Surrounded by the lavender fields, verdant hillsides, and mountain peaks of Haute Provence, Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban is nothing if not a picturesque locale. And La Bonne Étape makes the most of it; an absolutely classic small Provençal hotel, it’s set in an 18th-century post house whose 18 rooms and suites now cater to leisure guests in search of the unhurried pleasures of the South of France.

Around the far side of the Saint-Tropez peninsula is the sleepier seaside resort of La Croix-Valmer. Here, in the verdant hills just outside the village, you’ll find Château de Valmer, a hotel that combines low-key Provençal charm with a touch of contemporary luxury and an almost impossibly perfect location: set within its own vineyards and gardens, but within walking distance of both the town and the beach.

Here, on a hilltop overlooking Vence, is a site that was once a Roman fortification, later a Knights Templar commandery, and now — after substantial improvements by its new owners, the Oetker Collection — one of very few château-style hotels in Provence, offering a degree of luxe seclusion that the grand hotels in the seaside towns can’t hope to match.

A few minutes up the coast from Nice stands the hilltop village of Èze. At its highest point, some 400 meters above sea level (with spectacular views up and down the coastline), is a one-of-a-kind lodging that’s been a local favorite since before the phrase “luxury boutique hotel” was coined. With a mere 14 rooms and suites it’s just about as intimate as can be.

The Château de Montcaud dates back to 1848, but its most recent renovation was just completed in 2018, and the result is an impeccably styled, impressively outfitted luxury boutique hotel. While the Château’s exteriors retain their 19th-century elegance, its interiors are surprisingly contemporary, its rooms exhibiting a stylish visual simplicity and a contrast between their antique architectural details and their very modern furniture.