Village Castigno - Wine Hotel & Resort

The village is to-die-for charming. Yet, even though the locals seem pretty chilled about half of their village being painted purple for the European glitterati, you can't help on occasion feeling like an extra in a Truman Show-esque experiment. Vis those rooms, the biggest and most expensive (prestige cuvee) have flaws. Namely that they're very dark, compounded by the fact the windows face straight onto the street necessitating having the curtains closed the whole time. The "private terrace" is redundant, being as it is right in the street - passers by often pause for a rest in your chairs. And for folks in a new relationship, these rooms would be downright awkward! You sit on the loo in front of a big glass door directly facing the bed. And so there you sit, all lit up in purple as you execute your holiest of holies. Conversely, the next room tier down, vintage cuvee, are on the first floor with huge windows you can throw up open to enjoy the glorious views, and some have rolltop baths in the bedroom. Much better. There were a few niggles - hot food and fresh fruit should NOT run out half hour before breakfast closes in a hotel of this calibre - but otherwise it's quite a magical experience. For a while, at least. My takeout is that if one were to visit for a night or two as part of a road-trip around the Languedoc, then this would be a memorable stopover. But as a destination, the undeniable quirkiness and uniqueness wears off pretty quickly, leaving one wanting for a more traditional hotel experience.

One of the very best Michelin Dining Experiences we have ever experienced. A relaxing and friendly resort.

Gorgeous, fun, sexy! The decor of the rooms is very unusual and fun. The restaurants are all excellent.

Quirky hotel seemingly set in the wilderness. Highlights include the marvellously idiosyncratic yet tasteful design across the estate. Our room contained lots of red and pink which shouted loudly for attention. It felt like a beach hideaway. It was fun, non corporate and we loved it. The room was also very comfortable, great bed, shower, kettle plus coffee machine and powerful shower. We liked the pool areas and the addition of two bicycles was an unexpected and pleasant surprise which we used to career around the vIllage. The staff were all a delight, in particular Paulina who was extremely helpful. And yet, the contrived nature of the hotel - dispersed over a partially functioning village was a little disconcerting. The central village area is pretty and well designed and is home to the hotel’s bistro restaurant. The website describes this area as the “beating heart of Castigno, where holidaymakers, locals and epicureans meet for drinks and to put the world to rights.” However, when we stayed the bistro was closed and the whole square was pretty dead, no lights, people or atmosphere. The adjacent bar was also empty, only a few folks in a large area. Given that this was during the Rugby World Cup on a night that France was playing we found this surprising. For me the whole vibe was a little odd, a facsimile of village life without really succeeding. Fine for a night or even two, it’s relaxing for sure but remote and as all refreshments are provided by the hotel, which come at a high price relative to the room rate, it could become quite expensive.

What a strange little place. A little village miles from anywhere resting on a plateau surrounded by vineyards. Quite a climb to get there so make sure you have plenty of gas in the tank! Although there's a sizable town nearby (10 mins) with loads of bars and restaurants. The accommodation in spread out in units all over the village with main reception housing a bar and reception. There are 2 decent size pools with beds. The little village houses the various restaurants. Although when we visited in early June there was the choice of only two - a Thai (€40+) and a Michelin star (€90+) Breakfast was located in the pretty little village square supplied from one of the restaurants. It's a small quiet place with the usual building works going on. It looks like a typical picture postcard French village and they've tried hard to recreate one. The lovely Castigno vineyard is situated a couple of miles from the village and you can take a guided trip around the place for a fee, with the obligatory wine tasting at the end - hic! The management try very hard to please but they are suffering from staffing problems with closed shops and restaurants. For an expensive, exclusive, quiet retreat you can do a lot worse.