Chateau Rigaud

Chic chateau hosting laid back house parties (Wine Weekends and Private Parties) or available as private rental (sleeps up to 16 adults + 8 children)

15 minutes' drive from wine Mecca, St Emilion, gets you to Chateau Rigaud. It's a big pad with thick stone walls, ancient timber staircases and fireplaces dating back to the 15th century. English owners, Anna and Andrew Barwick, revamped the place back in 2006 and have been evolving it ever since. Their latest refurbishment took place in 2011. Their energy and gusto continues unabated. 9 large bedrooms show boutique panache: off piste Farrow and Ball colours, silk and velvet curtains, roll top baths, Ren products and 400 thread count sheets. The professional chef's kitchen in theatre style invites guests to pull up their stalls and watch the master at work. Outside there's acres of space: pretty rose gardens, wildflower meadows, fenced heated pool and productive vegetable garden to feed the kitchens.

Rigaud makes a great private rental - for a weekend or longer, with a first class private chef, waitresses and housekeeping included with every booking as well as optional childcare and spa therapist. It would also make a fabulous venue for a sumptuous French wedding, catering for up to 100 guests for the main meal. For those who want just a room, they run house parties on certain dates: pitch up, enjoy good food, free-flowing wine and chats with like-minded guests. House Parties come in different flavours: Wine Weekends for budding oenologists; Family Breaks for stressed out parents; Birthday Party Weekends to give yourself a 3 night splurge without the hassle of catering yourself. This is not a hotel: don't expect minibars or room TVs; instead help yourself to drinks from the bar and catch a movie in the private cinema. Laid back, reassuringly spontaneous. We love it.

Highs

• Truly different: masses of space, character and low-key style
• Their House Parties are a breath of fresh air: akin to staying away with friends without the bore of domestics
• Perfect venue for special celebrations and weddings
• Great for kids (huge playroom, games room, lawns to race around, childcare)
• If it rains, there are "Plan Bs": the private cinema with comfy sofas is fab, as are the candlelit massages
• Sparky lively hosts who take great care to ensure you have a good time all the time
• Near the historic town of St Emilion and Bordeaux's top notch vineyards
• Easy 45-min drive from Bordeaux or Bergerac airports

Lows

• Don't expect room service or door locks: this is determinedly not a hotel but gives you a stylish homeliness few hotels can match
• You'll all be eating together so clearly not for those who want total seclusion; though we never tired of the company and enjoyed swapping stories until the early hours
• House Party dinner times can sometimes run a little late
• Watch out for the old wooden staircase - it's magnificent but a challenge in high heels