The sleepy French region transforming into glamorous holiday spot
There are no alarm clocks in Château de Chanet. Each morning I’m woken by the very French smell of fresh butter croissants and coffee creeping through the rafters. Chefs bustle in the kitchen below, preparing charcuterie, conserves and honey from the surrounding farms and hives.
It’s a pretty blissful existence, living out my childhood fantasies in a 17th century chateau. I’m a guest of Madame Laëtitia Morlat, the Dordogne’s darling, whose family have lived in this region of southern France since the 7th century. Part philanthropist, part entrepreneur, she has poured her time and fortunes into restoring the dusty chateaux and sleepy towns of her ancestors in this quiet, rural region near Bordeaux.
What started in 1999 as a DIY project has grown into Domaine de Vieux-Mareuil, an expansive enterprise with several grand and elegantly specced properties housed over 200 private acres, accommodating over 70 guests. Hoping to drive regeneration in the region, Morlat now employs 45 staff, supporting a busy schedule of bookings, activities, renovations and agriculture.
The quiet French region that’s going international
“Every property contains a part of my soul,” she says as we tuck into a locally sourced lunch of duck confit and a walnut salad. The roots of Domaine de Vieux-Mareuil run deep in Madame Morlat’s nostalgia and desire to preserve the “Périgord Vert” region often forgotten on the tourist trail.
I’m staying under the turret of Chateau de Chanet where the couple honeymooned. La Villa Roussie, her parents’ old farmhouse, was restored painstakingly following a fire. Short drives away are the imposing Bagatelle with its striking windows, orangerie and panoramic pool and Domaine de Lavy (“La Vie”) with its tumbling Italian gardens which were tended to during challenging days battling cancer. All were stunning relics of a bygone era, with peeling wallpaper and impossible upkeep until the Morlats swept in to save these French properties.
“They all mean something, so I wanted to do something very special…while restoring them for the enjoyment of future generations. Every property has its own story and I want my visitors to be able to feel that when they are with us.”
Each of the estate’s 35 bedrooms reveal tiny details indicative of Morlat’s earlier career as a makeup artist. From the bold colour pairings in each bedroom to the Dyson hair dryers and Parisian facial oils in the bathroom. Hand-painted murals peep playfully above bathtubs, altars and reading nooks while secret passageways whisk guests to fairytale turrets offering views of the neighbouring farmland.
It’s easy to see why so many love to escape here, and arriving is a doddle: there are the estate Land Rovers to bring passengers from Bordeaux airport for weekend getaways, weddings and gatherings. And even royal visitors like Zara and Mike Tindall are penned in the guestbook.
With plenty of activities on offer, there’s little reason to leave. Lacking the energy for padel, horse riding, and yoga on the property’s courts and studios, I sample the gentler sports of truffle hunting, sunbathing and honey tasting.
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Long evenings are enjoyed around the dinner table, working our way through regional specialities from the “breadbasket” of France. There are armchairs to flop into, parlour games to feud over, and a cinema room, complete with a popcorn machine and pic-n-mix. Wine-lulled (local and French, obviously), we enjoy performances from the local minstrel troupe and Spanish dancing horses in the chateau’s courtyard. We spent the following morning wondering where these horses had appeared from, as if by magic, during our meal. Did we witness a parade of musicians led by a dancing horse, or were those devilish cocktails casting spells on us?
The grand finale on our property tour is Madame Morlat’s most ambitious project to date. Moulin de Vigonac will be the fifth in the collection and is a working mill perched on the Drone River near the quaint, medieval town of Brantôme.
The cluster of buildings making up 10 extra guest rooms are draped in decades of ivy and foliage, which dazzle in bright autumn hues. We enjoy pain au chocs in the rustic restaurant’s waterside patio, which will be updated to a bistro in the coming renovation. The elderly couple who will finally part with it after 30 years of dedication seemed to take solace in knowing that the property would be left in such caring hands.
What are Madame Morlat’s own aspirations for the future, I ask, recalling the Dordogne’s quip that it boasts 1001 chateaux! Quite the workload.
We’re zipping in her vintage, navy Jag convertible through the thirty hectares of protected woodland, sunflower fields and meadows surrounding the properties. With her family, homelands and health intact, she is perfectly content with her current empire. She’s looking forward to bringing more business back to the region and sharing the harvest with staff and guests.
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She recently hired luxury hotelier Marine Garcia to help ramp up their hospitality offering and, smiling coyly, “might be tempted with a bakery in town”.
In the off-season, she’s busy with philanthropic work including ASF (Autism Science Foundation) and ARTIC (Cancer Recovery) and enjoys hosting wellbeing retreats for charities at the Domaine de Vieux-Mareuil.
Having managed her own health challenges, she knows how important a holiday and respite can be. From the city CEO to the village baker, she tells me “we all need a break from reality sometimes”. Well, quite.
A pause while we take in the cool country air and pastoral landscape, golden in the late sun. A group harvesting grapes waves and cheers. “Vive le Vin!” she calls, eyes sparkling, “Vive la Vie!” She grabs the clutch and the old thing jolts to life. The queen of the Chateaux drives on.
Visit yourself
Properties begin at £2,500 per night for a minimum two-night stay, with all meals and wine included. To book to go domainedevieuxmareuil.com