La Bastide, Relais & Châteaux: a few summer days

It was in July, we had been locked down for months and had put aside our dreams of London, New Zealand or even Paris … Despite a privileged location with an ideal family cocoon and a large house with a garden for only the three of us, we needed to travel somewhere. Anywhere. Even if this elsewhere was only a few kilometers from our home. A swimming pool, large rooms and a beautiful park made us choose La Bastide. A Relais & Châteaux owned by Michel Guérard and located in Cazaubon, in the Gers region.

Well, we are not going to tell you that Cazaubon or even Barbotan-les-Thermes are worth it … Unless you are over 70 years old and you love thermal cures, the place is clearly of no interest. La Bastide is not the most lively place in the world. You would expect to find mostly elderly people there (and you will see quite a few actually!). However, this Relais & Châteaux has undeniable advantages.

La Bastide en Gascogne has a huge park with a beautiful swimming pool. It’s not heated (so I did not go, thanks a lot …) but the princess of course spent quite a lot of time there with a friend of hers (she makes friends everywhere she goes!). La Table de La Bastide restaurant has a beautiful terrace which overlooks the park and which we really enjoyed. The bedrooms and bathrooms are spacious which is quite ideal when traveling with children. Our hotel room overlooked the park and was extremely quiet. An important point for the three of us.

Our family experience

Which room with a child?

We advise you to book a Junior Suite. Not too expensive, it is nevertheless very spacious. We like the large bathroom with a walk-in shower and the beautiful light. The extra bed does not take up all the space and you will like being able to move around. The Junior Suite also has a handy storage space.

The princess loved

The princess loved the pool and the park which hosted the games with her friend. She also liked having her bed close to ours (sharing the same room is something she absolutely loves!) and being able to have breakfast outside, close to the park. Another opportunity to make friends!

On the plus side …

What about breakfast?

Breakfast was no longer a buffet, but you could indicate anything you wanted. In the end, we had an extremely full platter and we could of course ask for certain things again if needed. Being vegan, we were able to enjoy fruits, dried fruits, soy milk, cereals, bread, jam, etc. The morning service was both efficient and extremely pleasant. It was one of my favorite moments.

We’ll be back for …

I think that we have other discoveries to make and that there was nothing exceptional that could have made us want to come back. The staff are generally very professional but maybe that lacks a bit of warmth. The geographic location doesn’t help either, as there isn’t a whole lot to do for the three of us in the area.

Activities

At the hotel

The outdoor pool is perfect if you want to swim under the sun or just relax. The princess obviously loved it. Adults can access the Spa. It is a pity that children are not allowed, as we could not go during our stay. With over 450 m2, it has a jacuzzi relaxation pool, a steam room, a rest area, etc.

This is undoubtedly the main strength of La Bastide for a romantic getaway.

Close to your hotel

Very close to the Relais & Châteaux La Bastide is a pond filled with water lilies and lotuses. It is part of the botanical and thermal park of Barbotan and children will inevitably be amazed. The pink lotus that you can admire was brought to Barbotan in the 19th century. The flowers are visible from June.