REVIEWS

Pilates Retreat June 2025, Olivia Johnson Hilton
A glorious feeling of ease unfolds in the beautiful arms of Queille. Naps overcome you in perfect relaxed shady nooks. Fresh, heavenly food appears at exactly the right moment crafted by the laid-back, genius chef Oli. Top class pilates, combining both rigour and dynamic expression, are delivered by the always attentive and upbeat Riccardo twice a day. A friendly, stimulating crowd drift around the exquisitely decorated house and roam in the most captivating garden, dipping into the pleasingly chill river whenever needed. The existence is sybaritic yet grounded. I returned to London entirely renewed, imbued with the generous, nurturing energy of this most enchanting place.

Billy, August 2025
Queille: quality, quench [he explains: it quenched all our desires] and a quintessential castle.

Kate August 2025
Thank you Rachel for a wonderful holiday that will shine brightly in our memories. Our large group - from the babies to the grandparents - loved the glorious pool, the exquisite surroundings and the generous comfort of the house. We filled our days with ballet classes run by four year olds, fishing expeditions for 40 year olds and discos for everyone. The kind and attentive chefs cheerfully arrived with meals, a proper rest for us all. Such a special place for our tribe of 12 cousins to make their own. We couldn't recommend Queille more.What will stay with me particularly is the freedom: there was so much space for everyone to do exactly as they wished. Chris got up very early to read in the cool of the morning; after breakfast he would spend the rest of the day inside away from the heat. 
The children were in and out of the pool all day long. For a change of scene they'd go down to the river/trampoline/hammock or put on a show in the cool chapel. They organised ballet classes, a Pilates lesson. They found chalks and made drawings on logs of wood or the floor. Teo (7) was particularly fascinated by the cleaning robot ('my friend") crawling up and down the walls of the pool. There was much gaming: chess, card games, table tennis. Everyone found exactly the right book to dip into. One evening we had yummy pizzas hot from the oven. The puppet fair at Mirepoix was full of life and fascination (we had all but forgotten that we were not the only people in the world). The mirabelles tree on the way down was dripping with fruit, which made lovely compote. 
And all week long there was not one tear or squabble (this is how I'd like to imagine paradise..) 

Nell, August 2025
Queille
Unforgettable
Excellent
Infinity pool
Loved
Lovely
Excentric

Fiona Clarke July 2025
We had a truly wonderful week at Chateau de Queille - for the second time! This visit was for a big birthday gathering, with ages ranging from 7 months to 75 years! We used every room in the house - with everyone having their own space and privacy. We swam in the river, sang around the piano, cooked in the pizza oven - and had a chef recommended who cooked a wonderful lunch for us all, which we ate alongside the house on long tables in perfect dappled sunshine. The location is stunning, the house - with all the wonderful pictures and furniture, is perfect, and incredibly comfortable, stylish and homely.  We cooked wonderful meals in the kitchen, with fresh ingredients from Mirepoix market. I can’t imagine a better location for a multigenerational group. Everyone had a fantastic time and we all fell in love with the house and the location all over again. We will be back for more! 

Tom Glover March 2024
​The house is absolutely breathtaking, even in the winter. The beauty of the surroundings was awe-inspiring, creating a perfect backdrop to work from. It's rare to stay in such a special place. I must also mention the kitchen, which was such a pleasure to use. Preparing meals in such a well-equipped and spacious environment made cooking a real treat.

Chris Goulder, large family party August 2024
We have just had the most incredible family holiday at Queille and are already looking to go again. 
We were a large group (multiple adult couples plus kids and a nanny) but the house worked perfectly for us all.  Lots of space, comfortable and beautifully-decorated rooms and different areas inside and out so you could always find a quiet corner.
We used every part of the house. Lunches by the pool. Evening meals under the loggia. Adventures in the garden. A moment of reflection in the chapel. And even piano recital in the games room. 
The pool is fantastic, it is salt water so it’s lovely to swim in and has an incredible view while also being child friendly. 
We had two lovely cooks drop off our evening meal each day, which made life so easy- would definitely recommend. That said, both kitchens are so well equipped that you’d easily be able to cook a feast for 20 plus people. 
There is plenty to do locally: walks, swimming in the river, tennis, cycling, Mirepoix market and a trip to the play zone when the kids need tiring out. We booked the masseur for a day of pampering in the lower garden and got to listen to the river and rustling tress - no panpipe music necessary! 
Can’t say enough good things. Thank you Rachel, you have created something really wonderful.

Sophie Glover artists’ retreat February - March 2024
Our residency at Chateau de Queille last winter allowed us time to think and to consider. There is no where that feels quite so wonderfully converse to the rush of the city (where making art can seem to get squeezed into the margins of life) than this Chateau on top of a rock in the foothills  of the Pyrenees. 
As artists working to deadlines, often we don’t have the time to think deeply about our practice and so this is what we really valued from our time at Queille. At breakfast we set out what each of us planned to make that day before each going to separate study areas to work. There are so many beautiful nooks in the Chateau where the sun comes through the windows in the morning. Cold swims or walks along the river, that runs by the Chateau, helped anyone with creative block. Lunch and dinner were communal affairs cooked in the beautiful kitchen and occasionally eaten outside in the February sun overlooking the mountains. These meals were times to talk and discuss. After dinner we lit the fire in the sitting room and engaged in a structured sort of conversation about our practices, reading excerpts of Olivia Lang’s Funny Weather and having crits. Although the internet was super speed, there was something incredibly healing about talking, late into the night, with wine, in a very warm sitting room, with the huge winter night outside and it never felt the time to put a film on. On days when we got itchy feet the local market at Mirepoix called or the hot springs in the mountains.
The amount of space in the Chateau, the still of the days, the height of the rock, the quality of the food and the removal from other people allowed us a moment to focus and think creatively, that I know, has been a springboard for us as artists for the rest of the year.

Oli/Bec wedding September 2024
We just wanted to drop a thank you as it’s all starting to settle in on the way back to England. You have created such a beautiful home in Queille and we’re so so grateful for you sharing it with us. Not only was it the most beautiful and dramatic setting for our wedding, it was a home filled with love for all our family and that meant so much to us. 
Thank you for opening up Queille for us, it will be in our hearts forever. 

Lucy and Mark le Fanu,  October 2024 Musicians’ retreat
Queille makes a wonderful setting for a musical house-party. For the last two years I have taken 11 musicians, a mix of strings and winds, to play chamber music. The different spaces of the superb Music Room - complete with its Steinway Grand, the elegant Salon and the private Chapel allow for a great variety of repertoire simultaneously for differing combinations. In our rare moments of relaxation there's the glorious infinity pool, magical walks, and the delightful historic market town of Mirepoix just 10 minutes away. We can't wait to return for more.