At the hotel
Spa with Jacuzzi, sauna and hammam; Masterclay tennis court; pétanque court; free-to-hire bikes; kitchen garden; wine cellar; boutique; concierge; free WiFi. In rooms: Satellite TV and DVD player, Bluetooth sound-system, minibar, Nespresso machine and tea-making kit, Cinq Mondes bath products, bathrobe and slippers, air-conditioning. Villas also have a full kitchen, laundry facilities, furnished terrace and plancha, and some have a pool or hot tub too.
Our favourite rooms
Choose between lording it up in the Château itself or seeking seclusion amid the vines that cover the hotel’s hamlet. The former, with their chandeliers, antiques, wood beams and rolltop bateaux baths that’ll compel you both to hop in at once – plus an adults-only rule – feel a touch more romantic (although the many spiralling stairs may dampen some of that ardour). While the villas are larger, many with more bedrooms and all with kitchens, and feel just right for families or groups – although everyone will fall for views that stretch to the Med (all villas face the same way), and the odd private pool or hot tub.
Poolside
The main pool (heated from May to the end of September) is carved into the foot of the hamlet’s hillock, so guests don’t have to take their eyes off the intoxicating view combo of vines, lagoon and mountains. It’s a good size, and charmingly, instead of parasols, there are spreading olive trees to provide shade, plus a seasonal bar to provide refreshment. Otherwise, for a charge you can use the spa’s indoor jetted pool.
Spa
There are no dungeons or flagons in the castle’s basement (the wine cellars used to be in the reception building and oubliettes were oublié by the time it was built in the 19th century), instead there’s an elegantly appointed 320-square-metre spa with various modes of relaxation. For a €25 charge you can spend two hours in the balneum, a soothing largely aqueous circuit through an aromatherapy sauna and steam room, Jacuzzi and jetted pool. Or book one of the four treatment rooms (including a couples’ chamber) for a globetrotting treatment using all-natural Cinq Mondes products. Perhaps a Japanese Ko Bi Do smoothing facial, Balinese flower massage, Indian Ayurvedic toning, Polynesian scrub or a Moroccan hammam ritual. And throughout July and August, you can limber up in the lavender- and rosemary-scented gardens at a yoga session. During high season (1 May to 30 September), the spa opens daily from 9am to 8pm; in low season (1 October to 31 April), it's open from 10am to 6pm (8.30pm on the first Thursday of each month).
Packing tips
You’ll spend a lot of time pounding or pedalling over country trails, scooting through vines, bouncing back and forth from your villa to the spa and eateries (if you’re staying in the hamlet, which is a touch hilly), or – you know – tipsily trotting to bed, so flat shoes are essential.
Also
If you just can’t say goodbye to Vignobles Bonfils wines, then bag a few bottles from the boutique next to reception, plus homewares, organic lotions and potions, and a few books on Mediterranean dry-gardening if you want to give it a try back home.
Pet‐friendly
On request, well-behaved medium-size dogs are welcome for €30 a night. See more pet-friendly hotels in Narbonne.
Children
Children are welcome, but due to the steeply sloping terrain, the hotel recommends children over seven stay (in villas only). Baby cots can be provided free of charge.
Best for
All ages are welcome, but the hotel recommends bringing over-sevens who’ll benefit more from the activities.
Recommended rooms
Rooms in the Château are adults-only, but the villas are ideal for families with added space and full kitchens.
Activities
Confiscate your little ones’ devices before sending them off to the summer kids’ club (for four to 12 year olds, from Monday to Friday during UK half term and throughout July and August) – the activities encourage engagement with the environment. Qualified bilingual staff will take groups out into the wild to spy animals, learn about nature, draw, make and play. Or, they’ll act and make music, craft pottery, cool off with water games, and use recycled materials to make instruments (wine-bottle xylophones, bottletop lagerphones), costumes, and figurines. Morning sessions run from 9.30am to 12 noon, and afternoon sessions from 2.30pm to 5pm. Five sessions are €125, 10 sessions: €250. There is also a dedicated children’s playground for little Smiths to enjoy.
Swimming pool
Kids can swim in the main pool, but there are no lifeguards. If you’ve booked a villa with a private pool, each comes with a retractable safety cover.
Meals
Asado has a dedicated menu for kids with simple grilled chicken or fish, ice-cream or sorbet and a juice, plus free water. Multi-course Méditerranéo is for children with extremely sophisticated tastes only, although really we’d leave it to the adults.
Babysitting
The hotel has a roster of trusted local babysitters on call. They usually charge around €20 an hour and advance notice is needed.
No need to pack
You can travel pretty light because the hotel has high-chairs, changing mats, baby baths, sterilisers, plastic plates and glasses, stairguards, bedguards and baby monitors (all on a first-come, first-served basis).
Also
Bring a sturdy easy-to-handle buggy if you’re bringing a babe – the hamlet’s built on a rocky slope
Sustainability efforts
The Massif de la Clape and its surrounding lagoon and greenery is part of a protected area, so the hotel has had to tread lightly as it goes. They’ve brought in seriously green-fingered sorts Olivier Filippi (who’s dedicated his life to cultivating drought- and disease-resistant plants) and landscaper-with-an-eco-conscience James Basson. Together they’ve created Mediterranean-style dry gardens running over the hamlet using plants that can thrive without pesticides, fertiliser and just a drop of water, which fit seamlessly into the existing estate, over which they’ve planted around 65,000 plants and 300 trees. The original art nouveau-style gardens have been gently restored too, supplemented by endemic seedlings, and a kitchen garden ripe with herbs and vegetables keeps the restaurants in fresh ingredients, alongside others foraged on the estate. And, even the extraordinarily biodiverse wildlife – ranging from flamingoes to ocellated lizards – gets luxury digs: tree surgeons keep habitats in shape, and nesting boxes, roosts and lizard ‘hotels’ have been installed. As for human habitacions, the Château’s restoration has been cautiously undertaken, and in building the villas in the hamlet, traditional and reclaimed materials were used, and they were built on the upper level of the rock face to ensure a high level of thermal inertia. Waste is treated organically, the pools are run sustainably, and low-emission equipment and chemical-free cleaning products are used. And, over centuries of winemaking, they’ve achieved HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) in recognition of their Earth-kindness.
