The Gardians of Les Bains
Les Bains Gardians could not be found anywhere else in France. The rooms are located in chicly renovated gardian cottages with thatched roofs, reminiscent of something from a fairytale, and showcase the distinctive local architecture. Incorporate a natural reserve for migratory birds, a laid-back barefoot luxury atmosphere, and an equestrian facility on the premises including wild white horses. Known for its state-of-the-art collection of modern art, this is the sister property of Les Bains Paris. Les Bains Gardians, however, are the remedy for urban exhaustion. On the approach to your accommodation, you pass three Comtais horses with platinum manes nibbling on hay after picking up your key at reception, a beautifully restored Provençal mas with a bar where breakfast is served. The highlight: this property has the greatest concentration of restored round cottages from the 18th century that have been lime washed. They are arranged in rows on the grassy banks of little canals that are bordered by tall reeds and bent weeping willows. If you get up early, you could be surprised to see an egret or purple heron sitting outside your house.
Expect large tables, whitewashed walls, cane chairs, and, in colder months, a roaring fireplace. Executive chef Bruno Grossi created the seasonal chalkboard menu for lunch and dinner, which features terroir-inspired dishes like Camargue rice risotto, grilled octopus or sea bass carpaccio, and heartier cuisine like the house specialty, grilled ribs of bull steak. Sunset drinks (try the Campari and Champagne apéro with scarlet herbs) on deck chairs overlooking the lake, where passing herons and egrets perform, are another delight. —Lanie Goodman
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The Regent Hotel The Carlton Cannes
$$ | 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards Hot List 2023, 2024
It is serious business to restore a hotel for six years, including two and a half years of total shutdown. Because of this, when the century-old grande dame of the Boulevard de la Croisette finally threw up her doors in spring 2023 to reveal a renewal that would make anybody drool, everyone was rushing in. However, there is more. The grand foyer with marble stucco columns and the exquisitely renovated tea salon are only two of the Carlton’s neo-resort appeals. The hotel has been rebranded as a Regent Hotel. The splashy infinity pool (which turns into a skating rink in the winter) and expansive peristyle garden courtyard are just two of the attractions. Additionally, there is a state-of-the-art fitness facility with a boxing ring where you can work out with a private coach, as well as the stunning Le C-Club Spa for customized holistic massages and Dr. Barbara Sturm treatments. The Carlton’s private beach, which still exudes To Catch a Thief glitz, may be the preferred option for aquanauts who want to take a dip in the blue Med and unwind on a sunbed. The renovated sea-view rooms upstairs offer a simple, beachy vibe. Additionally, there is a huge penthouse for glamorous movie mogul parties and spacious seventh-floor trademark suites. As the sun sets, patrons gravitate into the cozy Bar °58 for their distinctive drinks (try the tequila old-fashioned with bitter chocolate and agave). After that, go to Rüya, a recently opened restaurant, for delectable Anatolian-style fare to share with friends. With 14 concierges during peak hours, gracious service is still crucial. The renowned radiance of the Carlton Cannes is more radiant than ever. —Lanie Goodman
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The image can include Architecture of the Manor and Housing House in Lenaka/La Nauve Hotel & Jardin
Hôtel & Jardin La Nauve
$$ | 2024 Hot List
Despite being a Bourbon, Henri IV of France preferred cognac. He said that his kingdom’s most beautiful river was the Charente, which passes through the city. Therefore, La Nauve Hotel & Jardin, which has a particularly magnificent location on the river’s banks, would undoubtedly be approved by the excellent monarch. Surrounded by a dozen emerald green acres that can only grow better with time, this dazzlingly white 19th-century neoclassical home is bordered by two outbuildings of comparable vintage. Although the garden is already stunning, the climbing plants that are taking over the trellises beside the water lily pond promise even more beautiful vistas with every inch that is added. A large portion of the garden was rebuilt and replanted during the construction of the hotel. The furnishings are pleasantly eclectic, and there are presently twelve rooms, four in the smaller of the two outbuildings and eight in the main home. There is an appealing suggestion of the Alps throughout, even with the large amounts of glistening marble and the enchanting, opulent Venetian chandeliers in the foyer. An unexpected joy is the amount of wood, which is used in the intricately inlaid headboards, doors, and closets in addition to the floors and ceilings. Luminous onyx panels, metal accents set into the parquet, and sometimes carved birds sitting in the rafters are further exquisite features. Under the direction of Anthony Carballo (formerly of Le Meurice and Shangri-La Paris), La Nauve’s two eateries, the elegant Notes and the indoor-outdoor Brasserie des Flâneurs, are both excellent additions to the area’s reviving food and drink scene. Steve King
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Courtesy of the Hôtel Martinez Cannes hotel in Cannes, France
Cannes’s Hôtel Martinez
$$$ | 2021, 2022, and 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards
An enormous castle hotel located in the center of La Croisette, Cannes’s seaside avenue with very upscale hotels and shops, may seem daunting. Yes, Pierre-Yves Rochon’s Art Deco design, which features delicate blues and whites and was also responsible for the Savoy in London and the Hotel George V in Paris, is as elegant as they come. Two of Europe’s largest penthouses are located on the seventh story, so you may see celebrities or directors getting out of a Bentley in front of the building before being escorted away by immaculately attired personnel. There are two restaurants (one of which is the only two-Michelin-starred restaurant in the city), a bar, a lively beach club, a first-rate spa, and a garden for lounging by the pool. This is a traditional hotel that is always changing. —Sarah James
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Le Moulin de Lourmarin
The 202nd Readers’ Choice Awards3 This well-positioned, historic-meets-modern village home has the perfect balance of classic rustic charm and cutting-edge, elegant design.The hotel’s traditional sky-blue shutters and ivy-covered stone walls welcome visitors inside, where the warmth of the setting permeates both the service and the décor.Art, pottery, and wildflowers abound in the building’s creamy, curving chambers, which also include the occasional remnant of its previous use as an oil mill (keep an eye out for the press in the dining room).Supper is served on the rose-covered patio outback, apéri is enjoyed on the street-side terrace, and you may stop by the epicerie across the street to get some regional snacks to eat in your room.Everyone here tries to help, whether it’s carrying the bags up those stairs, directing them to the L’Isle sur la Sorgue Sunday market, or unlocking a free bike so they can ride about the hamlet.At supper, be sure to eat the handmade Fougasse cooked with olive oil.—Sara Leiberman