Hôtel Le Pigonnet

The house is an 18th-century bastide, and its link with Paul Cézanne predates its life as a hotel. The painter lived and worked in Aix-en-Provence, and when Le Pigonnet was still a private estate he would carry his easel through its gardens to paint the old chestnut trees and, in the distance, the views of Sainte-Victoire mountain.

Le Pigonnet is also a local institution, a place where the people of Aix have gathered for generations. That continuity shows in the architecture: the Provençal facade of the main building has been preserved, while the interior design is contemporary. The decorator Jacques Garcia designed the new interiors, and his work extends to the restaurant, whose setting he entirely reimagined, and to the bar on the ground floor of the bastide.

The decoration also changes with the category. Standard guest rooms keep a slightly more traditional look, with heavy drapery, while the suites have metallic wallpaper, so the choice of room also sets its mood.

The hotel stands at 5 Avenue du Pigonnet, a few minutes from the historic centre of Aix-en-Provence and the Cours Mirabeau. By road, it is 10 minutes from exit 30a of the A8/E80 motorway, and Aix-en-Provence TGV station is 16 minutes away. Reception is open 24 hours and can arrange a transfer.

The Mediterranean garden holds twenty-nine fountains and century-old trees, and the outdoor pool is set within it. Several room categories look onto the gardens, and from the Suite Terrasse – Vue Jardin the view extends to Sainte-Victoire.

The Chambre Classique measures 20 m² and looks onto the interior courtyard, with a choice of queen-size, king-size or twin beds and space for up to two. Its bathroom has a bath or shower and Sonia Godet skincare products. The Chambre Supérieure – Vue Jardin overlooks either the hotel's gardens or those of Villa Jaune 1726, the choice for guests who want a garden view.

The Chambre Deluxe – Vue Jardin, which the hotel describes as spacious and luminous, measures 30 m², with a king-size bed, and can take up to three guests with an extra bed on request. Its bathroom adds a separate WC to the bath or shower and Sonia Godet products, and the room comes with bathrobes, a selection of books and a tray of tea and mineral water. The Junior Suite Terrasse – Vue Jardin steps up to 40 m² with a private terrace, a king-size bed and a double sofa bed for two adults and two children up to 12. Its views take in either the hotel's gardens and Mount Sainte-Victoire or the garden of Villa Jaune and its pool beneath the pines, and its bathroom has a bathtub and/or shower, bathrobes and Sonia Godet products.

The Suite Terrasse – Vue Jardin, which the hotel presents as a prestige suite, has 75 m² plus a 170 m² terrace with views over the gardens and Sainte-Victoire. It has a king-size bed (twin beds on request), a double sofa bed and a living room that converts into an extra bedroom, so it sleeps two adults and two children up to 12. There is a whirlpool bath and an iPhone/iPod docking station, and the private bathroom has a shower, Sonia Godet products and bathrobes.

Families have several options. The 50 m² Suite Famille, away from the main building and facing the courtyard, sleeps up to six: an open-plan bedroom with its own bathroom, a second bedroom with en-suite bathroom and separate WC, two king-size beds (twin beds on request) and a large living room with a sofa bed for two more. The Suite Jardin sits at the centre of the Provençal garden with two separate sleeping areas, and the Suite Prestige Jardin, for up to six, has private terraces within the Provençal garden. The Villa du Pigonnet suits families and longer stays.

La Table du Pigonnet, the signature restaurant, is dedicated to Provençal cuisine: chefs Thierry Balligand and Fabien Torrente cook a Mediterranean menu that takes its cue from the terroir and the work of local producers, and meals are taken on the terrace facing the garden and its fountains. The hotel describes its wine list as one of the finest in the region. Lunch runs daily from 12:00 to 13:30 and dinner from 19:00 to 21:00.

Les Amis is more flexible: the hotel calls it a nomadic concept whose menu showcases local flavours, to be taken in the gardens, in the bar or, for an extra charge, in the room, daily from 12:00 to 22:00, and on request a table can be set anywhere on the estate. Breakfast is served daily from 07:00 to 10:30 in the restaurant and until 11:00 in the room.

Le Rose, the bar on the ground floor of the bastide, is named in tribute to the house's former owner and serves vintage cocktails, daily from 14:00 to 22:00. L'Instant Chocolat is served there every day at teatime.

The spa, Folie Verte, Spa du Pigonnet, is new and takes its inspiration from the plant world, and it sits within the Provençal gardens. Its facilities include a hammam, a sauna, a sensory bath and an ice fountain, along with a private duo suite, and it offers Hydrojet Wellness Therapy. Its beauty and wellness partners are three natural French brands: Beau Domaine, Oden and Minois.

The outdoor swimming pool is open from May to October, daily from 08:00 to 20:00. The fitness room is open daily from 07:00 to 22:00.

The garden also has a pétanque pitch, and reception rents out electric bicycles for exploring beyond the grounds.

The hotel hosts weddings, receptions and corporate seminars, its events team helps to organise each one to measure, and the entire estate can be privatised. Two private villas suit a confidential seminar, the Salle Sainte-Victoire is a daylit plenary room for up to 80 people and character salons sit within the bastide; the salons decorated by Jacques Garcia include the Jardin d'Hiver and the Salon Cave de Monsieur Jean. Three outdoor spaces take up to 250 people for open-air receptions.