Some Good Hotels
Worth the Wait
When I write about travel I think about itineraries that make logistical sense. Well, that’s just not the way we’re living now. It’s hard to pull together a two-week trip this summer when we don’t even know the facts on the ground. Forget an elaborate three-country circuit; you have to take your escape when you can get it.
That might mean an intense, but indulgent trip. If you haven’t been able to travel for ages, manage to test negative for the Big C, then go for it. Or maybe you just want something to look forward to. So all is not lost. With that in mind here are some great hotels. Probably not places you check into for a week unless your crypto bets have paid off (though there’s something appealing about being in residence—I’ve always loved getting mail at hotels).
Let’s focus on the positive. Some grandeur. Some ambition. After all, you never know.
Chateau de Mercuès, Cahors. This grand 1399 chateau sits on a hill with views across the Lot river to the vineyards on the other side of the valley. This is Cahors, south of the Dordogne, a lovely but lightly visited part of France. Every room in the chateau is different—some ornate and covered with fabrics, others monastic and stone-walled with enormous fireplaces. The restaurant is serious but enjoyable business, a Michelin-one star setting with young, talented chef, Julien Poisot. We had an incredible 7-course tasting, just the right amount of indulgence. On the grounds is an immense pool, if you want to read a detective novel and consider a glass of rosé. The chateau closes for the winter season, but re-opens during February for the annual local truffle market. Those truffles find their way to the dining room, and a high French meal by the fire sounds very good right now.