Mas de la Fouque

Outside of France, the Camargue probably doesn’t get its due — here, to the west of Provence, is a vast river delta and an entirely different vision of the French countryside. It’s here, at the edge of a nature reserve, that the Mas de la Fouque makes its home, surrounded by wildlife and wetlands, close to one of many empty Mediterranean beaches. This is a small luxury hotel — an “exceptional mansion,” according to the precise distinctions of French hospitality — that makes the most of its tranquil, idyllic setting.

As exceptional as the mansion may be, it’s the swimming pool, surrounded by pine and tamarisk trees and furniture by Gandia Blasco, that serves as the centerpiece of the hotel. Other common spaces include a library and a lounge, complete with antique games, as well as a Nuxe-branded spa and a restaurant, La Table de Marius, headed by the award-winning chef Mathieu Carayon.

And the accommodations, of course, are no mere afterthought. Superior rooms come with views of the park or the lake, as well as the hotel’s signature beds, with mattress toppers and a selection of pillows. The caravans offer a luxury trailer experience for a bit more immersion in the surroundings, while the suites add extra indoor and outdoor space as well as welcome details like Nespresso machines.