The most beautiful chateaux you can stay at in Bordeaux

Stay at one of these romantically elegant chateaus on your next trip to France’s Bordeaux wine country.

Famous for its world-class vineyards, Bordeaux is also home to some of the most breathtaking châteaux. A château, a grand French country estate, offers an incomparably romantic escape – think towering turrets, sprawling vineyards and centuries-old charm. Whether you’re sipping local vintages on the terrace or wandering through lush gardens, staying in one of these elegant French estates is like stepping into a fairytale. If you’re looking for luxury with a dash of history and (of course) wine, Bordeaux’s châteaux are calling your name.

1. Château Grand Barrail Hôtel

When you walk into a hotel room, a rare few immediately fill you with the overwhelming thought: “I’m home.” This was one of those hotels for me. Château Grand Barrail strikes the perfect balance between several opposing characteristics. It’s historic yet modern. The original building was constructed in 1902 as a personal residence and didn’t become a hotel and restaurant in the 1990s.

Feel at home in Château Grand Barrail. (Image: Supplied)

Now you’ll see romantic stone walls meet sleek glass corridors, and a modern elevator perfectly fitted in the centre of a historic spiral staircase. Two years ago, the property underwent a renovation, leaving the hotel’s 46 rooms in sparkling condition. There’s so much to see (or taste, rather) in the wine region but once you are eating room service on the balcony overlooking endless rows of vineyards, you’ll find it hard to leave your room.

Château Grand Barrail’s recent renovation means it is in impeccable shape. (Image: Supplied)

Another dichotomy? Grand Barrail’s location just outside the medieval town of St. Emilion places it perfectly on the very edge of action, while still safely enrobed in its own serene bubble. You can rent e-bikes from the hotel and use their custom online maps to ride through the vineyards of Pomerol one day and hop on the hotel’s free shuttle to St. Emilion to explore the cobblestone alleys of the medieval town the next.

You’ll find it hard to leave your room at this special château. (Image: Supplied)

2. Les Sources de Caudalie

If the Grand Barrail feels like home, then Les Sources de Caudalie feels like visiting your most stylish friend’s country house amongst vineyards and forests. The masterminds and owners behind the property are married couple Alice and Jérôme Tourbier, who created a hospitality experience uniquely anchored within a true sense of place.

Les Sources de Caudalie feels like visiting your most stylish friend’s country house. (Image: R Valerio)

This makes sense because Alice grew up surrounded by a family firmly rooted in the wine industry. Her parents own the acclaimed winery whose vineyards surround the hotel, Château Smith Haut Lafitte. The hotel runs a familial partnership and guests can easily walk across the street for tastings and to discover their expansive, thousand-barrel underground cellar. If that wasn’t enough, her sister Mathilde Thomas is the cofounder of celebrated skincare brand Caudalie, which also harnesses the essence of the vineyard in its products. Caudalie products are the star at the hotel’s “Vinothérapie” spa, where you can soak in natural hot spring water combined with active ingredients from vines and grapes.

The hotel runs a familial partnership with winery Château Smith Haut Lafitte.

The 62 hotel rooms are spread across six different houses, each with their distinct style. Art and design are key influences in the hotel’s atmosphere. Sculptures rise from the surrounding vineyards, gather around the natural pond behind the hotel, and dot the private art trail through the neighbouring forest. Food provides yet another form of artistry to express the surrounding terroir. There are three restaurants onsite, but Le Grand Vigne, which sports two shiny Michelin stars, is what they are best known for.

Two Michelin-starred Le Grand Vigne is what they are best known for. (Image: MP Morel)

3. Château Lafaurie Peyraguey Hôtel

Sophisticated and luxe, when you step through the fortified walls of Château Lafaurie Peyraguey Hôtel in the unique, misty terroir of Sauternes, you are stepping into the storied realm of Old World nobility that literally dates back to the Middle Ages. The gatehouse and towers of Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, built in the 13th century, are the oldest stone structures in the commune of Bommes. The first known owner, Lord Raymond Peyraguey, built a fortified keep around the hotel and began to cultivate the property’s first vines in 1618.

The gatehouse and towers of Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey are the oldest stone structures in the commune of Bommes. (Image: Agi Simoes/Reto Guntli)

The highly personalised service will make you feel like the nobles that first walked the halls here – from being personally greeted by the Maîtresse de Maison, to selecting between firm or soft memory foam bedding for your room. There are just three suites and 10 guest rooms onsite, and each is the very picture of polish and elegance. Looking out over the vineyards, the two-star Michelin restaurant, LALIQUE, rounds out the aristocratic atmosphere, serving tiny, meticulous dishes packed with flavour and odes to the surrounding vines.

Feel like the nobles that first walked the halls here. (Image: Agi Simoes/Reto Guntli)

4. Gironde Rental

This stately rental from The Plum Guide is perfect if you fancy having an entire chateau to yourself. Especially if you happen to have 11 other people in tow, as this picturesque 18th-century home includes six bedrooms, expansive private grounds and even its own private chapel. There’s also a heated pool and terraces galore for soaking up the sun. In other words, there’s plenty of room to spread out. The location is perfectly placed, strategically nestled in between the top vineyards of Merdoc, Pomerol and St Emilion.

This picturesque 18th-century home sleeps 12. (Image: Supplied)