, as are the Wine Route and the Ried d’Alsace, as well as the Monkey Mountain and the Eagles’ Volerie. Another big advantage for Selestat is that it is located halfway between Colmar and Strasbourg. Perfect as a base for visiting Alsace!

My photos of the Carpe Diem guest house in Selestat