Travel: postcard from South of France
Laura Ross and her family head to the beautiful region of Languedoc
Having enjoyed a trip to Château Les Carasses a few years back, when I heard the owner had opened a new hotel – Château St Pierre de Serjac – I was keen to take the family to visit the south of France once again.
The recently opened hotel is nestled amongst 200 acres of vineyards and olive groves, and boasts eight large bedrooms, a restaurant, spa and the addition of self-catering properties so beautiful that it’s hard to believe, in a previous life, this was a collection of rundown barns and houses.
What we were lucky enough to call home for a week was a sumptuous, three-bedroom two-storey house with a private pool. Oozing traditional French style, this home from home is the perfect place to indulge weary-eyed parents and their excitable offspring – ours being Miles, eight, and Liberty, six.
The infinity pool, with poolside service and a bar to boot, soon became the kids’ hangout of choice. This suited us, as we kicked back on the plush loungers, drink in hand, while they socialised with new friends in the water.
On our first morning, we wandered down to the chateau restaurant for breakfast, which served pastries, meats, cheese, bread, eggs and fruit, but we later became rather au fait with the daily order service, where we’d have fresh bread and pastries delivered to our house, and later devour them on the terrace.
I was fortunate enough to enjoy a morning at the Cinq Mondes spa, while my husband went for his daily run and the children checked in at the kids’ club. After opting for an anti-aging facial, I took full advantage of the heated indoor pool, cocoon loungers, hot tub and complimentary refreshments.
Activities are family-driven at Serjac, and perfect if an active holiday is your type of thing. The clay tennis courts were a particular hit with the children. We passed on the complimentary mountain bikes and opted to walk the guided trails instead.
Days earlier, we’d selected a few bottles of the chateau’s own wine during a guided tour with the in-house sommelier. To finish off a truly memorable holiday, it felt apt to indulge in a glass or two on our terrace, discussing our next south of France rendezvous.
