T+L’s Hotel Review of Le Mas Candille

A seductive breeze, scented with contemporary herbs, lavender, and citrus, led the way in which alongside the winding path to Le Mas Candille, the place sweeping views of the bay of Cannes, the Lérins Islands, and Grasse crammed the vista. A fast stroll from the medieval village of Mougins, the place Pablo Picasso spent the final 12 years of his life, this discreet five-star deal with set an suave scene of its personal.

This 20-year-old lodge ushered in a brand new chapter, due to Jean-Philippe Cartier, the founder and president of H8 Collection hotel group, who has a knack for reviving French heritage properties. Cartier teamed up with Prisca Courtin-Clarins of the Clarins cosmetics clan to make Le Mas Candille a number one magnificence and wellness vacation spot, masterfully refitted from head to toe by Franco-Mexican inside architect Hugo Toro.

Toro honored this four-and-a-half-hectare property wealthy in pine and cypress bushes (candille means “cypress” within the native dialect), whereas including a beneficiant dose of avant-garde design, a lot of it crafted by his personal hand. A go to to Le Mas Candille looks like a journey to a fictional—and really glamorous—Californian Côte d’Azur.

As I arrived through a swift flight to Good, the grey skies of Paris have been changed by the sunshine of the south. A refrain of cicadas supplied the soundtrack. The gracious smiles of the workers complemented the mellow temper as I used to be led to my suite, the place each element of my sprawling chamber was marked by smooth tones and curious collectibles by native artisans. A inexperienced carpet and matching drapes original from Toro’s hand-painted art work caught my consideration as I plunged right into a soft chair in direct view of the spacious terrace. After freshening up within the rest room, with a colour palette pushed by Norwegian pink marble counters and pale inexperienced partitions, I got down to uncover precisely how Le Mas Candille succeeded in mixing Provence with California. “I wished to offer the lodge the real type of a Provençal mas [farm] whereas including an American contact to additionally make it resemble a big Californian villa,” Toro shares in a press launch.

The stroll to The Glow Home Spa by Clarins snaked alongside paths lush with the herbs used within the therapies. An inviting row of solar loungers alongside the heated pool supplied a direct view of the valleys beneath. I instantly fell right into a summer season daydream, imagining late afternoons bronzing beneath the Mediterranean solar and exhilarating dips within the swimming pool. A gust of eucalyptus-scented steam roused me again to the autumnal afternoon as I entered the hammam. My wellness routine continued with a number of laps within the 82-foot-long pool, a pause within the sauna with a view of the solar illuminating the panorama, and a courageous dip into the glacial plunge pool. An hour-long Valuable Therapy facial utilizing the Clarins Valuable skincare vary supplied the principle act at this holistic haven. Lathered in luxurious lotions, moisturizers, and serums that enhanced my pores and skin’s vitality, I dressed for dinner.

An announcement fire composed of inexperienced tiles—the one remaining unique characteristic—and a frescoed ceiling evoking olive bushes set a comfy and alluring temper as quickly as I entered the lounge. Alongside handicrafts collected by Toro and his mom at Provençal flea markets, dried herbs and crops elegantly uncovered in inexperienced ceramic frames embellished the partitions, the work of Biot-based artist Cyril Vandromme. Close by, a well-stocked bar with bespoke wood stools and hand-blown glass lamps set the temper for cocktails.

Named for the property’s plentiful pine bushes, the restaurant La Desk des Pins units crisp white tables for dinner and breakfast. Daring geometric carpeting is contrasted by pale inexperienced and yellow velvet seating and cherry wooden partitions. The huge terrace—preferrred for a post-pétanque glass of rose through the hotter months—stretches into the bucolic panorama.

Satiated from a meal of impeccably ready langoustine and scallops, I ventured to the intimate library to admire the tomes relationship again to Le Mas Candille’s 2001 opoening. Past the bibliothèque, a backgammon board caught my curiosity, however I opted for a number of animated rounds of foosball, joined by a good friend from Cannes.

The subsequent morning, I lastly found the Californian soul of Le Mas Candille. Palm bushes gently swayed within the breeze, reflecting in an oval freshwater swimming pool—vivid yellow lounge chairs with matching parasols ignored what might virtually be mistaken for the Hollywood Hills. Toro did admit, “The references are Mediterranean, combined with Californian touches. Certainly, the property, perched excessive above Mougins and the previous village, gives a formidable view of Grasse, harking back to a Hollywood hill villa.

Here is my assessment of the reborn Le Mas Candille, a wellness and gastronomic sanctuary alongside the French Riviera.

The Rooms

The lodging on this 18th-century olive farm are break up between three buildings. From cozier 258-square-foot rooms within the Mar, many that includes terraces and backyard views, to deluxe 376-square-foot suites within the Bastide with views of the valley, there are many choices for bedding down in consolation.

Probably the most unique and expansive suites within the Villa measure as much as 753 sq. ft and might accommodate a household of 4. Each visitor room’s rest room is stocked with Clarins merchandise.

Meals and Drink

A rising star in France’s culinary circuit, chef Romain Antoine oversees the seasonal menus at each eating places. Whether or not a lightweight lunch of salade nicoise at The Pool restaurant and bar or a three-course gastronomic dinner at La Desk des Pins, Antoine’s Mediterranean-inspired culinary journey is dictated by native fish and seasonal greens. On evenings, candles and stay music set the temper at Grill by the Pool. A well-crafted number of cocktails and herb-driven mocktails, together with wine pairings, are at hand.

Breakfast consists of detox juice and a beneficiant unfold of candy and savory French classics, obtainable buffet-style and à la carte.

Actions and Experiences

From the pétanque courtroom and ping pong desk to the sport room, loads of actions entertain all ages, whatever the season. Bookworms can discover refuge within the well-stocked library.

The place Picasso as soon as lived, the artwork world thrives, with dozens of artwork galleries tucked into Mougins’ slim lanes. Dive into the feminine artwork scene on the not too long ago opened FAMM-Feminine Artists of the Mougins Museum, which changed the Mougins Museum of Classical Artwork. The primary main European museum devoted to feminine artists showcases the work, sculptures, and pictures by over 80 ladies. After visiting The Mougins Center of Photography, nonetheless and transferring pictures will depart an impression.

E book a historic village tour with an area information from the Mougins Tourist Office and finish with lunch on the buzzing hotspot Bohème.

The Spa

A brand new holistic spa idea mixing health and well-being, The Glow Home Spa by Clarins gives bespoke magnificence rituals to cater to each wellness fanatic. The 4,845-square-foot house on the first Clarins-branded lodge includes a health room and 4 therapy rooms, the place face and physique massages with plant extracts and important oils take heart stage. Collagen-boosting infrared LED regimens are additionally on the menu. The glow continues to the 82-foot indoor-outdoor heated swimming pool, sauna, hammam, and Kneipp chilly pool.

The protocols developed completely for The Glow Home Spa by Clarins can final from one hour to a number of days. (Learn: Annual Clarins retreats are within the works.)

Household-Pleasant Choices

A kids’s menu is on provide at each eating places, with smaller servings for youthful patrons. A children’ membership is open through the busy summer season season, and there are many actions for all ages within the sport room.

Solely the spa pool is restricted to adults.

Accessibility and Sustainability

The rooms and suites, in addition to The Glow Home Spa by Clarins, are ADA-compliant.

Many native crops don’t require extreme watering, and herbs from the gardens are used within the delicacies. Full-size refillable Clarins bathtub merchandise all through the property cut back plastic waste.

Location

Le Mas Candille, set within the hilltop village of Mougins, is a 20-minute drive from Good Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE) and the town of Cannes. Renting a automotive gives quick access to the area.

E book Now

One among a handful of five-star motels within the Côte d’Azur open year-round, Le Mas Candille is the perfect spot for a sun-infused wellness escape. E book your therapies at The Glow Home Spa by Clarins prematurely if it’s peak season.

Nightly charges at Le Mas Candille begin from 460 euros ($540).

Each T+L lodge assessment is written by an editor or reporter who has stayed on the property, and every lodge chosen aligns with our core values.