Cultural Union visits Les Bordes in France to see how the former estate of Baron Bich is being transformed into a nirvana of golf, equestrianism and wellness, with the existing Cour du Baron homes and clubhouse soon to be joined by a Six Senses hotel and 52 branded residences.
Deep in the wine country of France’s Loire Valley, a new world is taking shape. Just 90 minutes from Paris, but already in La France Profonde, it’s here that the magnificently named Baron Bich (of Bic Biro fame) created the renowned Les Bordes golf course in the last century in his 1,400-acre hunting estate.
Les Bordes, which recently launched the Cour du Baron residences, is now breaking ground with one of Europe’s most significant Six Senses developments. “Les Bordes offers a rich canvas for us to create an active community of like-minded people within one of the largest privately-owned estates in France,” Six Senses’ chief operating officer Neil Palmer tells us. “Six Senses will create a place where families and friends can celebrate the region’s cultural and gastronomic heritage in the heart of the Loire.”
Back in 1987, Baron Bich didn’t create any old golf course. Instead, he turned to the celebrated American golf architect Robert von Hagge, whose Old Course at Les Bordes is considered one of his masterpieces. But while the course has remained in the European Top 10 ever since, the surrounding estate gradually lost its focus after Bich’s death in 1994.
“Les Bordes offers a rich canvas for us to create an active community of like-minded people within one of the largest privately-owned estates in France.”
Neil Palmer, Chief Operating Officer, Six Senses
This drift continued until the London-based investment firm RoundShield Partners became a majority shareholder in 2018, bringing with them a vision for transforming the estate into a global lifestyle destination. Initial steps included the creation of a second course, the Gil Hanse-designed New Course, which catapulted Les Bordes into the World Top 100.
Following this, the broader vision of the estate began to take shape. “The golf course was top notch, but we wanted much more than that,” says Florian Lakat, Director of Residential Sales at Les Bordes. “We wanted to be the place for families to come, reconnect, and spend time together in a peaceful environment.”
To deliver this, Les Bordes engaged Soho House architects Michaelis Boyd to create 21 houses – the Cour du Baron residences – ranging from 2,400 to 4,500 square feet. While there’s nothing to stop these being primary homes, they are more likely to be second homes for family holidays of golfing, riding and relaxing; when unused, Les Bordes will handle letting them out to visitors, earning rental income and perhaps more importantly, a tax break (as renting out a new-build escapes the property’s 20% VAT bill in France). These are globally marketed, with 50% of buyers coming from the United States.
Michaelis Boyd also remodelled the Clubhouse at the heart of the estate. It’s stylishly done, a successful mix of baronial hunting lodge, American country club and London private members club, with rustic oak beams, huge stone fireplace and floor-to-ceiling Crittall windows overlooking a wide stone terrace and the golf course and woods beyond. Also remodelled were the cluster of chalets that provide accommodation for non-residents. These are elegant, rugged enough for outdoor pursuits and with verandas overlooking the countryside, while maintaining a five-star urban sensibility.
RoundShield are also introducing a state-of-the-art equestrian centre in partnership with Olympic gold-medallist Scott Brash. “Golf and equestrian are two worlds that attract a similar type of people,” says Florian Lakat. “The two pursuits are rarely found in the same place, yet the demand is there.” The facility, constructed by equestrian specialists Röwer & Rüb, will feature a performance centre, a clubhouse featuring a farm-to-fork restaurant, a rooftop bar, rider treatment rooms, and a private riders’ lounge. For the horses, facilities such as a treadmill, equine masseur, solarium, acupressure grooming, a resident vet and bespoke nutrition programmes will be provided.
In other words, Les Bordes is aiming for nothing less than to establish the estate as Europe’s premier equestrian facility. It’s all part of their strategy to engage the whole family – which, to generalise, would see one parent golfing while the other rides, with amenities including children’s clubs, cycling trails, tennis and padel courts, and the exceptionally charming goats at the children’s farm.
“The golf course was top notch, but we wanted much more than that. We wanted to be the place for families to come, reconnect, and spend time together.”
Florian Lakat, Director of Residential Sales at Les Bordes
But the most transformative stage of Les Bordes’ evolution will be the arrival of Six Senses in 2027. Six Senses, founded in 1995 by Sonu and Eva Shivdasani with Soneva Fushi in the Maldives and now owned by IHG, has maintained an ultra-high-end cachet; and with its UK debut at The Whiteley later this year, is expanding its European footprint. Six Senses at Les Bordes will be a significant addition, with a 50-key hotel, an 18,000-square-foot spa and 52 private branded residences.
“The Cour du Baron residences already have a lot of offerings – from pool maintenance to organising groceries for a resident’s fridge before they arrive,” says Lakat. “But Six Senses is a six-star hotel, and the hospitality and service that will come with a Six Senses home will be a fully turnkey living experience.”
The arrival of Six Senses will also mark a step-change in the estate’s facilities. Currently, Les Bordes has a single restaurant in the Clubhouse, and soon another at the equestrian centre; but when Six Senses launches in 2027, the estate will boast five restaurants. “We’ll have fine dining in the chateau, all-day dining at the hotel, and a further restaurant in Le Village,” says Lakat, referring to the 15th-century hamlet within the estate which will soon be renovated to include a market with fresh local products, a bakery, a cafe, a restaurant and a social club for teenagers.
While these plans won’t be fully realised until 2027, there remains something special about Les Bordes. It has the genuine feel of arriving at a private country estate, with cattle grids and miles of post and rail. At 1,400 acres, it’s large enough to accommodate two elite-level golf courses as well as a third practice course, and to still forget they are there. One could walk for an hour and barely encounter anyone. Cars are only for arrival and departure; on the estate, golf buggies, horses and bicycles are the modes of transport. There’s also a laid-back element, which runs from the unfussy menu and reasonably priced list of excellent local wines in the Clubhouse to the airy, unpretentious architecture of the Cour du Baron houses. If they can preserve this essence while unfolding the exciting developments the Six Senses will bring, Les Bordes will be envied throughout the world.
As Lavat puts it: “What’s truly special about Les Bordes is the tranquillity – how serene everything is, yet still so close to Paris.”
Les Bordes | France | Hotels | Six Senses