Les Sources de Caudalie ★★★★★

From the moment you arrive at Les Sources de Caudalies, you’ll feel an overwhelming sense of peace and serenity. The whole establishment is a haven of refined simplicity. The interiors are designed to reflect the natural colours of the Aquitaine region, and the rustic buildings look as though they’ve been there for centuries, but were in fact specially built using old beams and recycled local materials to blend in with the surroundings. The friendly owners are committed to “celebrating the French lifestyle”, and they do everything they can to make sure each guest is as relaxed as possible.

The refined bedrooms are elegantly decorated with antiques, warm colours, old photos and come with a terrace or balcony overlooking the lake or vineyards. Each one is unique, offering all the services and conveniences of a luxury hotel with the warmth of someone’s home.

Perhaps the hotel’s most impressive feature is the Spa. Caudalie pioneered the idea of vinotherapy, making use of a natural water spring that lies 540 metres underground, combined with vine and grape extracts. The wooden building is reminiscent of an old tobacco kiln, and contains 20 treatments rooms and an indoor pool. Allow yourself to be completely pampered, with treatments including crushed cabernet scrubs, vine and wine flower wraps and their signature grape-based ‘Pulp Friction Massage’.

Moving onto the renowned French cuisine, Les Sources de Caudalies boasts two restaurants and two bars. The 2 Michelin-starred La Grand Vigne offers tasty delicacies prepared by one of France’s great rising talents, Nicolas Masse, a talented young chef who uses seasonal produce from the hotel’s garden and local farmers to create mouth-watering dishes that change with the seasons. He’s also behind the bistro-style cuisine served at the Table de Lavoir, as well as the tapas-style snacks at the Rouge wine bar – the perfect place to round off the evening with a glass of fine wine, listening to the sweet sounds of the surrounding nature.  The décor and 18th-century fireplace that dominates the dining room recalls the various shades of ripening red wine grapes, creating a warm ambiance for a romantic dinner.

Wine is the word at Les Sources de Caudalie, and of course a trip to this vineyard-rich area wouldn’t be complete without sampling a few home-grown specialties. The staff can organise innumerable activities, including wine tasting and cookery classes, participating in the grape harvest and visiting the vineyards and cellars. It’s the perfect place to learn all there is to know about wine.

You’ll also have a wealth of other services and activities at your fingertips, making it hard to drag yourself away! As well as the plush spa and restaurants, you’ll find pools, a hot tub, an exercise room, free bikes and a tennis court. And if you get bored of all that, you can explore the surrounding vineyards and castles, armed with a delicious picnic lovingly prepared by the chef. Trust us when we say that this is a very special place – I don’t know how it manages to get everything right, but it just does, so don’t question it.  A universe has been created where everything you see has been devoted to nature, taste and the senses, and it’s a place that everyone needs to experience at least once in their life.