A 13th-century castle turned into a cozy corner of rural France: take a look inside.

In 2019, Vincenzo Iaconos finished his work for King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia and ended three years of moments spent on royal estates in the Middle East, Europe and the United States as an ambassador for the King's Palaces.

He arrived in Saudi Arabia after working at Relais & Chateaux properties in Paris and Provence and was thinking of returning to either place. But the first call he answered from a search agency offered an opportunity on the other side of France as general manager of the newly renovated five-star Domaine des Etangs hotel in the small village of Massignac in the southwest.

The romantic 13th-century chateau became Auberge Resorts' first hotel in France in April; it is the holding company's second hotel in Europe after Grace Hotel in Santorini (the opening of its new Tuscan hotel, Collegio alla Querce, has been postponed until 2024).

A boutique resort with only 17 rooms, suites and cottages on the 2,500-acre Domaine des Etangs forested property emphasizes outdoor recreation with activities such as mushroom hunting, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, rowing and tennis on the original "floating" court.

But the Yaconos were quick to dismiss the work. "It was in Charente," he says, explaining. Not that Charant is a dirty word, it's just an unfamiliar word. Charente is one of France's most rural departments and epitomizes the country's rural idyll: a soft, sunny landscape where prized Limousin cows graze alongside posters on the roads advertising a village fete. But the area, best known for Cognac and cattle ranching, is not a center of luxury tourism, despite the fame of both local delicacies.

Yakonos agreed to visit the hotel and soon after flew to Switzerland for breakfast with hotel owner Garance Prima, daughter of the late billionaire oilman Didier Prima. He will quickly decide to try this opportunity. "It's impossible to say no to Garance," he says and smiles. "She is an exceptional woman. "

Garance Prima and her 7 siblings grew up playing games on the castle lawn and sailing wooden boats on the glass ponds that gave the estate its name. Today, hotel guests can also enjoy these activities.

Yakonos knows that the first impression of a luxury hotel's modest location is universally recognized. But, he says, once guests see the first dreamy glimpse of the tower castle, they don't want to leave. Fortunately, there's no such need during your stay.

The upside of the countryside is space, and Domaine des Etangs, the largest five-star hotel in France, has a riot of it. Even during full occupancy, when the property, three times the size of Central Park in New York City, is fully occupied, the people are always an impressive minority compared to the 600-head herd of red-headed Limousin-bred cows.

The guest rooms are scattered throughout the castle, longhouse and metairie - six restored barns scattered throughout the estate - and include electric Citröen zippies included in the room rate.

The Prima family's influence can be felt everywhere: outdoor sculptures from Garance Prima's personal collection, worn books in the cozy library, telescopes pointed at the starry sky, old suitcases filled with costumes for children in the huge playroom that occupies almost the entire top floor of the castle. "You really feel like someone lives here," Iaconos says.

The relaxed and casual atmosphere is also felt by those who work here. Many of them grew up listening to stories of the magnificent estate. It's never a problem to push restaurant reservations back an hour for an evening bike ride around the estate or to finish a tennis match on the court.

Depending on guests' preferences, meals can be served among the curly vines of juicy tomatoes in the spiral vegetable garden or packed in a picnic basket for unwrapping by the shore of the ponds.

Yakonos is always present: he's setting tables at breakfast, chatting with guests over coffee in the stone-walled lounge, his puppy Leon always by his side. He was so used to the region that he bought a house in a nearby village. Gone is the stress and exciting rhythm of his previous life, although there is a kind of pressure here. "I want all the guests to be happy and when they leave say, 'See you next year, Vincenzo,'" he says.