Having mentioned the Hotel Le Montrachet this week, more centrally in the Côte d’Or, I can tell you that there is a new hotel in the works Beaune.

I’ve always loved this great old building a stone-throw away from the Hospices de Beaune but also always been saddened that it has lain empty and seemingly unloved – but for a few weeks now, things have been afoot.

I’d always assumed that the building belonged to the Drouhin family as it was connected behind their offices in Rue d’Enfer – so this week, when tasting together, I asked Véronique Drouhin about it: “Yes, it’s a building that is owned by the family but the work isn’t us. We’ve leased out the building to a company that is developing a hotel – there won’t be a lot of rooms, maybe 15-18 – a kind of boutique hotel I think. We’re really looking forward to seeing the place being used.”

I’m also looking forward to a new place in Beaune, central and with plenty of parking in front. Hopefully, other absentee landlords will get the hint as there are too many great buildings languishing, seemingly forgotten, in Beaune today.