Luxury Travel Advisor - September 2008 - (Page 11)

LE DOMAÎNE DES ANDEOLS (left) presents a rustic, yet chic, experience in the form of a hamlet converted into a hotel. BASTIDE DE MOUSTIERS (top) is the perfect spot for a peaceful escape. LE DOMAÎNE DES ANDEOLS (above) has an elegant pool amid sun- splashed olive groves and lavender fields. Luxury travel advisors can easily use our itinerary centered around the three inns we visited to help their clients discover the different départements of Provence. We started with La Bastide de Moustiers (www. bastide-moustiers.com), situated in the beautiful village of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie in the Alpes de Haute Provence. Known for its faïence (earthenware pottery), the village is built into the base of a sheer limestone cliff, its buildings the same color as the soaring clay cliffs above. We hear that Alain Ducasse became intoxicated with the area when out on long motorcycle rides from the Riviera in 1994, and chanced upon a potter’s 17thcentury farmhouse—the ideal spot for a peaceful sojourn in the countryside. And so Ducasse’s personal country house was then converted into an auberge. Artisans from the neighboring villages—seamstresses, painters, potters, basket and glass-makers—were intimately involved with the decoration of the place. Ducasse selected most of the furnishings from the region’s antique shops. Guests are made to feel at home in Alain Ducasse’s abode; even the kitchen doors are always open. Here, 12 air-conditioned guest rooms (one Suite, five Deluxe, three Superior, two Standard) capture the poetry of Provence. Seven rooms are situated outside of the main farmhouse in separate buildings. Of these, the Olive suite is the most spacious, featuring a sitting room, fireplace carved from walnut wood, small corner kitchen and private terrace overlooking the park. Note: These accommodations can connect to the smaller Abeille room to create a Double Suite. In the Framboise room, we liked the red-tiled bathroom and raspberry-colored parquet floor. In the main farmhouse, five guest rooms are located upstairs: Blanche Lavande, Potiron and Amande, which can connect to Tournesol. Filled with light, Blanche has a four-poster canopy bed and beautiful views of the valley. Most of the bathrooms have double sinks and soaking tubs. Notably, the Coquelicot Room has a bathtub designed by Philippe Starck. Bath amenities include handmade soaps and corked glass bottles of bath salts. At nightly turndown, your clients will be delighted by the folded linen pajamas placed on the bed along with sweet delicacies from the kitchen, the weather forecast and details about the next local market. Another nice touch: a swimming pool sack stored in linen baskets (along with bath towels), with all the essentials for a relaxing afternoon poolside. General Manager Sarah Chailan (011-33-49-270-4747) tells us that some loyal guests, fond of a particular room, will book it two years in advance, so reserve accordingly. The staff is likewise loyal; Ducasse has an eye for talent and cultivates protégés, acting as a mentor to his devoted personnel. Employees, chefs and managers move from hotel to hotel, restaurant to restaurant around the world in Ducasse’s global empire. La Bastide de Moustiers is open year-round, as there’s never a bad time to visit Provence. Nice perk: The inn has a helicopter-landing pad and it’s just a short 20-minute ride from Nice. Though the inn does not have a spa, there are Ayurvedic massage services offered at the pool house using ingredients cultivated from the estate. Wilfred Hocquet, head chef at La Bastide de Moustiers and former student of Alain Ducasse at Le Louis XV in Monaco, has adapted the Ducasse philosophy of respecting regional products and adhering to the authenticity of taste. (Note: Ducasse has spearheaded a “back to the roots” movement in France, where old-fashioned, traditional recipes are cultivated and adapted to the modern kitchen.) Working closely with Gilbert, the gardener, Hocquet creates a new menu daily, depending on the availability of produce from his garden and local markets, and then sends it to Ducasse for his opinion. When we strolled around the vegetable garden, we were stunned www.luxuryta.com September 2008 | LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR 11 http://www.luxuryta.com

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Luxury Travel Advisor - September 2008 Contents Publisher's Letter Editor's Letter Provence India Alvear Palace Hotel Oceana Santa Monica English Country Houses Chewton Glen Summer Lodge Chilston Park Hotel Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago Park Hyatt Milan Intercontinental Montelucia Jackson Hole World Cruises French Riveria Spas Voluntourism Vacations Signature Travel Network The Pulse Profile Luxury Travel Expo Sightings Source List Leaders Speak

Luxury Travel Advisor - September 2008

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