La Maison du Paradou

A super-luxurious B&B, plus a self-catering house for 6, with 3 pools, magnificent rooms, pretty gardens and a fantastic bistro in the village

An incredible house in a tiny village close to Arles and St Remy de Provence. This is a seriously indulgent B&B: 2 swimming pools, a lush garden, a spectacular vaulted salon and fabulous rooms. Owners Nick and Andrea renovated from scratch, turning this old posting inn into a Provençal pleasure dome. It’s not cheap, but nor is anything you’ll find in it.

The 5 rooms – 4 in the house, one in the garden – come fully equipped with an A-Z of luxury: the very best linen; ridiculously comfortable beds; music and movies stashed away on your TV’s computer; seriously swanky bathrooms and an eclectic collection of fabulous art (Nick’s father was a collector). Finally, food. Just 300m from the front door, you find Le Bistro du Paradou, one of France’s favourite restaurants: Terence Conran, Jean Reno and Nicolas Sarkozy all eat here. Delicious no-nonsense country food is served in relaxed style; wine is included, water is extra!

Highs

• Nick and Andrea don’t cut corners and their renovated house stands in evidence
• The huge vaulted salon is spectacular, one of the loveliest rooms we saw in Provence
• Bedrooms are seriously good: beautiful fabrics, gorgeous art, excellent bathrooms. As of summer 2010, there's a self-catering house too, sleeping 6, with its own pool
• Not one pool, but two (one is heated)
• The position: Arles, Nîmes, Pont du Gard, Uzès, Avignon and St Remy are all close

Lows

• There’s no off-street parking, but the village is sleepy and you can leave your car outside
• Breakfasts are taken at one big table, which won't be to everyone's taste