Chateau de Montcaud

Provençal farmhouse hotels are perhaps familiar enough, but Provençal chateau hotels are still something of a rarity, the supply of castles being naturally somewhat constrained. The Château de Montcaud dates back to 1848, but its most recent renovation was just completed in 2018, and the result is an impeccably styled, impressively outfitted luxury boutique hotel.

While the Château’s exteriors retain their 19th-century elegance, its interiors are surprisingly contemporary, its rooms exhibiting a stylish visual simplicity and a contrast between their antique architectural details and their very modern furniture. And among the benefits of chateau life is that even the Classic rooms are generously sized, with the suites expanding to positively palatial dimensions.

Another benefit is that the experience doesn’t end at the threshold of your bedroom. Château de Montcaud features not one but two restaurants under the direction of chef Matthieu Hervé, as well as a grass tennis court, and an outdoor swimming pool, as well as an inside line on scenic tours, wine tastings, vineyard visits, and more elaborate outings like helicopter flights over the Saint-Jean-du-Gard countryside — if you’re going to stay in a chateau, you may as well have yourself a stay that’s fit for an aristocrat.