antique french living: Dream Hotel

Fields of lavender near the Hotel Crillon de Brave

It was so gorgeous in Houston today - the sun was warm and bright - that I really got spring fever, which can only mean that summer is just around the corner. We vacation at the beach every summer and sometimes I like to think where we'd go if we ever did go someplace new, someplace exciting, someplace like Provence in the south of France! And so, if I'm going to play that game, where would I stay? Obviously, since it's just a game, money is no object. After some searching around, I finally found a hotel that looks like a place I could spend some time at, relaxing by the pool, reading, and eating some really, really good food (no Wendy's salad in France!) My pick: The Hotel Crillon le Brave Provence. It's a Relais & Chateux hotel, so you know it's going to be fabulous and charming. Located in Provence on a hilltop in a tiny village, the hotel actually consists of seven centuries-old buildings clustered around a central courtyard. The rooms are housed in a former school building, a stables, a Priest's house, a grocery store, an artist's studio and several houses. Together they now are all part of the Hotel Crillon le Brave Provence. Care to join me there this summer? Care to pick up the tab, as well?

The hotel sits atop a ridge at the foot of Mont Ventoux . That's the complex with the tower pointing upwards.

The seven restored buildings that make up the hotel.

The Maison Reboul with vistas to the valley. I love the courtyard with the grass growing between the stones. So, so charming!

Check in at the Maison Philibert building.

Outdoor massage by the pool.

Reception area. Everything looks so authentically restored.

Breakfast in the courtyard under a romantic umbrella.

Breakfast in the main garden.

The lower terrace swimming pool. This terrace looks like it was carved out of the limestone.

Views of the valley and Mont Ventoux.

The Maison Roche houses the restaurant and several bedrooms.

A salon in the Maison Roche. I love the oval portrait on the back wall. The colors - terracotta and sage green are so beautiful together.

You can have dinner in either the garden or the stone vaulted restaurant. Aren't these chairs wonderful?

The view of the Mont and the valley at late afternoon.

Rooms in the Maison Salomon were renovated in 2007. Black and white photographs are of the property and surrounding countryside.

A suite in the Maison Salomon. I love the blue door with the number plaque. The ceiling is wonderful, as is the old tiled floor.

A Maison Salomon dressing room with a french day bed.

A room in Le Jas, one of the smallest houses on the property. This room is so lovely with its print and checked fabrics.

A room in La Maison Reboul. I adore the bathroom open to the room. Great for the newlyweds.

Another room in La Jas, the small house.

A Maison Philibert room. The blue walls are a departure from the brighter yellows and oranges found elsewhere. The windows add architectural charm here.