Relaxed luxury is still very much in vogue at Château de Berne, France.
Located about a 45-minute drive from the hustle and bustle of the Cannes Film Festival, this five-star retreat is completely hidden within 1,200 acres of preserved forest near Flyosec, France. The sprawling hotel features 34 rooms and suites, as well as seven private villas and others in the final stages of construction and scheduled to open in early summer. The new seven-bedroom luxury villa sits on 25 acres of land, half of which is a private vineyard, complete with pool house and is available for business with a private butler, chef, car service and personalized experiences for a tab of around €50,000 ($58,400) for a week’s stay.
The villa’s new addition to the impressive roster is a cause for celebration, and there are plenty of rosé (and red and white) wines on site, with 370 acres of organically farmed vineyards producing their namesake pour. This is just a sip of what’s on offer at Mark Dixon’s Château de Berne, which has been named the best hotel in France and Monaco for each year. Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards. There is a Cinq Mondes & Vinésime Spa for relaxation and meditation, cooking classes, a gym, tennis courts, racquetball, pickleball, yoga and Pilates classes, fishing, vineyard safaris, master sommelier classes, seasonal truffle hunting, and more. If animals are an obsession, they also have horses, Corsican sheep, Alpine goats and sheepdogs.
“We are a quiet, luxurious place,” explains Maxime Matton, sales and marketing director at MDCV Provence, the French wine group behind four iconic estates, including Château de Berne, Ultimate Provence, Château des Bertrands and Château Saint-Roux. “This is not the most luxurious, gold-dipped place you can find on earth, that’s for sure. That’s not what we offer our guests. We offer something unique.”
It’s all in the details, in Mathon. “Everything we do is organic, not just because it’s a fantasy to do so, but because that’s what we’re naturally trained to do.” Speaking of which, Château de Berne has three restaurants on the property, including the Michelin-starred Le Jardin de Berne, “the estate’s flagship gastronomic counter” run by chefs Louis Rameau and Eric Raynal. Mathon is quick to point out that in addition to the Michelin award, the restaurant received a Michelin green star for its sustainability efforts.
It’s also quiet. The property hasn’t made it onto many best-hotel lists with whispered names of celebrities who have stayed there — “They’re in privacy mode when they’re here,” Mathon attests — but it confirms that guests hail from the entertainment, business, music and technology sectors. We do know one: Post Malone has stuck around and produced a collaboration with Château de Berne for his own wine label. It also wouldn’t be a surprise to see George and Amal Clooney out and about, as the famous couple have purchased a nearby vineyard in Provence.
“Most of the time celebrities come, they come with family, friends and staff for extended stays in one of the villas for three to five days, two weeks or even a month,” explains Mathon, adding that concierges and activity directors help keep the itineraries as busy or as relaxed as guests prefer. “We have developed the property while maintaining the same level of excellence throughout Chateau de Berne. It is custom designed and designed to provide complete privacy.”
While their VIPs are protected, Mathon points out that there is no gate on the property, both figuratively and literally. “We are the guards,” he said. “The owner’s philosophy is to say we are here for a short period of time and the whole idea is to pass Chateau de Berne on to the next generation as something better.”
This story appeared in the May 6 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
