Terre Blanche
Set in wine and walking country, this swish hotel, spa and golf resort is popular with the Monaco set. Surprisingly, Terre Blanche also suits families, drawn by the sprawling grounds and smooth service in a sleepy part of Provence. From city-slickers to cool kids, it’s a clever trick to pull off
Location
The resort feels lost in a remote part of Provence yet is only 30 minutes from swish Cannes, and 45 minutes from Nice airport. From Cannes, there are boat trips to the islands in the bay or onto St Tropez. Closer to home, it’s a scenic 10-minute drive to Fayence market, and little more to boating on St Cassien lake or to the other higgledy-piggledy hilltop villages in Pays de Fayence.
Style and Character
Once owned by Sean Connery, Terre Blanche now belongs to an art-loving German tycoon whose eye-popping private collection would not shame an 007 villain. World-class sculptures by the likes of Niki de Saint-Phalle, Jean Miro and Anthony Gormley grace the property and grounds. The low-slung resort blends into the countryside, with views over hilltop hamlets from the scene-stealing infinity pool.
The Monte Carlo set may feel at home here but Terre Blanche’s 750 acres of landscaped grounds make it bigger than Monaco. From the soporific landscaping to the scented lavender beds, Terre Blanche’s conjuring trick is to convince you that this is not a resort but a laidback country club that has taken root in Provence. Yet there is nothing haphazard about the lush fairways, the seductive spa, or the sumptuous villa-style suites scattered throughout the grounds.
Service and Facilities
Service is warm and spirited, whether you arrive by chopper or by golf buggy, chat to the concierge or the golf pro. Given its size and scope, Terre Blanche is a true resort, delivering an unrivalled range of activities that most Riviera hotels can’t match, including state-of-the-art golf facilities. At the resort’s heart are the two 18-hole Championship courses, which regularly stage major tournaments. You can take golf lessons to practise your swing and then try the deep-tissue massage with golf balls.
The cloistered spa boasts a Zen garden along with heated indoor and outdoor pools, aqua bike classes, Pilates and superb, science-based Valmont facials. Most guests will eventually be drawn to the dreamy views from the huge infinity pool, with medieval villages seeming to float on the horizon.
In keeping with the resort’s restrained mood, the services feel deliciously fluid. Consider it sorted, whether you want to sit snug in a poolside cabana, cycle off into the sunset, take a golf buggy to a cheese-maker’s, do a wine-tasting or fly a glider over the local lake.
Rooms
Welcome to villa-living, where there’s space to stretch and sink into the view, unlike on the nearby coast. The mood is about space and serenity rather than bling, enhanced by terracotta tiles, natural limestone and light oak furniture. Expect spacious, villa-style suites or, at the top end, real villas. Either way, separate living rooms and private terraces with a view are standard, as are coffee-machines and well-chosen art. Luxuriate in the swishest, most spacious marble bathrooms, even two per suite, with twin basins, free-standing baths and walk-in showers. You could break the budget on a villa with a plunge pool but the better-value suites convey the same sybaritic mood.
Food and Drink
The Michelin-starred Le Faventia restaurant, which spills onto the terrace, manages to be laidback yet sophisticated. Differing menus cater to diners after Mediterranean feasting, general gourmets after a tasting experience, and, surprisingly for France, gourmet vegetarians. Gorgeously-presented dishes include such highlights as stuffed courgette flowers, Provencal ravioli, and roast red mullet, Nice-style. Out-and-out gourmets can go for Chef Philippe Jourdin’s spicy blue lobster or turbot and caviar.
All the resort restaurants make use of locally-sourced goats’ cheese and olive oil, with dishes washed down with organic wines from Pays de Fayence and further afield in Provence. The new Wine Cellar serves everything from rare vintages to the popular Whispering Angel from Provence. Les Caroubiers clubhouse surveys the 18th hole and delivers superior brasserie fare, ranging from Croque Monsieur to lamb with Mediterranean vegetables. Le Gaudenia, a jazzy brasserie, works for brunch and afternoon tea while poolside Le Tousco is designed for grilled-meat and salad lunches. The buffet-style breakfasts are a feast of farm yoghurts, pancakes, pastries, Provencal flans, local cheeses and honey.