About Le Mas Paradou
Interior designer Liliana Atilova and her husband, architect Alain Meylan, restore historic houses and turn them into elegant, inviting homes. Over the years, the 400-year old sycamore in the garden has seen Mas Paradou transformed from a school to a village hall to a polished Provençal retreat. The couple’s immaculately designed, sensitively restored properties have been featured in Vogue France, Elle Decor and, perhaps most importantly, many a family photo album. They are the sort of places that have you reevaluating your hankering for a hotel: at Mas Paradou, all seven swish bedrooms are ensuite, with Aesop products in the walk-in limestone showers or claw-foot brass bathtubs. A&K's wraparound service means guests are equipped with more time to spend on the things that really matter, like putting the kids’ competitive streak to good use on the tennis courts, dozing by the sunshine-spangled 19-metre infinity pool or feasting on fabulous French produce at the 14-person outdoor dining table. In summer, a barbecue and outdoor kitchen makes hosting a breeze, but we can also arrange for a private chef to do the heavy lifting. This region is lovely off-peak, too, and cooler evenings can be spent cozied up in the two living rooms, one of which has a large stone fireplace.
The location:
The sauna, hammam and gym at Mas Paradou mean you need never step foot outside the property, but A&K guests tend to have an adventurous spirit, and there’s plenty to see and do here. The nearby village of Le Paradou is set on the Arcoule river between Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and Arles, in Les Alpilles. It also happens to have one of the best bakeries in the region; head to the square to stock up on sacristains. Hikers can follow trails through Les Alpilles and local routes that reveal the hidden hilltop castles of Les Baux-de-Provence. Bike and boat rentals are a family-friendly, fun way to see the French countryside; or head south towards the coast for horse riding through the marshes and meadows of the Camargue, France’s wide-open cowboy country.