Luxury Farm Stays: Occitanie (2023)

Domaine de Gressac is a luxury organic agriturismo vineyard hotel/farm stay gite, near Avignon in the south of France, which is part winery part horse breeding farm. The accommodation is in the form of luxury, self catering, old stone cottages, the property, both inside and out, is nothing short of gorgeous, and is surrounded by a full 280 acre estate comprising of vineyard, pastureland, woodland and even a river beach. THE ACCOMMODATION: The gites are in the form of very charming stone cottages, with the largest being able to sleep up to 7 people. They are all built quite recently from the stones and beams of the old farmhouse which was lying in ruins before the present owners lovingly restored the entire place. Though technically new in that case, the gites feel thoroughly authentic, like classic south of France farm cottages but with very much modern levels of comfort and facilities. The furniture and fittings are all nicely chosen, though mainly contemporary they don’t seem to detract from the beautifully rustic feel of the property. They all have plenty of space, with good sized lounge & sitting areas, plush kitchens and bathrooms, and come with all mod cons; flat screen TV, air-con, WiFi etc. Beautiful as the gites are, the estate that surrounds them is even more impressive. There are the lovingly tended gardens and lawns with an outdoor swimming pool and plenty of space for lounging around. Then there are the vineyards, from which the owners produce a range of reds, whites and rosés, all of which are organic. There is an on-site winery at the property too; the entire process is done in house and you can arrange tours and tasting sessions of the vineyards, winery and cellars. Then there is the horse breeding farm where you can watch some of their very beautiful thoroughbred Spanish horses trotting around. There are also areas of beautifully peaceful woodland that are lovely to stroll though, and a river with its own river beach. You can rent bikes out for free at the farmhouse and you’ll find plenty of trails through the estate for cycling and hiking. Children will be entertained READ MORE

Château de Labro is a luxury B&B vineyard hotel & spa near the town, and international airport, of Rodez in what is now known as the Occitanie region of France, formerly Midi-Pyrénées. The property is a 16th century château that oozes elegance and old world class both inside and out. The food, and the wine, is fantastic and outside there are some beautiful gardens, vineyards and a swimming pool. One little novelty of the place is that they also have a luxury treehouse among the orchard trees in which you can spend the night (Look out for it on the booking page!). THE ACCOMMODATION: The above mentioned treehouse is the most popular option which is usually booked out well in advance. It’s quite a thing, more like a luxury double studio apartment than a classic treehouse, it even has a chandelier for example. A lot of people though may prefer to stay in the actual château which has marvelously romantic rooms, with four poster beds and antique furniture. Most of the rooms are doubles but they also have a family room to sleep up to four and a self catering apartment which can also sleep up to four. All of the accommodation is of the very highest quality, it is a luxury hotel after all, but what separates Château de Labro from most is the beautifully old fashioned decor. It feels a little like stepping back in time, in a good way, especially in the bedrooms, where even the modern touches are consistently tasteful. The food at the chateau is a highlight, always in season and local as much as possible, and they have a suitably good wine list. It is a vineyard hotel after all and so produces its own Clos Labro, a white made from the 6 varieties of grape grown on site; Muscat Petit Grain, Petit Manseng, Colombard, Chardonnay and Viognier. It is not a commercial wine by any means, which makes it quite special; the vineyards are small, producing only 1500 bottles a year, and so the only place you can enjoy Clos Labro is actually at Château de Labro!  You can relax around the gardens and READ MORE