Your host

I am Jo.Your host for the week.

Not a brand with a founder story. One woman who is at the château the whole time, who welcomes you when you arrive and sits at the table every night.

Jo in an orange dress, standing in a doorway at the end of a corridor, smiling.

Jo resting her face against a horse's nose in a field.

Guests sitting together in armchairs in the salon, talking in the afternoon light.

Jo at the long table, laid for dinner with flowers down the middle.

Jo sitting against a stone column in the cloister, in a long taupe dress.

Guests sitting together in the salon under a chandelier, each holding a sheet of paper.

In Jo's words

My greatest joy is watching guests arrive feeling tired and overwhelmed and leave lighter, happier and with friendships that continue long after the retreat has ended.

Before this

Eighteen yearsin south west France.

I have lived in south west France for eighteen years. Long enough to stop being a visitor and long enough to know which markets are worth the drive.

I have thirty years of experience in hospitality and events. Before Madame Retreats I worked in marketing and event management and for years I planned destination weddings across France. It is very good training in one thing: noticing what somebody needs before they have had to ask for it. That is most of the job here too.

In 2008 I left corporate life and came to France. Madame Retreats came later, out of my own habit of going on retreats and coming home thinking about the small things that would have made all the difference.

Jo in a white shirt with a chestnut horse at the edge of a field.

Jo sitting in a stone arch of the loggia, in a long taupe dress.

Why it is like this

Ten years of retreatsand no timetable.

I am not a retreat professional with a decade of certificates. I am a woman who has been going on retreats for about ten years and eventually did something about it.

The first year taught me what women actually want, which turned out not to be a schedule. It is good food, a room of your own, somebody else doing the thinking and company at dinner if you want it and none if you do not.

So there is no timetable on the wall and there is nothing you have to sign up for. There is a rhythm to the week and you can step into any part of it or none of it.

Valentina, USA.

Jo in an orange dress, laughing, leaning against a wall of ivy.

Jo sitting alone on the curved stone steps of the amphitheatre in the grounds.

Jo, the host, in a straw hat and a black top, standing in an open doorway of the château with a book in her hand.

Body positive

On bodies,since it comes up.

It's not a boot camp. I'm not a size 8 woman. I'm fit and healthy. This is me.

The retreat is body positive. It is not a fitness or weight-loss retreat and I am very conscious that women come in all shapes and sizes, with very different relationships with their bodies. There is no judgment, no expectation to look or move a certain way. The emphasis is on joining the countryside, walking, delicious food, the spa, relaxation and simply giving yourself permission to pause. I want every woman to feel comfortable and completely herself. The spa is also a very relaxed environment and I would be happy to discuss any particular requirements before you book, so you can feel completely comfortable.

The people

Who is actuallyat the château.

Four people. You will know all their names by Tuesday. Jo is with you every day; the others come in for the parts of it that are theirs.

Your host

Jo in the cloister garden, looking up into the light beside a bronze figure. — Jo
Your host, every day from breakfast until dinner
The one who welcomes you when you arrive and sits at dinner with you. She is here every day from breakfast until dinner. She does not sleep at the château, but she lives just around the corner if you need her. Someone is on site overnight in case of any emergency.
On the walks there is a faster group and a slower one. Jo usually takes the back of the slower one herself.

In for their part of it

Emma, the Pilates and mindfulness teacher, laughing between two wooden walls. — Emma
Pilates and mindfulness teacher
Emma leads the Pilates week in April 2027. She has taught Pilates for over ten years. It started more than fifteen years ago as a way to recover from back surgery and became a way of life.
At home she walks her dog on Portobello beach and swims in the sea all year round. She brings mindfulness into every class, so you leave feeling you have given your body something good.

Audrey, the spa therapist, giving a treatment in the spa. — Audrey
The spa
Treatments are hers. Massages and facials, using Lia skincare products, worked out with you rather than picked off a list. They are the one thing in the week that costs extra. Treatments are booked in advance: Jo sends you the spa menu before you arrive and you tell her what you would like.
The spa itself is a quiet room. If you would rather talk to somebody about what you want before you book anything, that is the normal way round.

Jean-Marc on a mountain summit on a hike, under a clear blue sky. — Jean-Marc
Local walking guide
Jean-Marc leads our guided countryside walks and hikes, sharing his favourite trails and hidden corners of southwest France while helping guests discover the beauty of the region at a relaxed pace.

What the womensaid about Jo.

★★★★★

Madame Retreats is hosted in a stunning Chateau set in beautiful Gers countryside. Joanne has created a welcoming and peaceful environment to relax and unwind with likeminded women... I had a wonderful experience and can't wait to return...

Marie-Louise May 2026

★★★★★

Jo's dedication and passion to this retreat is incredible. Their reputation for being genuinely welcoming and community-focused speaks volumes.

Emma May 2026

As featured in Luxury Lifestyle Magazine: “Permission to pause: The new luxury of relaxing in Gascony”, 15 October 2026 Read the article (opens in a new tab)

Enquire

Ask for the brochure.No sales call.

Dates, rooms, what a day actually looks like and the full price list. It comes by email from Jo. You can read it and never speak to us again.

The 2027 retreats10–17 April 2027, The Pilates week17–24 April 202715–22 May 20274–11 September 20272–9 October 2027

Eighteen yearsin south west France.

Ten years of retreatsand no timetable.

On bodies,since it comes up.

Who is actuallyat the château.

Jo

Emma

Audrey

Jean-Marc

What the womensaid about Jo.

Ask for the brochure.No sales call.