Author: Cadien Adams
Find your bliss in France's hidden spa region
Occitanie, located in the heart of Southern France, is a haven for those looking to level up their rest and relaxation. It's a place where vineyards abound (it's home to more than 1,500 organic vineyards and 23,303 hectares of vines) and also happens to be the nation's first designated thermal region, thanks to its 30 thermal springs.
The region, which straddles both the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenees mountains, has long beckoned nature lovers with its rolling hills, exquisite gastronomic offerings (hello, octopus and tomato pie), and rich cultural influences thanks to its eight UNESCO World Heritage sites. The hotel and resort options are as dizzying in scope as the landscape, but selecting your perfect retreat doesn't have to be complicated. For restorative getaways, check out these six splurge-worthy stays with luxurious on-site spas, from an intimate country château to a sprawling private-island paradise.
COVID-19 travel alert: Please remember to check government advisories before booking and traveling.
Domaine de Verchant Hotel and Spa
Relais & Châteaux properties are famously elegant, but this historic five-star outpost in Montpellier overlooking its extensive green lawns is especially spectacular. It's a 26-room property that sits on a 42-acre vineyard, La Cave Verchant, with two wine cellars for tastings and a shop selling the Domaine's five wines alongside other regional greats. There are also three restaurants on the property, and its award-winning spot Marcelle even comes with stunning views of the park. Still, the spa is this hotel's main attraction. It has eight treatment rooms, couples' massages, Ayurvedic therapies, a heated indoor pool, two outdoor pools, hammams, saunas, a gym, a boutique, and a tennis court.
Hotel Maison Albar L’ Imperator
The Imperator, located in the city of Nîmes, is known for attracting the likes of Hemingway and Ava Gardner as frequent guests. These days, there's gastronomic flair to spare, with dishes like a braised slice of sole with Gauby Muscat wine, with a side of cauliflower spiced with sweet curry, available at the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant Duende, overseen by chefs Pierre Gagnaire and Nicolas Fontaine. Bar Hemingway is still a vibrant focal point, as are the high-glam Art Deco-inspired suites and private houses. The hotel's Codage Spa is similarly impressive with a beauty program built on the French brand of the same name. The spa includes a barbershop and salon, a hot tub and a hammam, indoor and outdoor pools, and facials including a couture treatment, peels, and a "radiance" treatment that promises to "erase fatigue," along with tailored body and massage treatments.
Hôtel SPA de Fontcaude
Famous for its ancient hot springs, Hôtel SPA Fontcaude is located on a golf course outside Montpellier. The hotel includes an on-site restaurant serving traditional Mediterranean cuisine, seasonal indoor and outdoor heated pools, a sauna, a steam bath, and a fitness center. Treatments at the spa use local spring water and include hydrotherapy, Reflexology, detox wraps, hot stone massage, prenatal massage, light therapy, makeup services, and more. After a day of relaxing, you'll be ready to explore scenic Salagou Lake or Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert valley commune, both just 30 minutes away.
L’ Île de la Lagune Thalasso & Spa
The private island retreat known as L' Île de la Lagune Thalasso & Spa is a space filled with the finer things in life. There's the Michelin-starred Restaurant l'Almandin where guests can indulge in a seafood-driven dégustation menu with wine pairings at the chef's table, the heated saltwater pool with panoramic lagoon views, and the thalassotherapy and spa center for starters. Available services include anti-aging facials and body treatments, hyaluronic fillers, blue seaweed scrubs, and massage techniques ranging from Ayurvedic to Balinese to Colombian madotherapy. And, for extra fun, the hotel's boats are available for rent (with or without a skipper) for tours around the island.
Château de Rielle
Centered around one of the most famous thermal spas in the country, the Molitg Baths, this five-star 17-room château from the Relais & Châteaux group is nestled in a French Catalonian valley at the foothills of Mount Canigou. This perch makes for wildly beautiful scenery—every space from the pool area to the restaurant comes with a leafy backdrop. And then there's the spa experience: 16,000 square feet of space featuring thermal jetted pools, marble bath cabins, mud baths, and everything from black light mists to white mud baths to chromotherapy. The hotel also offers "Detox Weeks" for travelers interested in a deeper experience.
Château Saint Pierre de Serjac
Check into this lavish eight-room château with a restaurant, a wine cellar, a bar, a clay tennis court, and multiple terraces with views of the vineyard for a super splurge-worthy escape. A vineyard, hiking trails, and olive trees all take over the hotel's private 10 acres of land, so there's a ton to explore outdoors. The Cinq Monde Spa rounds out this experience with à la carte treatments tailored to your needs, from body scrubs to facials to yoga instruction, and has a solarium, a Turkish hammam, and a sauna.
Keep exploring
Immerse yourself in the stories of how travel connects us to the world and ourselves with our Next Stop video series.
5 things every traveler must see and do in Occitanie
Discover the must-visit highlights of this gorgeous region, from the city to the coast and the wineries in between.
How to book a château for your next French getaway
Treat yourself to a luxe escape with our collection of elegant stays in the south of France fit for royalty.
Terms and Conditions
Prices displayed are for stays on the specific dates shown.
Hotel prices displayed are per room per stay based on the cheapest double room available, inclusive of all taxes and service fees.
Blackout periods may apply and a minimum hotel stay may be required. Please check individual hotel for details.
Prices are updated regularly and are accurate when published.
Offers are subject to limited availability and may be discontinued without notice. Please click through to individual deals to confirm prices, availability and applicable terms and conditions for those deals.
Expedia’s usual booking terms and conditions apply.
Promoter: Expedia, Inc., 1111 Expedia Group Way West, Seattle, Washington, 98119
Expedia compensates authors for their writings appearing on this site; such compensation may include travel and other costs. Note: All travel is subject to frequently changing governmental restrictions—please check government advisories before scheduling trips.
