Reviewed by Tom Bell
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HOTEL MAS DE PEINT - REVIEW
White horses, black bulls: the Camargue is a wild chunk of floodlands and huge lagoons which attract millions of birds each year. On the eastern flank, this 1602 stone farmhouse is surrounded by its owners' 550-hectare estate. Roam free and lose yourself in simple beauty and magnificent silence.
The farmhouse is also a terrifically smart hotel, combining gorgeous French elegance with crisp English minimalism. There is a big pool for sun worship and a vine-clad terrace where you can breakfast with nature. Inside are yellow-washed walls, flagged floors, saddles on the walls, upholstered armchairs and a bull’s head mounted in the airy lobby. You'll find an honesty bar and a huge stone fireplace in the beamed drawing room. Bedrooms have uncluttered richness: excellent beds, smart linen, polished wooden furniture, pillows piled high. Most wonderful is the dining room, which is in the kitchen; your food is cooked in front of you, with a dollop of theatre thrown in for good measure. |