Château de Fiac Unveils a Weekend of Perfume Ateliers and Olfactory Indulgence in the Heart of Occitania

Source: The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts

Reported By: Matthew Kennedy

March 21st, 2025 - In the storied countryside of southern France, an elegant 19th-century château is inviting guests to rediscover the forgotten language of scent. From April 25–27, Château de Fiac by The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts will host an immersive weekend that fuses French perfume heritage with curated gastronomy and thoughtful wellness. This expert-led retreat is as much a lesson in refinement as it is a celebration of sensory memory.

Titled Perfume Ateliers at Château de Fiac, the exclusive experience brings together two of the most respected figures in French fragrance and cultural preservation—Anne Camili, founder of Musée À la Carte®, and Isabelle Ferrand, President of Cinquième Sens, a renowned perfume house established in 1976.

Guests will step into a bespoke exhibition curated by Anne Camili, who brings to the château a collection of rare 19th-century artefacts including glass perfume bottles, powder boxes, and aromatic vinegar salts. Presented in the style of a historical perfumer’s laboratory, this installation illuminates the rituals and artistry of perfumery during the Second Empire, the very era in which the Rivals family constructed Château de Fiac.

Camili’s work is rooted in storytelling through material culture. Her curated objects are more than decorative—they are conduits into the past, charting the evolution of eau de cologne and the role of scent in French daily life during a time when personal fragrance was closely intertwined with hygiene, medicine, and identity.

The weekend continues under the guidance of Isabelle Ferrand, whose stewardship of Cinquième Sens has been instrumental in preserving the artistry of French fragrance. With the help of the Olfactorium®—a compact version of a perfumer’s organ—guests will engage with raw materials once used by perfumers in the late 1800s, from floral absolutes to aromatic woods and resins.

This hands-on experience allows participants to explore the emotional and psychological dimensions of scent, while deepening their understanding of fragrance structure and composition. It's not simply an appreciation course; it’s an invitation to compose.

The sensorial journey expands into the dining room at Renaissance, Château de Fiac’s elegant in-house restaurant, where the boundaries between fragrance and flavor are purposefully blurred. A special multi-course dinner will incorporate ingredients and techniques that echo the day’s perfume explorations—each dish acting as a complement, or even a counterpoint, to the aromas encountered earlier.

The result is more than a meal—it’s a culinary extension of the olfactory narrative, one that encourages diners to think about taste, scent, and memory as intertwined expressions of the same aesthetic impulse.

Tucked away in France’s Occitania region, just 24 miles from Toulouse-Blagnac International Airport, Château de Fiac offers an intimate setting of just 16 rooms and suites, each a graceful blend of aristocratic character and contemporary comfort. Beyond its perfume ateliers, the property also features the REVĪVŌ Spa, a full-service wellness space including an Icelandic plunge pool, hammam, sauna, and indoor pool—complementary to all guests during their stay.

Rates for the one-night Perfume Ateliers package begin at EUR 720++ (approximately GBP 606++) for two people sharing a Deluxe Double Room. This includes:

• Two perfume atelier sessions with Anne Camili and Isabelle Ferrand

• Saturday evening three-course dinner (excluding drinks)

• Sunday buffet breakfast and three-course lunch (excluding drinks)

• Full access to the REVĪVŌ Spa

For those wishing to linger, the two-night package starts at EUR 1,530++ (approximately GBP 1,288++) and includes:

• Two three-course dinners (Friday and Saturday, excluding drinks)

• Daily buffet breakfast

• Sunday lunch

• All atelier sessions and spa access

Reservations can be made at www.pavilionshotels.com/destinations/france/the-pavilions-france-chateau-de-fiac.

Step into one of The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts' properties and experience luxury and immersive locales like no other. Every hotel is a sophisticated, private haven in which to relax, play or find adventure. Following an ethos that it's not just where guests want to go, but how they want to feel, The Pavilions is known for offering its signature Curated Journeys travel service to its guests. These innovative travel itineraries – curated by local insiders, unique to each property and designed to encompass an emotive experience, from romance to adventure to feeling good – put the bespoke into a luxury holiday. Whether the foodie-themed "Like a Chef" journey in Rome, a romantic "Just the Two of Us" adventure in Thailand, or the "Like a Boss" Madrid itinerary that turns business travel on its head, each Curated Journey connects guests with a range of experts in each of its destinations whose passion and talents open the door to unique experiences.

Headquartered in Hong Kong, The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts is one of the fastest-growing boutique hotel groups in the region. With their boutique size and thoughtful design philosophy, The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts offer secluded spaces with attentive service, even in the busiest of cities. The hotels are distinctly individual and unique, yet all are underpinned by the core values of building meaningful connections in unrivalled locations, a mindful respect for privacy and service beyond expectations.