Domaine de Bournissac

On a sun-drenched hillside near St. Rémy de Provence, this 13-room hotel is a stylish country hideaway with an excellent Michelin-starred restaurant and a pool.

• The fruity "Maison de Bournissac" olive oil, ground out in their mill just down the road
• The sleek, Moroccan-style bathrooms
• The sweeping vista from the poolside of the blue grey Alpilles mountains

In the fourteenth century, when the Popes of Avignon journeyed to the sprawling Domaine De Bournissac estate, they were so enchanted with the tranquil surroundings that they turned the château into their official summer retreat. These days, this airy thirteen-room hotel and restaurant, housed in a beautifully restored stone manor, still has an unspoiled panorama of the countryside. There are plenty of private spots to contemplate the horizon, including outdoor garden tables where breakfast is served next to a spectacular 300-year-old oak tree.

The rustic vibe kicks in as soon as you step into the white-on-white parlor (with a top-notch boutique of local products on display) and the vast open-beam dining room. Upstairs, the comfortable rooms and spacious duplex suites are all designed in contrasting shades of chocolate, licorice, honey and almond green linens, with stripped-down, pale-wood furniture and farm antiques.

The inventive fixed-price menus include a delicious homemade bouillabaisse on Fridays and a copious lobster-themed brunch on Sundays. Other highlights: a mix of cold and hot appetizers like shrimp tartare and pan-fried foie gras with caramel, followed by scallops with truffles and artichokes.

Couples, families, bikers or foodies who are happy to stay on in the tranquil countryside outside of St. Rémy de Provence and to use the hotel as a base to explore the Lubéron.