Domaine de Roiffe

The Loire, the longest river in France, stretches through the south-east before heading decisively west at Orléans, etching an enormous valley into the heart of France and draining at the Atlantic. This region marks the de facto split between northern and southern France, which perhaps explains why the valley is tattooed with opulent châteaux and feudal strongholds. As a result, the entire area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s renowned not just for its architectural legacy, but for its exceptional wines, gastronomic tradition, and cultural heritage. In other words, this is exactly what you picture when you think ‘rural France’.

Domaine de Roiffe is perfectly located on the southside of the Valley. This puts it at the crossroads of Vienne, Touraine and Anjou, so there’s plenty of sites and attractions within easy reach. When you arrive, you’ll be awed by the sheer size of the Estate. Carefully renovated in 2013, the façades are all uniform Tuffeau-stone, an instantly recognisable type of limestone native to the Loire Valley that gives the region’s architecture its uniquely sophisticated appearance. It’s also used in the vineyard soils, whilst the caves it’s dug from are used as wine and mushroom cellars - so the stone really defines the aesthetic and cultural heritage of the region.

You’ll stay in the Superior Room, a pleasant and attractive space for two. A simple design highlights its spaciousness, with small splashes of colour to evoke warmth. You’ll fall in love with the huge French windows that open out onto views of the property’s verdant grounds. The jewel of the estate, the Golf de Loudun-Fontevraud, adds another sixty hectares to the grounds, and golf-fanatics will adore the beautiful 18-hole course. The tennis court, outdoor pool, bowling alley, and mixed-purpose court are also all guaranteed to please. And did we mention there’s even horse-riding onsite?

Loire Valley sets the bar high for gastronomy, and the hotel’s L’Alcove Restaurant rises to meet it. Delicate and inventive Bistro-style cuisine is assembled from fresh, local produce. The estate’s plethora of past-lives make it a rather atypical setting, given that this part was once a penitentiary. Yet the curved ceilings of the cell-layout translates remarkably well into a charming restaurant, where you’ll love lounging on the fireside sofas, discovering what makes the Loire’s wines just so spectacular.