Château Destinée — Hotel in Bergerac

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)

Château Destinée is a beautiful venue with excellent food, a professional kitchen, and charming accommodations. HOWEVER, our experience was repeatedly soured by the owners, who were consistently rude, rigid, unwelcoming, and at times downright inappropriate. I was shocked by the complete lack of hospitality or customer service from the owners.

Unprofessional behavior

Speech privacy breached: On our wedding day, I asked the planner to print a draft of my thank-you speech. She read it without permission, shared it with the owners, and the owner pulled me aside mid-day to complain she wasn’t mentioned. A complete invasion of privacy and wildly inappropriate on such a meaningful day.

Pool party shutdown: The next day, during a relaxed pool party, the owner enforced strict "pool hours" — pulling the speaker plug mid-song and rolling the pool cover over guests still swimming. We had rented the entire property privately for the weekend.

Strict rule enforcement: The owners patrolled the property like school principals, ready to pounce on anyone breaking a rule. If you hadn’t memorized their multi-page PDF, you were getting corrected. For the price we paid to rent the château exclusively for three days, this level of micromanagement was baffling and exhausting.

Disrespect to guests & vendors

Early check-in fee threat: We were warned that any guest arriving before 3 p.m. would trigger an early check-in fee — even those traveling internationally. We had to redirect early arrivals to a nearby Airbnb, which was frustrating and embarrassing.

Public scolding at dinner: The owner loudly reprimanded a guest for playing music too loud during our 8 p.m. dinner — but she had the wrong person. Several guests later told us they had similar run-ins throughout the weekend.

“Budget” jokes to guests: At check-in, the owner told guests we “hadn’t paid for full service,” so their rooms wouldn’t be cleaned daily. We assume it was meant as a joke — but with zero delivery, it landed as rude. Several guests told us how off-putting and unprofessional it was. Daily cleaning wasn’t even offered.

Planner confusion: While the planner managed the venue staff well, she didn’t assist with any day-of planning or coordination for us as a couple. When the schedule started to slip, our maid of honour stepped in and ran the day.

Petty charges

€80 to print speeches: At checkout, we were proudly charged €80 for printing a handful of pages — plus a comment like, “You asked for a lot of printing.” As if there’s a print shop around the corner in rural France. At this price point, it was absurd.

Charging for ice: Yes, we were charged for ice. That should be included — full stop.

No flexibility on unused items: We brought flip-flops for dancing — brand new and unopened. We offered to leave them for the next wedding. We were told we’d be charged for “anything left behind.”

No support at checkout

Leftover wine: After the wedding, we had 20–40 bottles of great wine left. We offered to gift it to staff or leave it for the next couple — both were declined. Instead, we were told we’d be charged for anything not removed. We spent our final morning scrambling to rehome it before our flight.

A note on rooms

We loved that each room had its own ensuite bathroom — a real highlight. That said, not all rooms have air conditioning, which made a few nights uncomfortable in the heat.

In summary

The food was excellent and the venue is visually beautiful — but the people running it treat guests and vendors like burdens. Their tone is strict, joyless, and oddly adversarial — the opposite of what a wedding venue should be.

We had a beautiful wedding because of our people — not because of...

This was the venue for a family wedding and what a wonderful location!|Our greeting on arrival was very warm and friendly. Our accommodation was excellent, with a comfortable bed and an airy en-suite room. The hostess Linda and her staff couldn't be more helpful. |The location is exceptional, right on the bank of the Dordogne River. The grounds of the Chateau are very well maintained and thoughtfully arranged, with a pool and lots of little areas for sitting for a chat with the family. |The food was excellent for the formal parts of the week and we were allowed to self-cater using a well supplied kitchen area for the other evening meals. Breakfasts were included and always plentiful/delicious. |If I had to choose a location for this sort of event, I wouldn't hesitate to contact the hosts Linda and Peter to discuss your wedding requirements. |Thank you, Linda and Peter, for giving your guests a fantastic glimpse of life in the ...

PARADISE There's just no other word than paradise to describe this place. Photos don't do it justice but I'll do my best with a few. Set right on the bank of the Dordogne overlooking the water. The warmest welcome from incredible hosts and providing the perfect holiday vibe for friends and family. If you're considering a destination wedding in France then 100% do it.....and put Chateau Destinee top of your list to view. Ive been lucky enough to photograph a gorgeous wedding there and will back again in the summer of 2024 for more of the same. If you're on the fence about a destination wedding in general or if you're looking at Chateau Destinee as a possible choice....please feel free to reach out to me via insta for an unbiased opinion. But you can be sure I will absolutely rave about the venue and will be more than happy to answer any questions you have.x

Photos by @teamedwardsphotography...