Hotel Particulier

Lovely rooms in a graceful house with a stunning garden in the middle of Arles, the cultural and historic heart of Provence

This 18th-century house overflows with elegance and style. Enter through the garden, where old Moroccan rugs lie on a pebble-dashed terrace under lemon trees dripping with fruit. On one side, candle lanterns flank a thin strip of pool; on the other, smart cushioned loungers are covered in white towels. It's a great little refuge. Urns of sculpted box hedge stand on pillars of stone, flowerbeds run along mellow walls and hold colour all year round.

Approach the house – it was built for the Baron de Chartrouse – and smartly dressed tables and cast iron chairs mingle under the generous shade of a pine tree. Fittingly, a red carpet leads up to an ornate front door, the Baron’s crest carved grandly above. Inside, a warm dining room in red and old oak, a salon in deep purple for the morning papers, and a small but cool spa in the vaulted cellar for massage, sauna or hammam. Magnificent rooms are split between the main house and the old stables, two of the latter having sofas on private terraces. Step out the side gate and you dive into wonderful Arles. Brilliant.

Highs

• The charming garden with its Moroccan rugs, bulging lemon trees and refreshing pool
• The stable rooms and their private terraces – really good value for money
• Situated in the heart of of Arles, an easy walk to most of the town's attractions and restaurants.
• Unlike many hotels nearby, it offers free car parking (though there's not much space)

Lows

• The pool is thin (and unheated) - fine for a quick cool-off, but not for channel swimmers
• The sauna and hammam cost extra