LES ROSEES | THE WRITE UP

I’m not even sure where to begin with this beautiful little slice of relaxation heaven, situated in Mougins, Cote D Azure. Is it the most romantic little nook on the French Riviera? Quite possibly!

We arrived after 6 hours of driving from Italy, all hot and bothered after being cramped in a car for so long. We were greeted at the gate by the lovely Arnauld, welcoming us and encouraging us to ‘treat the place as if it were our home’ before offering to help us bring in our (entire cars worth of) luggage – It’s impossible to pack lightly when you A | Have two dogs with you and B | Are attending a tri camp! Walking into Les Rosees was like entering the secret garden – bonus points if you’ve read the book and not just watched the film… Flowers, with roses galore – obviously, clambering up walls and just growing everywhere. Amazing little pockets of garden hidden away with a couple of sun loungers here and a jacuzzi there, all set up so that each guest can enjoy quiet moments to themselves or as a couple, despite the hotel being at capacity. It’s essentially a gorgeous French cottage, albeit a very large cottage, split up into 5 uniquely styled suites, all with individual features – free standing tubs, private terraces etc etc. We were in Suite Serguey which was a great size, has a working fireplace and housed possibly the most comfortable piece of furniture I’ve ever parked my bum on (Ha!), perfect for gazing out of the window, reading, napping, blogging… the possibilities are endless! The only question is, where on earth do I get myself one of those?! The bathroom is huge with double basins and the deepest bath I’ve seen in a long while. The bed is also humongous, when it’s so big that you can both starfish, you know you’re onto a winner! Meanwhile back downstairs there is a super cosy sitting room that attaches onto an open plan kitchen and dining area which again spills outside onto a covered patio. This patio was the absolute perfect spot for us and we ate all of our meals here, surrounded by the flowers, choosing to wear a sweater rather than go inside (late May still tends to bring about cooler mornings and evenings). I would strongly recommend taking some mosquito repellent as I didn’t and ended up providing quite the feast for the 200,000 mosquitos staying there at the same time as us! Les Rosees have their own home made, natural mosquito repellent for all the rooms so you needn’t worry when inside. Sitting and enjoying endless cups of coffee here in the morning, chatting about this and that, with the dogs asleep at our feet was genuinely one of my favourite parts of the day. The breakfast, both food and service, is also exceptional!

You have to let the hotel know if you plan on having dinner with them by around 2pm and they then call the chef in who picks produce and herbs from the hotels own private garden, he then spends the afternoon prepping and letting things simmer away slowly. The menu is 3 courses plus amuse-bouche for €39 per person, with drinks being extra. As with most places in this area, we would recommend the rose, we also enjoyed a bottle of the Saint-Emillion, if red is more your thing. The food really is delicious and it’s well worth booking to eat here, at least once during your stay. We were going for out and out relaxation on this trip so we ate at the hotel a few times and loved each evenings offerings. They also have a great little snack menu, reasonably priced, that you can pick from at any point in the day.

The pool at Les Rosees is small but functional and beautiful, perfect for cooling dips, especially handy as the sauna is located just a few feet away (If you want to use the sauna, just ask ahead and they will have it heated in less than 30 minutes for you.). The sunloungers by the pool and in the gardens are aimed at providing maximum comfort and there is a never ending supply of plush towels laid out, ready for use. We both felt a little under the weather during our stay at Les Rosees so a lot of time was spent here, soaking up vitamin D and just being, you know? Aimless but in the best way possible, something that you’re rarely able to enjoy when back at home in frenetic London – or wherever you are. They do have a treatment room and offer full body massages for €85, we didn’t book any so can’t comment on quality however the option is there.

Everywhere you turn at Les Rosees you are aware of the hotels loving and yet unremitting eye for detail… from the classic Provencal styling and decor – the linens are to die for and are now firmly on my wish list, to the level of service, I genuinely don’t think I can find fault with the place. We came away with the feeling that we had found a real hidden gem and we only hope that it keeps it’s family run, boutique vibe because we will definitely be going back for more!

PRICE

Expect to pay around €200 – €300 per night, including breakfast. It’s worth noting here that (well behaved) dogs are welcome at Les Rosees at no extra charge, with some other 5* hotels charging up to €50 per dog / per night! Definitely something to factor in.

PERFECT FOR

Couples looking for a romantic getaway or a break from City life. Writers or artists looking for a quiet bolt hole from which to draw inspiration and finish that novel or masterpiece. Children are welcome of course, there was a lovely couple from New York traveling around the South of France with their little one, no problem! However it’s definitely more of a grown-up vibe so if you have a large family or your child has a healthy set of pipes on them that they tend to use at all hours of the day, then sadly this place probably isn’t for you.