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Chateau de Bagnols is the finest five-star deluxe chateau hotel in France and is regarded by many as the finest vineyard chateau hotel in the world. Discovered by Lady Hamlyn in 1987 in a derelict state, she painstakingly restored the chateau with much energy and vision, to its former glory, revealing Renaissance wall and ceiling paintings created during the chateau’s finest period when nearby Lyon was one of Europe’s great Renaissance cities. Dating from the 13th century, the chateau features impressive towers, the original dry moat, honey-coloured stone known as pierres dorees and a dramatic entrance across a drawbridge. The Chateau de Bagnols is one of France’s major historic monuments as well as a unique luxury hotel with 21 of the most superb rooms and suites in France.

Chateau de Bagnols is set among vineyards, forests and green hills in the heart of the beautiful Beaujolais countryside in south-east France, just 17 miles from Lyon which has an international airport. A train from Paris or Geneva takes only two hours and the ski slopes of the Alps are a 90-minute drive away. The Michelin star Salle des Gardes restaurant offers diners the most wonderful selection of regional specialities as well as an impressive selection of French wines. Outside, the sun-facing terrace, shaded by 100-year-old lime trees, provides the most spectacular view of the Beaujolais countryside. Chateau de Bagnols is a unique experience. Nowhere else in France can provide guests with such historic luxury in such a grandiose yet comfortable environment.