Villa La Coste hotel review

"Делай что можешь с тем что имеешь там где ты есть." Теодор Рузвельт

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IN BRIEF

First impression Modern hillside-hugging harmony lost in the pines.


Staff Cool, young, local, attentive.


Food & drink Organic plates with palate-exploding flavour, a vineyard of earthly delights.


Bed & bath Stone Zen minimalism with hi-tech flourishes.


The crowd Art-loving hipsters, beauty-seeking free spirits.


In a nutshell A contemporary cultural big-hitter in a Cézanne landscape.

Villa La Coste hotel review

Richard Haughton

Set the scene


Squirrelled away outside a village near Aix-en-Provence, this is part of the 600-acre Château La Coste, a wine estate and contemporary arts centre. The view of the pines, oaks and distant foothills from the terrace conjures a state of reverie. Attention to detail resounds in everything from the Prouvé-inspired desk lamps to the museum-quality original drawings on the walls. Even the air-con is hidden by a white metallic silhouette of lavender stalks.

Villa La Coste hotel review

Richard Haughton

What’s the story?


The brainchild of Irish real-estate whizz Patrick McKillen and his team, Chateau La Coste was formerly a local vineyard that was rebooted using biodynamic methods. The hotel was designed by local architects Tangram, and every piece of furniture here is coherent with the clean-line modernist aesthetic. The collaborating architects and artists who come and go at Villa La Coste reads like a Who’s Who of the contemporary arts scene – Frank Gehry, James Turrell, Renzo Piano, Jean Nouvel, Richard Serra, Paul Matisse – and you might catch a glimpse of Bono and friends or hip French filmmaker and photographer JR.

What can we expect from our room?


With floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors, the white-on-white luminous airy suites conjure a fantasy apartment, both in comfort and design: tall four-poster beds with gauzy curtains, deep couches, high-tech Japanese toilets, marble Vietnamese tubs and private sunbeds surrounded by roses and lavender. The upper-level rooms have slate plunge pools and a rolling valley view. Terraces are natural spots for wine sipping and star gazing. Adventurous travellers can opt for the Jean Prouvé mid-20th-century cabin in the woods, where you live, eat and sleep in what’s now considered a work of art.

Villa La Coste hotel review

Richard Haughton

How about the food and drink?


The close-to-nature philosophy runs through each of the four contrasting restaurants, all of which serve organic produce – some plucked from the Louis Benech-designed kitchen garden – and locally sourced fish and meats. Breakfast is a feast of freshly baked cakes, eggs and fresh fruit; lunch is at the country-style café La Terrasse (try the killer quinoa salad with homegrown beetroot) next to the wine boutique or at the Restaurant Tadao Ando, where Provençal dishes include fricassée of lamb and roast scallops. Dinner can be eaten either at the Villa La Coste restaurant, a jewel-box square of glass with hanging Louise Bourgeois sculpture and ultra-fresh regional plates, or at Restaurant Francis Mallmann, which serves punchy main dishes such as chargrilled beef with vegetables and octopus with potatoes and anchovy paste. At the latter, expect a dramatic show in the open kitchen. The chef’s trademark BBQ M.O. extends to fruit-based puddings such as roast apples with vanilla panna cotta, topped with grilled pistachios.

Anything to say about the service?


Young, local, super-efficient.

What sort of person comes here?


Art and architecture lovers, foodies, wine enthusiasts, rock-and-roll hipsters and international couples of every age.

Villa La Coste hotel review

Richard Haughton

What’s the neighbourhood scene like?


You won’t find much in the sleepy village of Le Puy-Saint-Réparade, but there’s a terrific chocolate factory in the neighbouring village, Puyricard. With Aix-en-Provence only a 30-minute drive away, you’re not far from an extensive choice of smart boutiques, cool restaurants and Provençal markets. The historic Brasserie des Deux Garçons on the plane-tree-lined Cours Mirabeau is a pure joy for people-watching.

Anything you’d change?


Frankly, no.

Anything we missed?


You’ll never go hungry. Guests are greeted with a bottle of Château La Coste chilled rosé, fruit and pastries; the lobby – an eye-catching art-filled salon where breakfast is served – has a bar stocked with fresh lemonade, juices and home-baked goodies. The bespoke citrus-based beauty products (highlight: the body scrub) are also worth a mention. The art trail, with works by Tracey Emin, Ai Weiwei, Louise Bourgeois, James Turrell, Alexander Calder and more is outstanding. Hidden behind cypresses, the spa goes beyond the usual beauty-line brand experience. Brightly coloured pots of clay are used in personalised treatments along with mineral salts and fragrant plant-based oils. Highlight: the ritual hammam scrub on a floating bed.

A final note: is it worth it?


Villa La Coste’s culture-meets-nature appeal goes way beyond most other hotels.

Book your stay

Address: Villa La Coste, 2750 Route de La Cride, 13610, Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade, France


Telephone: +33 4 42 50 50 00


Website: villalacoste.com


Price: Doubles from £465

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