Horse-riding holidays: the best hotels for horseback riding

1. Lusitano Garden Villas | Precious refuge for horse lovers in the Azores

Located just a stone's throw from Ponta Delgada, the capital of São Miguel Island, and its airport, this confidential villa complex, inaugurated in October 2025, is one of the most recent hotels in the Azores. The rural, quiet, open setting offers a striking contrast to the modern, uncluttered architecture of the buildings. The result is a hybrid address, between private villa and design hotel, with a real personality. The location (10 minutes from Ponta Delgada's historic center) is ideal for exploring São Miguel during the day, then returning to this anchor point where space and silence are immediately at hand.

Dedicated to a passion for horses, the 4-star hotel celebrates an emblematic breed: the Lusitano horse. Heir to the great Portuguese equestrian tradition, this breed has long been selected for work, which explains why it still plays such a prominent role in dressage and working equitation today. In the heart of an agricultural landscape, the address cultivates an intimate, family atmosphere, deeply rooted in its history. And with good reason: the Lusitano Garden Villas are located on the land of the Canto Tavares family, Lusitano horse breeders since the 1940s.

The resort boasts a total of 16 villas (14 standard and 2 premium) with a format that focuses on autonomy and space, designed to accommodate up to four people with fully-equipped kitchenettes, garden or ocean views and, for some, private terraces with a dining area and Jacuzzi. All around, the facilities are carefully thought out: a beautiful outdoor swimming pool, a cosy spa with sauna and Turkish bath, a fitness area, a bar area and a restaurant serving breakfast... A future original space, installed in a pineapple greenhouse, will soon house a heated swimming pool and sensory treatments.

But of course, it's the horses that structure the experience: the hotel backs directly onto the Canto Tavares coudelaria (stud farm), with its indoor and outdoor arenas. On site, you can watch the horses being groomed, learn about breeding techniques and take in some of the region's unspoilt scenery, at a walk or trot through olive groves and golden plains. The experience is suitable for all levels, from beginners to advanced riders. The setting is elegant but deliberately calm: equestrian passion is the guiding principle, but without excessive staging. It simply gives the place its identity. A divine address for riders sensitive to authenticity, slowness and quiet luxury.

Lusitano Garden Villas
16 villas, prices from 99 euros per night
Ponta Delgada, Azores

2. Le Domaine de la Klauss | Exceptional horses at home

Le Domaine de la Klauss (a 5-star hotel and Relais & Châteaux) is an ideal stop-off point on your Moselle itinerary. The Domaine combines the spirit of a family inn with that of a stylish boutique address. There are 28 rooms with Montenach stone walls, contemporary decor and charming views of the surrounding green hills. The hotel is renowned for its 800 m² Gemology spa, with heated sensory pool under vaulted ceilings, sauna, hammam, jacuzzi and signature treatments..

But what is less well known is that the Domaine is also home to a veritable stud farm of Iberian horses! These exceptional room-mates are accompanied on site by a range of unique experiences for an unusual weekend in France: a visit to the stables, a discovery workshop for approaching, caring for or working with a free-roaming horse, private dressage lessons for experienced riders, all supervised by specialized instructors....

For the first time, you can book an "equicoaching session", a coaching session assisted by the horse and a certified "equicoach" to develop self-confidence, learn stress management or leadership skills, improve communication... And for horse lovers who want a touch of exclusivity (and romance) as well, the Domaine organizes, on request, gourmet dinners directly in the stables, in the company of the purebred Spanish horses (for groups of between 10 and 20 people, from May to the end of September).

If you can't dine in the company of the horses, you can always pamper your taste buds at the Domaine's gourmet table, Le K, or with the generous, comforting cuisine of the restaurant Le Komptoir. Between hotel refinement, equestrian education and emotional experiences, your stay promises to be as elegant as it is inspiring.

Le Domaine de la Klauss
28 keys, prices from 205 euros per night
2 impasse du Klaussberg, Montenach

3. Les Bains Gardians | Legendary Camargue

In the heart of a regional nature park, this charming hotel (the quiet little sister of the Parisian Bains) is one of the finest places to stay in the Camargue. They spread out between marshes, lagoons and wild beaches. And perhaps the most immersive equestrian experience of this selection. Set on a four-hectare estate, this 4-star hotel, redesigned in 2024 by architects Hauvette & Madani, boasts 67 rooms, divided between a traditional mas and some 50 gardian huts (the region's emblematic horsemen), including sagne roofs, white facades and retro-rustic furnishings. The whole is perfectly charming, and in this wild setting, the approach is naturally responsible (Les Bains Gardians holds the Clef Verte label).

Here, horse riding is experienced in the great outdoors, in the purest Camargue tradition. The hotel has its own private stables and arenas, allowing guests to put their foot in the stirrup directly from the estate, accompanied by qualified guides. Outings take in nature reserves, reed beds and the typical landscapes of the Rhone delta, with the occasional rare opportunity to gallop along the beach at sunset - the ultimate Camargue signature!

Recuperate at the glass-enclosed spa or by the outdoor pool lined with vegetation, before treating yourself to a gourmet break at Pont des Bannes, Les Bains Gardians' Mediterranean and equestrian restaurant. The stay is enriched by a discreet but delightful artistic program, which gives pride of place to local culture... In short: this is the perfect slow luxury retreat for relaxed riding and fully savoring the wild spirit of the Camargue.

Les Bains Gardians
67 keys, prices from 190 euros per night
Route d'Arles, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer

4. L'Hermitage La Baule | Beach luxury on horseback

Facing the bay of La Baule, often cited as one of the most beautiful beaches in Europe, the Barrière l'Hermitage embodies the French seaside tradition with panache, but also one of the best hotels and spas in La Baule! This century-old grande dame, subtly renovated in 2017, is home to almost 200 rooms and suites with elegant decor by Friedmann & Versace, inspired by yacht clubs: lacquered woods, precious textiles, delicate marine palette... The atmosphere, always refined, oscillates between timeless classicism and contemporary freshness. And the dining experience is just as demanding: seafood overlooking the Atlantic at La Baule's Ciro's restaurant, refined, luminous cuisine at Le Pavillon, hushed cocktails at the Bar de L'Hermitage. The hedonistic score is mastered - and punctuated by the changing light of the nearby ocean.

But the address isn't just about elegance: it also opens the door to one of the most iconic equestrian experiences on the French coast! The Barrière l'Hermitage is just a five-minute walk, watch in hand, from La Baule's famous equestrian center, which offers introductory, advanced or advanced riding lessons and customized packages (by the hour, half-day or day). The real bonus: every morning until 10 a.m., the beach at La Baule belongs to the horses. Certainly the most unforgettable ride in the bay! One-hour group ride on the beach: 45 euros for adults, 39 euros for children.

After the ride, a visit to the Augustinus Bader spa is highly recommended.

Good to know: the hotel also orchestrates fully personalized "longevity" retreats, combining marine treatments, nutrition, stress management and gentle mobility. The perfect address for a weekend by the sea, an equestrian getaway and 5-star comfort - with a touch of magic and a certain sense of myth.

Hôtel Barrière L'Hermitage La Baule
200 keys, prices from 296 euros per night
5 esplanade Lucien Barrière, La Baule-Escoublac
Official website

5. Le Barn | Cool equestrian lifestyle

In the Vallée de Chevreuse, Le Barn reinvents the country stopover with a style that hits the bull's eye! This 4-star hotel had the good idea of setting up on the edge of the Rambouillet forest, in former XIXᵉ century barns and farm sheds, right on the edge of the Haras de La Cense horse pastures. Between meadows, clearings and undergrowth, the location is ideal for a nature and equestrian weekend, without the complete isolation - we're here just a few kilometers from Paris.

At Le Barn, there's nothing ostentatious, but a very lifestyle luxury, where the "country chic" spirit is fully expressed: you stay in three red barns or in an old watermill converted into a suite, and the rhythm of your stay is dictated by nature. The rooms all open onto the landscape thanks to large bay windows and private terraces. The decor is simple, but the overall style is cozy: velvet, light wood, deep colors... You'll quickly feel (very) at ease in this Scandinavian-style setting, surrounded by green.

A charming spa in an old farmhouse features a hammam, Nordic baths and a massage menu. And at mealtimes, you'll find the simple, authentic spirit of the terroir in the restaurant's plates, partly garnished with produce from the estate's vegetable garden.

But above all, when the urge to move takes hold of us, the 200 hectares of the stud farm lend themselves to all kinds of escapism: cycling, hiking, fishing, walking by the pond... And of course, horse-riding! The neighboring Haras de la Cense offers Le Barn guests a host of experiences: professionally supervised rides (from 75 euros for 1h30), "whispering" and behavioral observation workshops, pony riding for the very young... It's even possible to take part in immersion courses - but staying in an old mill converted into a guest house, inside the hotel. Both rustic and contemporary, Le Barn cultivates a hospitality saturated with freedom: it's a cheerful, natural hotel, perfect for a relaxed equestrian holiday.

Le Barn
73 keys, prices from 198 euros per night
Le Moulin de Brétigny, Bonnelles