Whereas Paris stays a mainstay in romanticised European journey adventures, France’s intimate palace motels and family-run Relais & Châteaux properties are driving a quiet renaissance in luxurious tourism and reimagining the quintessential summer season escape. LUXUO goes past the Champs-Élysées to highlight boutique motels and rural Michelin-starred escapes that cater to luxurious travellers searching for a relaxed retreat past Paris’ metropolis bustle.

From Provence to the Loire Valley, this journey information seems at how French boutique motels experiment with design and culinary distinction, providing greater than the common resort expertise. These locations provide an all-in-one expertise — with château suites overlooking rose gardens, Michelin-starred meals served in vintage salons and winery walks within the golden gentle of southern hills — LUXUO explores France by way of a distinct lens.

Le Grand Contrôle, the Lodge on the Château de Versailles

Tucked inside the storied grounds of the Château de Versailles, Le Grand Contrôle affords visitors a uncommon probability to expertise French historical past from inside. Designed in 1681 by Louis XIV’s famed architect — Jules Hardouin-Mansart — the constructing as soon as served because the residence of the palace’s Finance Controller. At present, it stands as an opulent restoration of 18th-century grandeur. Its interval furnishings, ornate materials and curated antiques transport visitors to the peak of the royal court docket.

Every of the 13 rooms and suites overlooks the Orangery Gardens, with interiors that keep the resort’s historic appeal alongside the convenience of modern-day consolation. Private butlers attend to each element whereas a refined culinary programme led by Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse ensures a keep is worthy of Versailles itself. From elegant breakfasts to dramatic, candlelit banquets — every eating expertise displays the indulgence of the palace’s golden age.

Company take pleasure in unique entry to the Château past common visiting hours — from early-morning horseback rides within the royal park to personal excursions of the Corridor of Mirrors. The Airelles Spa by Valmont offers a tranquil counterpoint to the grandeur exterior with its serene pool and signature remedies. For youthful visitors, Le Grand Contrôle affords whimsical adventures — pony rides, mermaid swims and playful afternoon teas impressed by Queen Marie Antoinette.

Location: 12 Rue de l’Indépendance Américaine, 78000 Versailles, France

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Les Hauts de Loire Relais & Châteaux

Simply two hours from Paris, Les Hauts de Loire is a historic Nineteenth-century residence surrounded by 70 hectares of tranquil woodland, ponds and manicured parkland. As soon as a noble looking lodge, the property has advanced into one in every of France’s most celebrated countryside escapes. This Relais & Châteaux property displays the magnificence of a real French household dwelling.

Set within the coronary heart of the Loire Valley — usually known as “the backyard of France” — the property lies amid a area famed for its Renaissance châteaux, UNESCO-listed landscapes and over 70,000 hectares of vineyards producing distinguished wines like Chinon and Vouvray. Company can unwind in serene rooms, discover wooded trails or loosen up by the pool. Be it having fun with a quiet morning stroll, a recreation of tennis or a spirited spherical of pétanque close to the lakes, the property affords a delicate rhythm of dwelling that celebrates one of the best of the area.

Artwork stays a significant thread within the property’s identification. Sculptures and installations by modern artists are thoughtfully built-in into the panorama — most notably The Nice Deer of Les Hauts de Loire by Pierre Yermia, which welcomes visitors on the entrance. With its appeal, pure magnificence and impeccable hospitality, Les Hauts de Loire affords an idyllic escape for {couples}, households or teams searching for area, tradition and culinary excellence simply past Paris metropolis.

Location: 79 Rue Gilbert Navard, 41150 Veuzain-sur-Loire, France

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Castel Beau Web site

Tucked right into a serene cove alongside Brittany’s famed Pink Granite Coast, Castel Beau Web site is among the many most picturesque addresses within the Côtes d’Armor. Following a restoration, this beloved resort has reclaimed its place as a chic seaside retreat — making it the perfect base to discover the area’s uncooked coastal magnificence. Simply minutes from Perros-Guirec, Castel Beau Web site invitations travellers to savour one in every of France’s most enchanting coastlines.

Just a few hours from Paris by prepare, the journey brings visitors by way of the quiet appeal of Lannion earlier than arriving on the shores of Ploumanac’h — a land steeped in legend, marked by placing pink-hued rock formations and huge ocean views. Initially in-built 1928, Castel Beau Web site started as a modest guesthouse earlier than being requisitioned throughout WWII, later serving as a army vacation dwelling. In 2002, it was revived by new possession and ultimately joined the H8 Assortment in 2018.

The shoreline’s dramatic granite formations — formed over 300 million years — paint the panorama in tender shades of gray, rose and salmon. One in every of solely three such websites on this planet, it affords a compelling backdrop for coastal hikes, boat excursions to the Sept-Îles and restful days by the ocean. Castel Beau Web site’s unbeatable seafront location, historic appeal and immersive setting, affords a uncommon probability to really change off.

Location:  137 Rue Saint-Guirec, 22700 Perros-Guirec, France

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Château de Berne

Within the hinterland of Provence — within the coronary heart of 500 hectares of nature, a small highway winding by way of forest and olive groves results in Château de Berne — a five-star Relais et Châteaux in Provence. The journey begins with the Château’s totally different wines, all from the 150 hectares of natural vines. It continues with experiences primarily based on nature and a sure concept of the artwork of dwelling in Provence.

Wine, wellness and the rhythms of Provençal life come collectively right here. The property’s elegant rooms, non-public villas, award-winning eating by Michelin-starred chef Louis Rameau and listing of actions — that vary from spa rituals to cooking courses and winery excursions — are designed to make each second mirror the artwork de vivre of the area.

The resort’s 34 rooms and villas overlook the encompassing vines, with every area styled to stability rustic appeal and modern luxurious. In the meantime, the property’s culinary identification is anchored by Le Jardin de Berne, the place domestically sourced, seasonal substances information a considerate, sustainable menu. For one thing extra informal, visitors can go for the on-site bistro, the Chef’s Desk expertise or a picnic beneath the Provençal solar. From immersive wine tastings to moments of stillness on the spa or leisurely countryside walks, Château de Berne invitations visitors to attach with nature in one in every of France’s most idyllic areas. The property additionally hosts weddings, non-public occasions and seminars, providing an intimate various to city-based hospitality.

Location: Chemin des Imberts, 83780 Flayosc, France

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Les Prés d’Eugénie

Les Prés d’Eugénie (also referred to as The Meadows of Eugénie) is a romantic Relais & Châteaux property that may be a sanctuary of haute delicacies and French magnificence. At its coronary heart is known chef Michel Guérard — a pioneer of nouvelle delicacies — whose three-Michelin-starred restaurant continues to enchant gourmands from around the globe. Set inside an 18th-century retreat surrounded by rose gardens and mineral-rich thermal springs, the property embodies the artwork of sluggish dwelling.

This poetic hideaway was dropped at life by Christine and Michel Guérard and is now lovingly stewarded by their daughters Adeline and Eléonore. Every a part of the property — from the herb gardens and centuries-old sizzling springs to the symphonic kitchens — displays the household’s heritage. Scattered throughout lush gardens and historic buildings, the 45 rooms and suites are embellished with antiques and nice artwork and every area opens out to tranquil views of the property’s rose and water gardens.

For over 45 years, the connoisseur restaurant at Les Prés d’Eugénie has held three Michelin stars — showcasing a longstanding legacy of culinary excellence. Michel Guérard and Hugo Souchet craft menus impressed by the land, combining seasonal substances with imaginative strategies. Anticipate dishes like hearth-roasted lobster, morel-stuffed parcels and ethereal Béchamel soufflés — all served within the stately Empress Lounges with intuitive service.

For a extra rustic tackle Gascon custom, La Ferme aux Grives affords comforting fare in a setting of stone partitions and open fireplaces. Right here, plump Landes chickens and suckling pigs roast slowly within the fireplace, alongside slow-cooked casseroles and truffle-studded mac and cheese. Heat hospitality and beneficiant desk d’hôte settings make this countryside inn a favorite for households and buddies.

Location: Place de l’Impératrice, 334 Rue René Vielle Vieille, 40320 Eugénie-les-Bains, France

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Chateau Lagrezette

Just below 5 kilometres from the V86 route, Château Lagrézette is a historic wine property in southwest France the place heritage, structure and viticulture converge. With a winemaking historical past stretching again over 500 years, the property as we speak spans 90 hectares of vineyards throughout three distinct terroirs, all harvested by hand. On the coronary heart of the winemaking operation is a placing, three-level underground gravity-flow cellar — a marvel of contemporary engineering in-built 1992. Company are invited to find the château by way of curated tastings and wine workshops, provided year-round by reservation. Direct-to-door wine gross sales and worldwide delivery are additionally obtainable.

The château itself stands on Twelfth-century foundations and was rebuilt within the fifteenth century by Adhémar de Massaut. Initially a medieval fortress perched above the Lot River, it was enhanced within the Renaissance period with elegant architectural particulars. By the mid-Twentieth century, the fort had fallen into disrepair, however was rescued in 1980 by entrepreneur and artwork patron Alain Dominique Perrin. His bold restoration efforts returned Château Lagrézette to its former glory and earned it classification as a Historic Monument in 1982. Perrin — additionally identified for his work with Cartier and Richemont — stays intently concerned with the property, internet hosting dinners and sharing wines from his non-public cellar with visitors.

One of many property’s most exceptional historic figures is Marguerite de Massaut, granddaughter of the château’s unique builder and its first feminine inheritor. In 1503, she initiated the property’s earliest recorded harvest. Her stewardship of the property throughout her husband’s wartime absence earned her the title of “Dame d’Honneur,” a legacy nonetheless honoured as we speak by way of one of many property’s most prestigious cuvées and commemorated within the fort’s ceremonial fire.

Guests to Lagrézette can select from a wide range of immersive wine experiences from “the invention Workshop” — providing a one-hour guided tour of the barrel cellar, ending with a tasting of a signature Malbec to the excellent — to the Introductory Workshop — providing a floor-by-floor take a look at the winemaking course of from harvest to barrel, concluding with a tasting of the château’s prime vintages.

The property’s wines are rooted in centuries of custom and terroir. Malbec has been cultivated right here since not less than the fifteenth century and beneath Perrin’s steering — with oenological enter from Michel Rolland — the grape was re-established because the signature of the domaine. At present, the vines stretch throughout greater than 60 hectares in Caillac, producing Malbec, Merlot and Tannat on mineral-rich clay-limestone and siliceous soils. Guide care — together with stripping and thinning — ensures that solely probably the most fragrant and high-quality grapes are chosen.

The property additionally extends to Rocamadour, dwelling to 10 hectares of white varietals together with Viognier and Chardonnay. Grown in dense plantings and harvested within the cool hours of early morning, these grapes produce recent, fragrant wines which have acquired worldwide acclaim.

Location: Domaine de Lagrézette, 46140 Caillac

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Les Sources de Caudalie

Positioned within the coronary heart of the Château Smith Haut Lafitte vineyards, Les Sources de Caudalie is Bordeaux’s main luxurious resort and spa. Constructed to combine with its pure environment, the property affords a complete hospitality expertise that focuses on sustainability, regional gastronomy and wellness. With a robust dedication to environmental accountability, the resort was not too long ago awarded the European Ecolabel — recognising greater than 20 years of ongoing work to scale back its ecological footprint.

Les Sources de Caudalie can also be dwelling to La Grand’Vigne, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant led by chef Nicolas Masse. The menu is pushed by seasonality and native sourcing, with a lot of the produce coming straight from the resort’s vegetable backyard or regional companions. On the wellness entrance, the on-site Vinothérapie Spa — the primary of its form — options remedies developed by Caudalie utilizing grape-derived antioxidants and thermal spring water drawn from 540 metres underground. Services embody a hammam, jacuzzi, thermal pool and leisure areas.

The resort includes 62 rooms and suites distributed throughout six buildings impressed by conventional regional structure. Every area is individually styled with a mixture of classic furnishings and fashionable touches. For bigger teams or households, the property additionally affords a non-public lakeside condominium and the close by Chartreuse de Château le Thil, a separate constructing with 11 rooms set inside a forested park. Company staying on the Chartreuse de Château le Thil profit from full entry to the principle resort’s amenities. General, Les Sources de Caudalie presents a mannequin of sustainable, experience-led luxurious hospitality in one in every of France’s most well-known wine-producing areas.

Location: Smith Haut-Lafitte, 33650 Martillac, France

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Cheval Blanc St-Tropez

Cheval Blanc Saint-Tropez is among the French Riviera’s most unique properties, holding the uncommon Palace distinction and positioned simply steps from the Mediterranean shoreline. Designed as a up to date homage to the village’s creative heritage, the resort integrates a curated gallery area with and a robust emphasis on service. Its design attracts from native supplies and architectural traditions, reinterpreted by way of a contemporary lens to attraction to luxurious travellers searching for privateness and hospitality. The property affords a variety of rooms and suites, many with views of the ocean or pine-shaded gardens and all appointed with bespoke furnishings and refined nods to the area’s cultural identification.

The resort’s culinary programme is led by chef Arnaud Donckele, whose method to Provençal delicacies has earned essential approval for its technical refinement and give attention to native sourcing. Eating on the Cheval Blanc Saint-Tropez is structured round regional produce and seasonal availability. Past the kitchen, visitors have entry to a spa providing tailor-made wellness remedies, delivered in non-public rooms overlooking the encompassing pines. The general expertise is supported by a workforce of educated Ambassadors, whose function is to anticipate visitor wants and personalise every stick with discretion. Cheval Blanc Saint-Tropez positions itself not solely as a leisure vacation spot but in addition as a benchmark in luxurious hospitality on the French Riviera.

Location: Plage de la Bouillabaisse, 83990 Saint-Tropez, France

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