Four Years of Women's Retreats in France: Announcing Our Full 2027 Season
- stephanie557
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Four years ago, Maison d'Amies was a sentence I said out loud to my hubby: "I want to start a small-group travel company for women, in France." That's it. That's all it was. And to his credit, he (as always) encouraged me to do the damn thing.
Fast forward to today where I get to announce our full 2027 season: five retreats across France and the French Caribbean, each one built on the same belief that's carried this business from the beginning: that we deserve travel that feels like real life, not an instagram reel. That travel should be filled with real humans and genuine experiences. That days should begin and end with heartfelt conversations (sometimes over full glasses of wine and oozy plates of cheese), and always be filled laughter that leaves you feeling lighter inside (you know the kind).
If you're new here, welcome. I'm Stephanie, the founder here at Maison d'Amies, and I run small-group, women-only (with a once a year exception) retreats in France. These are hosted by yours truly and are built on years of work in France and lots of late nights at the computer. I focus on staying in locally owned properties, working with local chefs, and spend an unreasonable amount of time building curated and thoughtful itineraries that take you to places you'll remember for years to come.
Here's where we're headed in 2027.
January 2027: Friends of the House - Bordeaux & Sarlat (First-Annual Co-Ed Gathering)
Once a year, we open the door wider. Friends of the House is our annual co-ed gathering for couples, friends, and yes, even strangers who become friends fast. All are welcome. We'll start in Bordeaux, head to the Sarlat truffle festival for a long weekend that smells exactly as good as it sounds (while staying at our fav Chateau de la Bourlie). On Monday, we're returning to Bordeaux for small-group wine tours to close things out. It's the one retreat a year that isn't women-only, and it's now one of my favorite traditions on the calendar.
April 2027: Provence, Les Baux-de-Provence
We're returning to the region that built the foundation of this entire company. Stone villages, market mornings, the golden light that's drawn painters to this corner of France for centuries. If you've been following our Avignon and Provence retreats happening this year, this is the next evolution of that work: same soul, new chapter. This week we'll be staying at the unbelievable L'Étoile des Baux, discovering some of the lesser known villages of Provence, indulging in great food and even better spa treatments.
May 2027: Martinique, with Maison Carib
This one is our first Caribbean retreat, and will be co-hosted with the lovely Freddie of Maison Carib. Expect a rhum tasting (or two) at Habitation Clément, a hands-on Bakoua hat-making session, an introduction to the island's yole boat tradition, and a visit to Distillerie JM. This retreat represents a real expansion for Maison d'Amies, proof that what we do in France translates beautifully to the French Caribbean too.
June 2027: French Riviera
Completely reimagined for 2027: a new property, restructured pricing, and a more accessible entry point into the Riviera experience, without losing what makes a Maison d'Amies retreat feel the way it does. This week we'll explore the unknown side of the Riviera, learning about the flavors and the history (art...perfume...gah!) that make the Côte d'Azur so much more than a day on a yacht.
October 2027: Dordogne, at Château de la Bourlie
Our château season closer, and the retreat I've been building toward for a while (years...literally). If you love the idea of staying somewhere with real history, real character, and a view that makes your morning coffee feel like an event, this is the one to watch. Not only will our home for the week be unforgettable, our week in this little known corner of France will fill both your belly and your cup.
Four years of lessons from building a women's travel company
I want to be honest about something many founders don't say out loud: this wasn't a straight line.
There were retreats I pivoted on entirely. Ones I had to cancel in the early years because turns out it takes time to build something like this. There were properties I fell in love with on paper and then walked away from because the owner wasn't the right fit for what I'm creating. A co-host relationship that ended. A guest situation that tested every belief I have about staying open-hearted in this work. Nights where I genuinely questioned whether any of it made sense.
And I kept building anyway. Here's what I'd tell the version of me who started this:
You don't need the business model figured out before you build the relationships. The relationships are the business model.
Pivoting isn't failure. Our French Riviera retreat looks nothing like what I originally planned for that region last year, and I genuinely think it's better for it.
Not everyone will be happy for you. Some people will be threatened by what you're building. Build anyway.
And lastly, charge what the experience is worth. I think many other small business owners out there feel me on this one-and tbh I still struggle at times. But the years have taught me that what I do is special, and that has real value.
So this is me, four years in, giving myself a quiet high five. Not because everything's been perfect, but because I stayed the course, stayed soft where it mattered and firm where it mattered more, and built something real out of one sentence I almost didn't say out loud.
Here's to 2027. Curious which retreat is calling your name? Explore our 2027 adventures here, and make sure to join our inner circle to be the first to know when new things are shared.
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