RENAISSANCE RETREAT
A couples retreat in a French Renaissance Château
Wednesday 12th May 2027- Sunday 16 May,
Loire Valley, FranceFor the couple who wants to connect, play, dream bigger, and consciously design the next chapter of their life together.
This is an intimate retreat for only 5 couples inside a magnificent French Renaissance Château, where you'll break routine to reconnect to yourselves, each other, and the future you're creating together.
Guided by relationship strategist and Renaissance Château owner, Gaëlle, collaborating with School of Sensual Arts founder, author and Tantra Teacher, Henika. We invite you to spend five days living, celebrating and embodying your relationship, with exciting new tools and electric moments of intimacy, sensuality and connection.
Through transformational workshops, playful experiences, historic surroundings, exceptional food and meaningful conversations, you'll explore how to build a relationship that doesn't simply survive life's challenges, but becomes the foundation from which both partners thrive.
An idylic escape and romantic blueprint as well as conscious strategic time to craft an elevated next chapter together. This relationship-defining retreat is a moment to pause with purpose.
Ready for an experience you’ll be talking about for years to come?
As featured in Netflix, Paramount+ 'Millionaire Holiday Home Swap' and 'National Geographic Traveller Magazine' Retreat Feature 2026
Who is this retreat for?
This retreat is for couples who
✓ Want a break from the day-to-day routine
✓ Want to reconnect to your spark and deepen intimacy as a couple
✓ Are looking for more depth and intention than a standard ‘eat, sleep, repeat’ holiday
✓ Feel successful externally or independently but seek even more fulfilment in your relationship
✓ Want practical connection tools to bring into your relationship alongside meaningful memories
✓ Desire even more passion, romance, affection and aliveness
✓ Enjoy personal development individually and as a couple
✓ Want to engage in workshops to get the maximum return to their relationship
✓ Would like to consciously create your future together rather than drift into it
✓ Love exploring beautiful spaces when visiting a country while learning of its depth and history
✓ Want to travel and explore a new experience without the stress of organisation
✓ Seek nourishment, health, growth and depth without the heaviness of therapy
✓ Appreciate elegance and good food around a candlelit table with meaningful conversations
✓ Want a space which offers both structure but also holds freedom and privacy to relax together
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Couples in the midst of a current crisis
Individuals seeking a partner
Psychotherapy or talking repeatedly about problems
Group s*x or nudity
A play party or partner exchange
Processing traumatic experiences for the first time
Excessive drinking or overconsumption
The Château
Centuries ago, this luxurious Renaissance Château was designed during a period of peace and possibility. Built on the grounds of an old fortress, it transitioned from a place of protection to place of celebration.
Unlike the fortified castles of war, its grand south-facing windows were built to welcome light, beauty and connection, representing the renaissance period. A time of immense art, romance, social connection, discussion and pleasure. The Château signifies a returning of love and relationships to safety and celebration, it even has its own bubbly!
Today, it remains a historic sanctuary with 2 moats, 7 reception rooms, a 12th century bridge and several idyllic gardens across 4 hectares. Inside, you’ll discover an old-world luxury, felt through its charming corridors and uniquely themed bedrooms, each telling its own story with historic features such as four poster beds, historical changing booths and free standing baths.
But what makes this experience extra special, is that throughout the experience, we will be hosted by the owner, Gaëlle, who has put her heart and soul into the Château’s restoration over the last 20 years with her beloved husband, Marc. A mutual passion project of reviving its light, shadows and history, much like a relationship, the Château is now a place where new stories unfold, memories are created and where couples are invited to come home to themselves, in the most extraordinary of settings.
The Location
Based in the Loire Valley, the luscious region is given the name ‘the garden of France’, with the Loire river dividing the weather, to create perfectly temperate weather all through the year.
A historic holiday destination for the kings and queens of times-gone, it’s known for its riverside romance, fairytale architecture and the densest amount of Châteaux in the world. With ease of access from Nantes airport or by train from Paris.
Our retreat is set on the backdrop of a charming french village with a morning market, small shops, boulangerie and church. The grounds of the Château have a private gate with direct access to this idyllic village and its communal garden for you to explore before returning to peace and privacy.
Some days you might like to cosy up in the Château’s charming hide‑away corners across its seven magnificent reception rooms, a sun-drenched library, a silk chaired salon or inspiring music room. On other days, you might want to stretch your legs to enjoy the Japanese and French gardens on foot or grab a bicycle and enjoy nature trails on wheels. If you enjoy activity, maybe you go to the gym, take up a game of tennis or enjoy a game of pool in the billiard room.
If you want to relax together, take a dip in the heated outdoor pool, grab a book and lay down on a lounger or take your pick between the sauna and jacuzzi where you can both sunbathe and stargaze together.
The Experience
Many couples spend years discussing what isn’t working. This retreat focuses on what is possible, with a structure exploring the foundational elements of your relationship through the unique lens of psychology and tantra philosophy, ancient texts, romantic rituals and modern practices. Each day, you’ll discover a purposeful schedule, peppered with both strategic and sensual sessions.
Day 1: Earth - Rooting your relationship
Day 2: Water - Sensuality and connection
Day 3: Fire - Passion, play and transformation
Day 4: Air - Pleasure, freedom and possibility
Day 5: Space - Vision, dreams and expansion
The Food
Intimacy starts from the inside out, with foods which leave us feeling nourished, balanced and energised rather than heavy, lethargic and tired. Think Ottolengi meets French grandmother, our private Ayurvedic chef, will be using using fresh local produce sourced from the markets of the Loire valley to craft delicious European Cuisine for deeper connection, transitioning from restorative morning and relaxed afternoon meals to sensual candlelight evening receptions.
Because on retreats, some of the most important moments happen, over mealtime! You can expect, beautiful communal breakfast, colourful buffet lunches in the gardens, afternoon treats and refreshments, smoothies in the jacuzzi, outdoor al fresco dining beneath the vines, themed celebrations, elegant three-course dinners to dress up for and receptions in historic dining rooms.
Dietary requirements will be communicated to the chef. Meat, Fish, Vegetarian, Vegan available. Drinking water, coffee, fruits, snacks and warming teas will be available through the day.
Suites and Bedrooms
As an exclusive experience for only 5 couples, there are 3 suites and 2 bedrooms to choose from. Each room offers its own unique atmosphere and view across the château grounds, the rooms are thoughtfully restored to preserve its history while offering modern comfort and privacy.
Suites and bedrooms will be offered, as a choice, on a first come first serve basis. Prices are located at the bottom of the page
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1) The Gold Suite: Includes a 2mx2m emperor bed in 18th century style interiors with gold accents, a luxurious his and hers bathroom with freestanding tub and walk in shower, and private wrap around balcony overlooking the Japanese gardens with French doors to the terrace
2) The Sapphire Suite: At the centre of the chateau, the suite features 4 poster bed, with magnificent double French windows with soft light on cooling bedroom colours with period details, an ensuite bathroom with a vintage ball and claw bathtub to the magnificent geometry of the French gardens and fountains
3) The Burgundy Suite: The château's most historic and intimate apartment, featuring original Renaissance architecture, a grand 2mx2m bed with a historic walk-in closet, four large french style windows and views towards the Japanese garden. The ensuite bathroom features double walk in shower and black marble
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Bedrooms
1) Chambre des Anges: a serene cocoon like haven with a soothing restful ambiance, this room is adorned with beautiful fabric furnishings, soft light and delicate textures draped from the ceilings, offering a subtle opulence with view of the peaceful French gardens and ensuite with porcelain bathtub
2) Fleurs Serenity: Shabby chic, dreamy and full of charm, this floral inspired double room is privately tucked away on the second floor, with blooming fabric and stone walls, rustic beams and a walk in closet, it’s a blend of countryside whimsy and chateau elegance with a feeling of escaping into your own private apartment it has its own kitchenette and living room area with a shared bathroom with facilitators
A day feels like
The retreat experience is carefully crafted with both structure and spaciousness
Self: In the morning, we invite you to top up your own cup with movement practices which bring you into balance, restoration and vitality. This could be a refreshing walk around the gardens, a yoga class or dance
Strategy: Mid-morning you’ll enjoy a strategic session with Gaelle, to introduce the theme of the day with mindset work and establishing shared visions, values and goals for deepening intimacy and exploring your full relationship potential
Sensuality: In the afternoon, you’ll explore a variety of couples connection rituals, exploring aspects of tantra, psychology, sensual education, and practices from Henika’s book ‘SENSUAL: connect deeply, express freely, love intimately’ and reknown tantric date experiences
Free time: You’ll have space to yourselves later afternoon, to rest, integrate and maybe even try out your new skills and rituals
Celebration: In the evenings, you will enjoy fabulous dinner parties and receptions with a theme. An opportunity to celebrate, dress up, explore conscious connection and meaningful conversation over candlelight to close the day
Meet Gaëlle Deschamps
Host of the Château
Mindset Expert
Life Strategist + Coach
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Gaëlle is a powerful agent of transformation, mindset expert and life strategist dedicated to helping couples unite, grow and live their best lives together.
After more than 20 years in high-pressure global leadership roles at L’Oréal, SABMiller and The Coca-Cola Company, Gaëlle became fascinated by what truly sustains success, connection and fulfilment over the long term. Her work revealed a simple truth: strategy and performance mean nothing if our closest relationships are misaligned, disconnected or running on empty.
Today, she brings the same strategic rigour she once used to shape global brands to helping individuals and couples redesign the way they think, communicate and co-lead their lives.
Blending mindset work, practical tools and deep emotional insight, Gaëlle supports partners to:
• transform unhelpful patterns into powerful new habits
• communicate with honesty, empathy and courage
• align around shared vision, values and goals
• navigate conflict as a catalyst for deeper intimacy
• build a relationship that amplifies both partners’ potentialTrained at Harvard and London Business School and an award-winning Coach and Facilitator, Gaëlle is known for her warm, direct style: she goes deep, fast but always with compassion, safety and respect for both individuals.
A mother of three and long-term partner herself, she brings lived experience, not theory. Her retreats are designed as inflection points: spaces where couples can pause, reset and consciously choose the next chapter of their relationship: more connected, more intentional and more alive. If you’re ready to move from “getting by” to truly thriving together, Gaëlle will challenge and champion you to become co-creators of the life and love you actually want
Meet Henika Patel
Founder: School of Sensual Arts
Tantra Philosophy and practice teacher
Author: Sensual - connect deeply, express freely, love intimately
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Henika is author of ‘SENSUAL:connect deeply, express freely, lovely intimately’, published globally by leading self development publishers Penguin Books Hay House and the founder of the ‘School of Sensual Arts’ which invites you to uplift blocks to deeper sensuality, creativity and intimacy so that you can experience more connection, aliveness and joy in yourself, your relationships and your life!
She does this by creating experiences, community and education based on authentic tantra and yoga philosophy along with a unique blend of art, embodiment and psychology to offer expression to all the unspoken parts of ourselves which long to be known, heard and accepted.
Henika is a first generation Indian Woman born in England and grew up in a household abundant in the ancient Indian arts and spirituality, with an ex-monk artist father. After studying English and French law and experiencing numbness after grief, she left the corporate world and returned to her roots where she spent several years living and studying tools for deeper connection in Asia, learning from incredible guides in India and the Far East.
Upon returning to England, she began her studies in arts therapy and clinical psychotherapy for individuals and couples, and now combines tantra and yoga with western therapeutic guidelines to create unique spaces for connection, rooted in ancient texts, for deepening intimacy.Henika has worked with 1000’s of couples around the world with her reknown tantric datenights, which were featured in Louis Theroux Documentary ‘S*x Actually’, with her retreats featuring in National Geographic Traveller 2026, Vogue Italia, Harpers Bazaar and more!
As seen in:
Natural Health Magazine,
National Geographic Traveller Magazine, Netflix Millionaire House Swap
Natural Health mag: If you’re nervous about ‘tantra’ or would like to read this no.1 trending article when a journalist visited one of our retreats: “what really happens on a tantra retreat” read here
National Geographic Traveller Magazine: ‘Why Sexual Wellness is the travel trend we need to talk about’ School of Sensual Arts top retreat feature 2026 read here
Netflix Millionaire Houseswap: Gaëlle and Marc’s Château was featured and enjoyed in this wonderful netflix documentary with glowing reviews watch here
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5 days with expert coaches and teachers in their field
4 nights luxury accommodation
Daily movement sessions exploring yoga, dance, fitness and more
10+ hours strategic coaching
15+ hours sensuality workshops
Breakfast, Lunch and 3 course dinners cooked by a private chef
Pool, Gym, Sauna and jacuzzi access
Exclusive Use of the château grounds and gardens
5 themed Gala evenings
Retreat materials + resources
1x Couples Welcome call
1x Group Integration call
Couples Photoshoot
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Travel
Transfers
Travel Insurance
Optional
- Mindful Alcohol Consumption: Option to buy a bottle over dinner as a cultural experience of the local vineyards
- Hair and Make up for photoshoot
- Additional photos for purchase (5 included) -
You’ll find out the exact schedule for the next day, the evening before, so that you can relax, and let us look after your day.
Wake up: enjoy a slow morning with morning refreshments
9-10am: Morning movement practice
10-11am - Brunch
11-1pm Relationship Strategy session with Gaelle
1-2pm Lunch
2-5pm Tantra Sensuality session with Henika
5-730pm Free Time, Snacks, Smoothies, Jacuzzi!
730pm: Reception + Gala Themed Dinners
930pm: Private time to see where the night takes you
Exact timings may change depending on weather/group
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Transport
By plane: travel to Nantes International Airport
There are 3 flights from London per day (50 minutes)
OR if travelling by train go to Chemillé or Cholet station, it’s around 1 hour 30 minutes from Paris
Transfers
Transfer from airport - hire a car for around 30 euro per day or take a taxi 120 euro per way
Transfer from train station - we can arrange a transfer which is around 15 minutes and 40 euros
We will share detailed instructions on how to reach the retreat location after booking
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Check in is from 12-130pm
Check out is from 1230pm, however if you have a later flight/train, you are welcome to enjoy the château for the afternoon.
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Explore the Loire
Nestled in the heart of the Loire Valley, the Château is your gateway to one of France’s most storied regions — a perfect base for unforgettable day trips and countryside discoveries.Charming Nearby Towns
Wander the cobbled streets of Saumur, Chinon, Cholet, Maulevrier, Brissac, Angers, and Nantes — each one a postcard of French history, culture, and charm.Castles & Medieval Magic
Step back in time through ancient fortresses, grand châteaux, and medieval towns that bring centuries of heritage to life.Wine Country
Sip your way through celebrated vineyards like Savennieres and Domaine De Cloisel, where the cellars whisper secrets only a fine vintage can tell. Coastal Escapes Craving sea air? The beaches of Pornic and Atlantic shores are within easy reach — perfect for a coastal day trip filled with sun, salt, and seafood.
Family Adventures
From the award-winning Puy du Fou theme park to the enchanting Bioparc Zoo at Doué-laFontaine, magic awaits explorers of all ages.
Reviews from retreat guests:
“We just had one of the most incredible weeks of heart opening, sensual awakening and bliss. With a deep connection to both myself, and my partner in such beautiful and emotional ways that I truly didn’t expect nor knew was possible”
“Sometimes you reach a point in life when you’re ready for deeper connection but aren’t quite sure how to do this, or maybe you don’t feel safe enough to surrender. This retreat was the right time, right place, right people to let go and just be. To explore depths of myself, be vulnerable and in turn, connect with others in such a profound way”
“Every detail was thought through with care. The organisers went above and beyond, paying close attention to how each of us were doing throughout the retreat and tailored the experience accordingly, even throwing in a few delightful surprises. There was just the right amount of variety in what we did every day, with each new day bringing new delights for the senses and inner soul”
“The retreat was the highlight or my year, or two! For any couple looking to connect deeper within, to reach new levels of awareness and awakening, to allow bliss into your life, I cannot recommend this enough”
“I come away from this experience feeling both internally and externally refreshed, with a renewed consciousness of every layer of my senses that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. This was my first retreat and I'm almost nervous to try any other retreats because it was just so magical!”
“This retreat saved me thousands of pounds in therapy”
Imagine leaving with
A renewed sense of partnership. More laughter. More affection. More understanding.
A deeper appreciation for the life you're building together.
A shared vision. New rituals. Electric Intimacy.
And perhaps most importantly...
A magnetic sensual connection and feeling
That you're not simply living life side by side, but consciously creating it together
12-16 May 2026 | Loire Valley, France
Spaces are intentionally limited to to 5 couples create an intimate personalised experience.
Investment
Place a £1000per person deposit to save your room
You’ll receive an email to make your room choice from the suites and bedrooms
Settle the remainder by March 2027
Earlybird rates below are available for the first 3 bookings only
Priority choice on rooms is on a first come first serve basis
Plans are available upon request
Suite Rooms:
1) Gold Suite - £3000pp
2) Sapphire Suite - £3000pp
3) Burgundy suite - £3000ppChambre des Anges: £2400pp
Fleur Serenity Room: £2000pp
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact hello@schoolofsensualarts.co.uk and we will be happy to support you!
Terms and Conditions
The downpayment is non-refundable.
If you cancel within less than 60 days before the first day of the retreat, we cannot offer a refund.
If you arrive late or need to leave the retreat for any reason once it has started, we are unable to offer you a refund or defer your place.
In the unlikely event of extenuating circumstances, the organisers reserve the right to cancel, postpone or change the structure of the retreat at any time. If the retreat is cancelled prior to the start, it may be rescheduled and if participants cannot attend the new date then 100% refunds will be made.
For this programme to go ahead, we need a minimum of 4 couples, if we do not reach this number, we will inform you 30 days prior to the start of the retreat. In this unlikely case, we will offer you a new date or a refund.