Relais & Châteaux hotels that master art de vivre
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From theatrical château stays to art-filled farmhouses and fine dining restaurants with just a handful of rooms, these French hotels combine heritage, gastronomy and flair
How do you recognise a Relais & Châteaux property? The chef-owner might be in the kitchen garden, gathering ingredients for the evening meal; walls often bristle with history, from turreted castles to storybook French châteaux.
Relais & Châteaux is a membership association of independently owned hotels. The group built its reputation on the curation of characterful stays, defined by setting and spirit. Historic buildings are carefully preserved, while feeling warm and contemporary.
There are currently 580 Relais & Châteaux hotels globally. Of the hundreds that apply each year, only a small number are accepted, chosen for their sustainability practices, culinary excellence and cultural heritage. Hotels work with local artisans and grow produce in whimsical gardens, while owners take a hands-on approach.
In an age of increasing homogeneity, Relais & Châteaux offers a compelling alternative: properties with individuality, provenance and more often than not, an exceptional meal. Each one is resolutely and enchantingly of its place.
From Brittany’s shorelines to the vineyards of Cahors, we curate a selection of France’s most distinctive and enchanting stays.
Maisons de Bricourt, Cancale, Brittany
Why we rate it: Shoreline fine dining and a unique farmhouse spa
Address: Château Richeux, Le Buot, 35350 Saint-Méloir-des-Ondes, France
Price: From 230 EUR per night
The seaside home of chef Olivier Roellinger’s celebrated hospitality collection, Maisons de Bricourt comprises 12 rooms above acclaimed fine dining restaurant Le Coquillage. Freshly harvested produce from the kitchen garden and local catches inform Hugo Roellinger’s tasting menus, which pay tribute to the tidal landscape and its communities.
The property overlooks Mont-Saint-Michel Bay, with sea and parkland views all around. Swim in the open-air pool, then retreat to the sauna or hammam. Spa treatments focus on the feet, using reflexology practices.
Domaine de Locguénolé & Spa, Brittany
Why we rate it: A plush Breton escape between sea and forest
Address: Route de Port Louis, Le Hingair, 56700 Kervignac, France
Price: From 216 EUR per night
The first hotel in Brittany to join Relais & Châteaux, this stately restored château and manor estate unfolds across 62 acres of gardens and woodland, edged by the Blavet river. Interiors draw on Lorient’s maritime trade history, referencing the spices and textiles once brought back from India, China and Africa.
Goats, chicken and ducks roam the manicured grounds, while fallen apples are pressed into cider. The Michelin-starred L’Inattendu sits beneath a glass roof, led by chef Yann Maget. A spa occupies the former stables, with an indoor heated pool and treatment rooms, while tennis courts and an outdoor pool complete the offering.
Château Louise de La Vallière, Loire Valley
Why we rate it: Theatrical splendour rich in royal history
Address: Château de La Vallière, 37380 Reugny, France
Price: From 760 EUR per night
The Loire Valley is studded with Renaissance chateaux, once the summer residences of France’s royal court. Among them is Château Louise de La Vallière, a 16th-century estate that underwent a top-to-toe restoration by French interior designer Jacques Garcia in 2022. The theatrical stay – named after the mistress of Louis XIV – draws on the region’s rich history, with 20 opulent rooms. Period artworks, sumptuous jewel-tone fabrics and ornate furniture abound, while expansive grounds boast ancient trees and ornamental gardens. At L’Amphitryon restaurant, named after the Molière comedy, candlelit dinners recreate the grandeur of the royal table. Ingredients are plucked from the château’s own potager, while honey comes from its hives.
La Grenouillère, Pas-de-Calais
Why we rate it: Double-starred restaurant with countryside cabin rooms
Address: 19 Rue de la Grenouillère, 62170 La Madelaine-sous-Montreuil, France
Price: From 350 EUR per night
This two-Michelin-starred restaurant and hotel from Alexandre Gauthier combines exquisite food with architectural prowess. Guests sleep in modernist cabins, etched into the reeds of the Canche River, while additional rooms in the main house offer a more traditional retreat, complete with roll-top baths.
The dining room sits beneath a steel and glass pagoda, with floor-to-ceiling views of the tree-lined gardens, where ingredients are also grown. Explore the surrounding countryside, including nearby Montreuil-sur-Mer, where Victor Hugo wrote and set part of Les Misérables.
Le Saint-Delis, Normandy
Why we rate it: An intimate stay in an artist’s former home
Address: 43 Rue du Puits, 14600 Honfleur, France
Price: From 350 EUR per night
This boutique hotel occupies the former 17th-century home of painter Henri de Saint-Delis. Reproduction prints of his works hang throughout the nine rooms, while the interiors evoke the artist’s world through soft colours, antique furnishings and references to his life in Honfleur.
The gardens and orchards that inspired his still-life paintings are preserved, now with an added outdoor hot tub. There is no hotel restaurant, but the harbour of Honfleur is a short walk away, dotted with places to eat and drink.
Château de Mercuès, Cahors
Why we rate it: A turreted château among rolling vineyards
Address: Route du Château, 46090 Mercuès, France
Price: From 289 EUR per night
This majestic 13th century castle, once the summer residence of the Count-Bishops of Cahors, is in the heart of Malbec country. Turrets now house guest rooms, each with its own individual character, while interiors balance stone walls, exposed beams and period features with soft textiles and contemporary art.
The gourmet restaurant is equally memorable, led by chef Clément Costes, whose menus celebrate the flavours of the Lot and Occitanie. Dishes are paired with bottles from the château’s near 100-acre vineyard, where winemakers talk guests through the process.
Take a dip in the garden swimming pool, framed by rolling countryside, before exploring the surrounding wine country.
Brindos, Lac & Château, Basque Country
Why we rate it: A lakeside retreat with Basque character
Address: 1 Allée du Château, 64600 Anglet, France
Price: From 250 EUR per night
This majestic hotel resides next to one of France’s largest privately owned lakes, surrounded by lush woodland. Sleep in the whitewashed mansion, built in the early 1930s, or one of ten floating lodges accessed by electric motorboat. Interiors are classic with occasional bursts of theatre, such as the striped bed canopies or the cascading chandeliers above the bar, inspired by the transparency and movement of the lake.
Enjoy sunset drinks on the pontoon, followed by a waterfront dinner, where creative dishes balance French technique with Basque tradition. Explore local trails and unwind in the large spa, with lakeside treatment rooms and an outdoor pool.
The hotel is less than a ten-minute drive from both Biarritz airport and train station.
Château de la Treyne, Lacave
Why we rate it: A fairytale setting for gastronomy and outdoor pursuits
Address: 46200 Lacave, France
Price: From 342 EUR per night
Château de la Treyne is steeped in medieval history, its turreted silhouette rising high above the Dordogne River. Wood-panelled salons preserve period features, balancing comfort and grandeur, while dinner is served in the theatrical Louis XIII dining room or on the waterside terrace. The Michelin-starred restaurant is led by chef Stéphane Andrieux, whose menus celebrate the flavours of Périgord and Quercy.
Ancient trees line the blissful garden, complete with heated infinity pool and tennis court, while paths lead to the estate’s private forest. Take to the Dordogne by canoe or kayak, with trips arranged from the nearby river base.
La Ferme Saint-Siméon, Normandy
Why we rate it: A farmhouse with an Impressionist past
Address: 20 Rue Adolphe Marais, 14600 Honfleur, France
Price: 350 EUR per night
The family-owned La Ferme Saint-Siméon occupies a 17th-century farmhouse, once an inn frequented by Claude Monet, Eugène Boudin and Gustave Courbet. Rustic interiors feature exposed wooden beams, antique furnishings and crackling fires in winter, while views of the Seine estuary and apple orchards are not dissimilar to a Monet painting. A fine dining restaurant, Les Impressionnistes, showcases Norman produce, while La Boucane is a charming thatched-roof bistro centred on wood-fired cuisine. Set above Honfleur, the hotel is a ten-minute walk from its historic harbour, galleries and seafood restaurants.
