"When hoteliers Alice and Jérôme Tourbier set their sights on opening a sister property to Les Sources de Caudalie—their wine palace and spa in the vineyards of Bordeaux’s Château Smith Haut Lafitte—and stumbled across an 18th-century castle in the Loire Valley, they decided to look no further. “This is a magnificent but largely unexploited region,” says Alice. “We wanted to dust off its staid historic reputation by combining culture with viticulture.” That meant replanting vines of a forgotten white-grape variety and refurbishing the château on the 110-acre wooded farmland estate with vintage market finds. It also included setting up mini-hamlets of rustic wood cabins spread across the grounds of this wellness-focused, environmentally minded retreat, which draws in an elegant crowd, many with children in tow. There’s a beautiful forest worth exploring—early risers may even spot a roebuck peeking out—and an old-school music salon among the hangout spaces. But the real hub of activity is the spa, where guests head for treatments with Caudalie’s organic grape-seed creams. To work up an appetite for bistro feasts by chef Frédéric Calmels, cycle down the leafy country lanes to explore Château de Cheverny before diving into the outdoor pool. All told, this is a gorgeous new access point for the Loire. Doubles from about $230. —Lannie Goodman" - CNT Editors
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