The Camargue is a unique area – viz black bulls, macho ranchers, white horses, salt flats, paddy fields, birds galore. And Le Mas de Peint is THE place to acquire a taste for this uncomprisingly flat landscape. It’s a luxurious, isolated hotel converted from an old farmhouse by Jacques and Lucille Bon.
Monsieur Bon is the archetypal gardien (rancher), happiest in the saddle showing you around his 1250 acre estate. Very much, therefore, a ‘gentleman’ rancher - as becomes evident once you venture into the hotel’s immaculate grounds and chic interior. The décor is a mix between rustic chic and homely sophistication. In the wrong hands, this can be pretentious and contrived but the Bons’ charm soon puts everyone at ease.
Expect books, flowers, clubby armchairs, a stone fireplace and the family dog to set the scene on arrival but justify the steep prices only after you have sampled the accommodations. The beds are supremely comfortable, the linen is the best ever and the bathrooms are wonderful (one is retro-style, others might be at mezzanine level).
If you dine in the large kitchen rather than on the pretty mosquito-netted terrace, the chef (7 years with Ducasse) cooks while you watch. A high price, you may think, for a no choice 4-course menu (there are no other restaurants for miles) but, while you feast on the largely home-grown produce, at least your bathroom gets a once-over and your bed is turned down.