The November Hideaway Report follows Andrew Harper’s travels to the south of France, where he finds eight new hotels to recommend. Read more about the new additions below.
Marseilles, Cote d'Azur
Run by the Passédat family for the past three generations, this intimate 16-room hotel occupies a handsome whitewashed Belle Epoque villa on a stony promontory overlooking the Mediterranean in a quiet residential district of Marseille. Rooms were renovated two years ago and are decorated in a scheme of earth-tone colors with sea-blue accents, plus contemporary furniture and art; most baths feature soaking tubs and separate showers. Specifically request an accommodation with a private terrace. Le Petit Nice's main draw is its Michelin three-star restaurant overseen by Gérald Passédat specializing in seafood (closed Sunday and Monday); drinks and breakfast are served on a terrace with mesmerizing sea views. Swimming pool and beach access, but no spa or gym.
Le Lavandou, Cote d'Azur
This delightful 37-room Tuscan-style villa is set on a private sandy beach in Le Lavandou, an hour-long drive from La Cadière d’Azur. Le Club de Cavalière & Spa offers exceptionally pretty landscaped gardens filled with pines and oleander bushes, as well as charming public areas with terra-cotta tile floors, subtle lighting and wood-framed seating groups. A well-organized junior suite had a small sitting area separated from the bedroom, a private terrace with sea views and a limestone-clad bath. La Vieille Fontaine terrace restaurant serves traditional Provençal cuisine emphasizing fresh local seafood. Amenities include a tennis court, outdoor Jacuzzi, large heated swimming pool, fitness room, hammam and Valmont spa with three treatment rooms. Hotel also has a private sailing boat, with room for up to 12 passengers.
Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer, Cote d'Azur
Located in the pretty southern French town of Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer, which is famous for its botanical gardens, the 55-room Bailli de Suffren right on the sea has been stylishly revamped with a 1950s retro décor by Parisian interior designer François Champsaur. Our room came with white walls, cobalt-blue ceilings, terra-cotta tile floors, oak accent furnishings, blue side chairs and a private balcony. Depending on the room category, baths may offer showers with sea views and separate tubs. Amenities include an oceanside swimming pool surrounded by palm trees, a private beach and a Carita spa with a relaxation area and hammam. Three dining options include a beachfront brasserie and Le Loup de Mer, an elegant Mediterranean restaurant open from April to October.
Saint-Raphaël, Cote d'Azur
Intimate La Villa Mauresque comprises two whitewashed Moorish villas built in 1881 by architect Pierre Chapoulart for an Algerian pasha; it is set in a landscaped park overlooking the Mediterranean. Converted in 2005, the property’s 18 rooms evoke a traditional idea of the Riviera when it was still a playground for the European aristocracy and well-heeled foreign travelers, with parquet floors, heavy curtains and marble baths. Two open-air swimming pools, two Jacuzzis, a gym, a sauna and a small pebbled beach; spa services can be arranged. Le Bougainvillier offers sophisticated, contemporary Provençal cuisine; drinks and light meals are served in a garden pavilion. Outdoor activities include kayaking, canoeing, scuba diving and boating.
Saint-Raphaël, Cote d'Azur
Overlooking the Mediterranean just outside Saint-Raphaël in the Var, the 50-room Hôtel Les Roches Rouges was given a top-to-bottom makeover that respected its late-1950s modernist style but updated it with a beach-shack chic. This includes polished cement floors, wool throw rugs and lithographs on white-painted walls. Most rooms include private balconies with sea views; suites come with both showers and soaking tubs. A casual restaurant and shaded beachside La Plage specialize in updated Provençal fare that emphasizes locally sourced seafood and vegetables. Two pools, a large natural saltwater version and a heated lap pool, are both surrounded by sun loungers. Hôtel Les Roches Rouges has a small Esthederm spa and an open-air cinema; cooking classes, sailing, snorkeling and kayaking can be arranged.
Les Baux-de-Provence, Provence
Domaine de Manville is a family-owned hotel located on a beautifully landscaped former sheep ranch estate with an 18-hole golf course in Les Baux-de-Provence. The grounds are planted with olive trees, and the 39 accommodations (nine villas) are set in the original farmhouse and in two newer wings. The high-ceilinged rooms have parquet floors, wood furniture painted midnight blue and velvet-upholstered couches and chairs in jewel-tone colors. Baths are equipped with soaking tubs and walk-in showers, and the best rooms have French doors leading to private terraces that offer direct access to a pool. A wide array of amenities includes a kids’ club with trained nannies, cinema, bar, two restaurants and spa with hammam; complimentary bicycles available. Private villas share a communal swimming pool; chef and butler services can be arranged.
Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade, Provence
Villa La Coste is an exceptional honey-colored stone villa located on a 600-acre wine estate just north of Aix-en-Provence. Public areas comprise a reception pavilion with two restaurants by three-star chef Gérald Passédat, a grill restaurant by famed Argentine chef Francis Mallmann, a library, a bar and a new spa with seven treatment rooms, an onsen (traditional Japanese bath) and an outdoor pool. The 28 freestanding suites line a private cobbled lane shaded by bamboo and scented with jasmine and feature a sleek and contemporary décor, with modern art and traditional Provençal design accents, including wrought-iron framed doors, walnut étagères and curtained four-poster beds. Baths have Vietnamese marble soaking tubs and walk-in rainfall showers. Some accommodations offer private pools.
Lauris, Provence
Domaine de Fontenille is housed in a handsome 18th-century mansion on an 80-acre estate just outside Lauris, one of the most attractive and undiscovered towns in the popular Luberon region. Seventeen spacious rooms and suites come with high ceilings, parquet floors, comfortable French country-style furniture, modern art and stylish earth-tone color schemes. Most baths have double vanities, soaking tubs and walk-in showers. Dining options include Michelin-starred Le Champs des Lunes for contemporary French cooking and the more casual La Cuisine d’Amélie. Amenities include a 65-foot heated outdoor pool and a small spa with hammam and gym; yoga classes offered Tuesdays and Thursdays. Wine tastings at the estate’s cellar can be arranged. This property is a perfect base from which to tour the surrounding area.
Andrew Harper members have access to full travel-planning services through Andrew Harper Travel.
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