Wondering how to stay in style on the French Riviera? Here are three of the best luxury hotels in the south of France. They are the perfect base for exploring this beautiful region. From Grasse to Saint-Paul-de-Vence to Mougins, here are 3 charming hotels in the south of France you won’t want to leave!
1. La Bastide Saint Antoine, Grasse
We head first to Grasse, considered the world capital of perfume. La Bastide Saint Antoine is a beautiful five-star Relais & Chateaux property in an 18th-century manor house, set in 5 hectares of grounds. You can enjoy a delicious lunch on the terrace. On the day we visited, Chef Jacques Chibois had prepared a delicious menu of saffron lobster bolognese with winter squash and almond milk. It was followed by San Pedro in fennel stew, with lemon coulis from the garden, such a beautiful presentation
The next dish was quail breast with aubergine and orange compote, accompanied by zucchini and romanesco cabbage. Finally we feasted on a chocolate praline dessert with mint ice cream and praline sauce. The only way to describe this is as a very unique mint chocolate. The charming rooms are individually designed. Some of the suites have individual whirlpool tubs.
Although we could have happily spent more time lounging by the pool, it was time for the next leg of our journey.
2. Le Mas Candille
Next, let’s visit Le Mas Candille, a magnificent hotel in Mougins, with the first Shiseido Spa in Europe. It has a fantastic view over the hillside and there are 9 acres to explore. We love the artwork dotted around the gardens, all by local artists. The dining room is also impressive, a great mix of old and new. The rooms are very cozy but with all the comforts, such as flat screen TVs. You can relax on the terrace with lemon verbena tea, before heading to the Shiseido Spa for a rejuvenating facial. What is different about this facial is that they actually spend most of their time massaging your face. I have had so many facials where they put on a mask, go away and do something else for quite some time.
3. Le Mas de Pierre
Let’s now move on to Saint Paul de Vence and Le Mas de Pierre, an impressive collection of 7 country houses, located at the foot of the Saint Paul de Vence fortress. The gardens are a mix of modern design and centuries-old olive trees.
You’ll love the “Fragrance Garden” where chefs come to pick produce. There are so many interesting works of art to see in the gardens, which is fitting as Saint Paul de Vence has a fantastic art gallery. This is definitely our favourite, a suitcase sculpture by Belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon. You can see another of his suitcase sculptures in Florence. There’s even a dovecote! The restaurant menus have been created by Michel Rostang, a 2 Michelin star chef and Emmanuel Lehrer, who was cooking for us that night. First, however, he pitted us against each other in a game of petanque. It is a traditional type of skittles in the south of France and is usually accompanied with a shot of pastis, the licorice-flavoured drink. I must have been beginner’s luck! After a tasty amuse-bouche, we start with stuffed vegetables “a la Nicoise”, a local specialty Our main course was a healthy sea bream fillet topped with hazelnuts, pearl barley risotto, butternut squash and Castelmagno cheese. That is the joy of Mediterranean cuisine, it is good for you!
