Maison Salix, a small hotel in France

600 Noble Years Recalibrated for Low-Key Slow Living

A noteworthy aristocratic manor, this redesigned residence with its grand halls, intricate molding, impressive hearths, and imposing masonry holds court at the heart of a small Provençal village celebrated for its basket weaving. Recalibrated as a cosmopolitan-casual inn, the cool, urban makeover is minimalist and artsy, aligned to 21st-century travelers seeking architectural cachet with modern comforts.

This 600-year-old boutique hotel in a village in Provence is thankfully free of the stuffiness of so many historical inns. Within its aristocratic walls, a new mood prevails, suited to the slower pace of life in this under-the-radar region. Featuring a welcomingly spare, all-new décor that combines contemporary and vintage furnishings with modern art and cool travel finds, the home’s architectural history has been laid bare. Think ancient timbers, hexagon terracotta tiles, hewn stone floors, and intricate wall moldings. The vast, arcaded portico further reveals the building’s upstanding heritage, offering a pool and wild garden beyond.

The inn offers six unique suites, but it also available in its entirety (with 11 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, and multiple lounges). The on-site Mediterranean kitchen serves three meals daily, plus there are two pools, a gym, a library, a cinema, a bar and a wine cellar.

AROUND

Located in the small village of Vallabrégues in the Gard region of Provence, this residence is part of the region’s architectural patrimony. The sizeable manor is one of many hand-hewn stone structures making up the village on the banks of the Rhone River. Situated in the Golden Triangle between Nîmes, Arles, and Avignon, the town’s winding, cobbled streets are still hung with baskets overhead, with Mont Ventoux, Provence’s iconic peak rising in the background. Low key, slow-living activities are the order in town—fishing, picnicking, walking through the orchards, cycling the riverbanks, and catching sunset over the Rhône. There’s a basketry museum in the village that recounts the its artisan history, and a small marina and dock create a launch for water recreation activities.

The towns of Tarascon, Beaucaire, and Les Baux-de-Provence are nearby, as is the Camargue, the natural park of the region that lies between the Mediterranean and the Rhône River delta. The latter is home to hundreds of bird species, pink salt flats, rice paddies, marshes, and windswept dune-backed beaches. Prized black bulls, indigenous wild horses, and pink flamingos are all symbols of the region, and the area is also home to no-harm running of the bull races. The unique cultural heritage of Europe’s nomadic Roma can be explored in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, a coastal village that celebrates their patron saint. The larger Provencal communities of Arles, Nîmes and Avignon are all a 30-minute drive from the property.