La Maison d'Uzès, Hostellerie de l'Abbaye de la Celle, Mezzatorre Resort & Spa, Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco, Hertelendy Kastély, Hotel d'Angleterre
Uzès lies 25 miles west of Avignon, and is among the most delightful towns in the Midi. The 12-room Maison d’Uzès opened in spring 2013 in a restored set of 17th-century stone houses. Since most of the surrounding streets are pedestrian-only, we left the car at a nearby garage and walked over to the hotel. There, we were welcomed with cool hand towels and iced tea, which we sipped in the small, stylishly appointed salon adjacent to the reception. The heart of the house — despite offering hotel amenities and services of a high standard, it really does feel more like a house — is a magnificent Renaissance stone staircase. Aside from the historic charm of the honey-colored stone walls, huge overhead beams and tomette (terra-cotta tile) floors, the character of the property comes from a décor that successfully combines contemporary furniture with local antiques.
Our room was located up a stone stairway on the third floor. (There is an elevator at the back of the hotel.) Late in the afternoon, sun streamed into the high-ceilinged space, which was decorated in soothing tones of ivory and pale yellow. In a sitting area, several upholstered armchairs stood in front of a handsome old fireplace. The large bath came with an oversize claw-foot tub, a separate shower and the same powdery-soft tomettes underfoot.
In the evening, we enjoyed an outstanding dinner of brandade de morue (salt cod with whipped potatoes) with squid ink and red peppers, guinea hen stewed in red wine with crayfish, and veal roasted with local black olives. The hotel’s principal amenity is a small spa in the vaulted cellars. Aside from the friendly service, elegant décor and well-considered comfort, what I like most about this place is the ideal setting from which to ponder the beauty of Uzès itself.
Few parts of the world are as consistently charming and surprising as the south of France. What I’ve learned, though, is that the best of the region is often found off the beaten path. And this doesn’t mean simply taking country roads instead of highways, but tracking down those lesser-known places that the locals understandably keep to themselves.
The inn struck us as a distillation of everything there is to like about Provence.
The little village of La Celle is situated just outside of Draguignan. Here, 15 years ago, Alain Ducasse took over an old-fashioned hotel, Hostellerie de l’Abbaye de La Celle, a former 12th-century Benedictine abbey, and transformed it into a relaxed but stylish 10-room auberge. The hotel was once a favorite retreat of President Charles de Gaulle, so I couldn’t resist booking his preferred “Lucrèce de Barras,” a spacious suite with a beamed ceiling and ancient tile floors spread with Brussels carpets. A framed etching of the general, who liked to seclude himself here to write, made us feel as though he’d just stepped out for a stroll in the large garden. With a comfortable bed made up with good linens, plus a desk, a pair of armchairs in front of the fireplace and a large dressing area, we fell for the room immediately, though its small but serviceable bath needed some updating. The inn struck us as a distillation of everything there is to like about Provence.
Not surprisingly, since this property is part of the Ducasse empire, the restaurant proved to be excellent. So, after a drink in the pleasant bar, we dined on the large terrace outside and thoroughly enjoyed the cooking of chef Benoit Witz. Risotto with squid ink was followed by John Dory with fennel and a condiment of preserved lemons. The service was attentive, and the wine list offered a fine selection of local Côtes de Provence.
Mezzatorre Resort & Spa is located on 17 acres at the end of the Punta Cornacchia, a rocky promontory in the northwest of Ischia, which offers sublime coastal views. The name comes from a crenellated watchtower once used as a lookout for pirates. This now houses 20 of the hotel’s 57 rooms, as well as a lounge and a library. Pathways follow the contours of the terrain, the most impressive being the corniche-like walkways down to the pool and ultimately to the sea.
From reception, the route to our accommodations in the “Foresteria” building was uphill, but it was a delight to stroll through the pristine air scented with pine and salt. Our suite was divided by curtains, which separated a bedroom with a four-poster bed from a sitting area with a tile floor, couch, reading chair and credenza. The bath was spacious and well-equipped. Outside, a seaview deck with chaises longues and a hot tub proved hard to resist.
We took lunch in the casual and airy Sciuè Sciuè restaurant, situated next to the pool and overlooking a private cove. There, the menu offers uncomplicated but delicious Neapolitan cuisine, and we relished both our classic mozzarella salad and spaghetti with three varieties of ocean-fresh clams. The weather being favorable, we ate dinner on the terrace of the more formal Chandelier. Service was prompt and friendly. After the meal, we lingered in the soft pine-scented air, listening to the waves breaking on the rocks of the cove below.
Mezzatorre has a lovely spa with a full range of treatments and massages, as well as weeklong slimming and detoxification programs. Although we felt little incentive to leave the grounds, a regular shuttle runs into the nearby port town of Lacco Ameno. Mezzatorre is an idyllic hideaway in an exquisite natural setting.
A captivating hamlet of stone buildings has been restored and transformed into a sophisticated resort.
Located 23 miles southeast of Siena, Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco straddles a scenic hilltop. There, a captivating hamlet of stone buildings has been restored and transformed into a sophisticated resort by Massimo Ferragamo, a scion of the famous footwear and fashion dynasty. For more than 800 years, the borgo lay at the center of an agricultural community. Comprising 4,500 acres in the Val d’Orcia, the estate encompasses vineyards, as well as forested hills that are home to deer, hare, wild boar, partridge and pheasant.
On arrival, we were escorted along a stone-paved allée flanked by cypress trees to the vine-wrapped buildings of the borgo, which house all 23 rooms and suites (plus three of the 10 farmhouse villas). The living room of our suite displayed a pleasing blend of pale polished stone floors, cream walls, a beamed ceiling and dark furniture, including a large dining table. Equally spacious, the bedroom contained a forged metal four-poster bed. The sumptuous bath came with a deep tub and a walk-in shower. A terrace bordered by lavender ran the full length of the suite.
The more formal of the estate’s two restaurants, Campo del Drago, is named for the property’s top Brunello di Montalcino, and serves classic Tuscan cuisine. My favorite dish was an artful presentation of hare with seasonal vegetables. At the more casual Osteria La Canonica — so named because it occupies the former priest’s house — pizzas and pastas highlight the menu. At a cooking school located above the osteria, we participated in a “Fresh Pasta” morning class. We also took part in a well-conducted wine tour and tasting. Among the other activities at the resort are hiking, biking, golf and tennis. Yoga and spa treatments are available, and we spent happy hours relaxing beside the gorgeous infinity pool overlooking the serene Tuscan hills.
Two-and-a-half hours southwest of Budapest, a two-lane road leads south of Lake Balaton to a country retreat that is a destination in its own right. Encircled by apple orchards, pastures and wheat fields, Hertelendy Kastély looks to be straight out of the 18th century, but was actually built as the centerpiece of a large fruit-producing estate in the 1920s and ’30s. This exceptionally gracious 16-room property harks back to an age of country house parties, with morning shoots and afternoon tea in the salon.
Our Junior Suite Deluxe was well-appointed and appealing, with handsome wood floors, an original olive-green ceramic-tile stove and a spacious bath with an immense soaking tub. Many attractions are within easy reach, including the pretty cities of Pécs and Keszthely, but the estate itself is so lovely that I couldn’t bring myself to leave. We spent our days relaxing alongside the well-kept outdoor pool, unwinding in the candlelit spa and enjoying wonderful meals on the terrace. Each night after dinner, I settled by a fire in the library with a novel and a pálinka flavored with Hertelendy’s apples. I especially enjoyed our horseback ride around the estate — the stables are impeccably maintained — and our private cooking class with Zsolt Hampuk, the good-humored and talented head chef. After harvesting produce from the kitchen garden, we spent a delightful four hours preparing Hungarian potato soup, chicken paprikás, Balaton pike-perch and “golden dumplings” with vanilla sauce. The class was one of the highlights of our entire journey.
When the morning of our checkout arrived, I was loath to give up the graceful rhythms of Hungarian manor house living. Hertelendy Kastély resurrects a lifestyle lost in the storms of war and the rush of modernity. Such places are increasingly rare, and I will treasure the memory of my stay.
The elegant Hotel d’Angleterre recently reopened following a two-year, $20 million renovation. The 250-year-old neoclassical building is ideally located on Kongens Nytorv (“The King’s New Square”), steps from the fashionable Strøget shopping street. During the restoration, the number of rooms was reduced from 123 to 90, ceilings were raised to their original heights, and the reception area was opened to the street with the installation of large picture windows.
We arrived to find a lobby overflowing with orchids, and a new and unusually attractive color palette of muted grays enlivened with purple and gold accents. The d’Angleterre boasts an exceptional art collection, the first evidence of which is an Andy Warhol silkscreen of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark hanging above the reception desk. The lobby is also embellished by a striking Winterhalter portrait of the young Queen Victoria.
The room was the embodiment of understated elegance.
After a guided tour of the hotel’s new facilities, we settled into our courtyard-facing Deluxe Junior Suite. (For the next four years, courtyard rooms will be preferable to those overlooking the square, as the Metro station in front of the hotel is under construction.) The room was the embodiment of understated elegance, with a plush champagne-colored carpet, a brocade love seat, an oval mahogany coffee table and a stylish writing desk. The spacious marble bath provided both a soaking tub and a separate rainfall shower. Floor-to-ceiling French doors opened onto a private balcony with a stained-glass atrium below.
After a drink in the new champagne bar, Balthazar, we headed to dinner at Marchal, which was recently awarded its first Michelin star. There, chef Ronny Emborg (formerly of noma and AOC) serves modern Nordic/French cuisine. The hotel’s most spectacular amenity is the 2,000-square-foot tile-and-marble pool, part of the new Amazing Space spa. The Hotel d’Angleterre is now unquestionably the city’s most stylish address.
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