Domaine de Manville

At first blush, traditional Provençal homesteading and a luxe-boutique service mentality might seem diametrically opposed; not so. It takes a special type, though — namely, a family like the Sauts, Edith and Patrick, who have made it their mission to resolve the paradox, as it were. They couldn’t have chosen a more appropriate staging ground: here, in 1908, one Louis-Alexandre Blanc de Manville realized his architectural and agricultural vision with a sprawling farm estate, complete with cypresses, stately plane trees, and a series of grand stone edifices enclosing the requisite central courtyard. More than a century later, the resurrected Domaine de Manville wears that heritage proudly beneath an array of contemporary upgrades.

Rest assured, this is no hack job. For one thing, the Sauts grew up in the area — midway between Les Baux-de-Provence and Maussane-les-Alpilles — and are thus intimately familiar with the area’s rocky outcroppings, endless vineyards, and legendarily fecund soil. If anything, the new millennium (and its trends in boutique hospitality) is manifest in the interiors of the 39 rooms and villas. Clean but never sterile, the atmosphere balances handpicked antiques with strong, contemporary lines, particularly in the half-painted walls and floor-to-ceiling windows. The Mediterranean light, a recurring favorite of van Gogh’s, spills over the Alpilles and the Rhône delta, reason enough to spend a leisurely afternoon on the balconies or flagstoned terraces. Then again, a private screening in their ten-seat movie theater sounds appealing, or a guided nature tour culminating in a picnic, or a couple hours sampling the spa’s treatment programs….

This is France, of course, and the dinner table damn well looks it: candles, white linen, and exquisitely balanced haute cuisine in the able hands of Lieven van Aken. Work your way up to that finale with daily breakfast, featuring pastries baked on-site and house honey, in the atrium — also a winter garden, also a bar with live music on Thursdays and Saturdays. Or snag a pick-me-up at the Bistrot before a spirited round at the 18-hole, eco-conscious golf course, built in every way to respect and engage with the terrain. Nearby, the nine villas, somehow both ostentatious and secluded, await with private wine cellars and full kitchens. They’re yours for the purchasing, if you like; ask the Sauts.

How to get there: Domaine de Manville is located approximately 61 km by car from Marseille Provence Airport via A7, A54, and D17.