My Provence hideaway

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LES BEAUX DE PROVENCE: I meet Madame Edith Saut, the owner of the Domaine de Manville, in the beautiful garden of her newly opened Hôtel de Charme located in the heart of the Provence. It made her the proprietor of one of the nicest getaways in the region, a perfect hideaway for a weekend or even ten days of complete relaxation and much more.

IRMA: What was your intention when you and your husband bought the Domaine de Manville and started to reconstruct it almost 9 years ago?

EDITH SAUT: The house was originally bought as a private family residence. It was supposed to be a base for our entire family, our three children and 9 grandchildren.

IRMA: What made you change your plans?

E.S.: One day we sat together with a friend of mine, the interior designer Annie Zeau, and we came up with the idea that it would be even more fun to develop a unique and charming hotel with the Domaine. Both our passion for interior was actually the starting point of creating Le Domaine de Manville as a small luxury hotel.

IRMA: Did this project turn out to be exactly as you thought it would?

E.S.: Yes, our vision got real and we enjoyed working together a lot. Especially when we had to find authentic, Provencal fabrics, stones, materials. It was almost like a study going back in time to a place where my husband grew up and a great challenge to make it still look modern, to develop a sensitive contrast that makes this place very warm and comfortable.

IRMA: What makes the Domaine de Manville such a special place?

E.S.: The warmth next to the rough nature of La Provence and of course the family spirit that we would like to share with our guests when they come to visit the Domaine. We want them to have the feeling of visiting a friend’s house rather than a hotel or a resort. We have many returning guest and there is something for everyone: Golf, kids club, detox, private cinema, spa, culture, history, sports, etc.

IRMA: What is this wonderful scent made of that we smell here?

E.S.: It’s Vervain Citroneé and jasmin, a perfect mixture, composed by nature.

IRMA: La Provence is always full new things to discover, especially in culture and the arts. How do you spend an ideal weekend at and around the Domaine de Manville and what do you recommend seeing?

E.S.: You can enjoy the nature of Les Baux de Provence all day long, the eco-responsible 18-hole golf course, the surprising and magic Carrières de Lumières and much more…

The Domaine de Manville is located close to the Camargue, which influences the atmosphere of the Domaine. You will be charmed by the gypsy music which performs every Friday at our bar with the Manero Group. You could enjoy a dinner at the Carmargue restaurant Chez Bob on the banks of the Vaccares pond and stay a night at Le Mas de Peint, surrounded by Camargue horses and bulls.

On your way back to the Domaine, you could visit Arles and its Roman remains and the new Fondation Van Gogh devoted to the artist’s explosively productive stay here; or Avignon with the Popes’ Palace and the famous ramparts. The 10 museums in the city provide an incredible variety of art from ancient times in the Lapidaire (Lapidary) museum to mediaeval paintings in the Petit Palais, Beaux-Arts in the Calvet museum, impressionist paintings at the Angladon Foundation, decorative arts in the Vouland museum and contemporary art with the Lambert collection.

When the sun goes down at Maussanes les Alpilles, the village close to the Domaine, you could taste a Pastis on the square before you have dinner at the restaurant Ou Ravi Provençeau, where Jean François will treat you to artichokes à la Barigoule. If you here during the week, by the way, we recommend a visit to St. Remy de Provence with its wonderful artisan farmers market every Wednesday.

More information:
Domaine de Manville
13520 Les Baux-de-Provence
www.domainedemanville.fr

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