Le Relais de Franc Mayne

1 km walk along an old road to St. Emilion, a 40-minute drive from Bordeaux.

Uniquely styled with handpicked antiques and decorative furniture, the rooms at Le Relais de Franc Mayne are distinctively British, Indian or southern Africa. Lavishly designed,  choose between the themed rooms: Indian Fusion, decorated in royal purples and yellows featuring statues of gods, Out of Africa, covered in tribal paraphernalia and wood mounted antlers, or British Landscape, which displays an entire wall of English countryside paintings.

In the morning, wake up to a delicious yet simple breakfast laid out in the elegant, chandeliered dining room, before venturing into the sun-drenched Bordeaux winelands. For lunch, sit on the terrace and rest as you gaze out towards the swimming pool and the cedar trees. There is no restaurant, though the hotel can prepare lunch and dinner on request, but there is a burgundy-shaded bar and salon that has a self-service wine-dispensing system, which will provide perfectly chilled glasses of wine throughout your stay.

A short walk from the hotel, explore Saint Emilion, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its charming medieval streets, located in the heart of Bordeaux. Taste and drink your way through the smatterings of lively wine bars and chic restaurants before heading back to the hotel for the winery tour and tasting with a stop at the atmospheric limestone caves where the wine is aged in barrels.