For our final stay in the Cote d’Azur, also known as the French Riviera, we had a true authentic luxury experience at a beautiful 5 star hotel in Mougins to close off our European trip in style! To read all about our road trip and see more French Riviera pictures you can check my previous blog post: Beauty of the Cote d’Azur but not before reading this one.
Imagine a hotel in the middle of the French Riviera situated in a quaint medieval village just 10 minutes from classy Cannes and only a 30 minutes drive from Nice airport. A hotel where you are welcomed by an impressive olive tree lined entrance way, where artworks are spread out over the extensive hotel grounds of more than 4 acres. And where gastronomy is perfected in 2 Michelin star restaurants surrounded by scented jasmine flowers, lavender fields and cypress trees, completed with perfect valley views looking out over ancient French villages.
This special piece of French Riviera heaven is called: Le Mas Candille.
If you are looking for a luxurious hotel situated in cultural surroundings, near the classiest area of the French Riviera, but still with an authentic vibe, unique architectural heritage, lots of space and privacy on beautiful nature grounds, with a big offering of facilities and services, then this is the hotel for you!
But these are just some of the unique features which made our stay at this hotel feel like a dream. This place has such a special history and so much character, which makes it a true gem in my opinion. I will show them to you through many of my own pictures as always, and a few of the hotel’s as well.
Now you can stay here for FREE as well, because I’m happy to announce that I can give away a fabulous package for your stay at this hotel!
When you enter the competition this week you are able to win the same ultimate experience I had of the perfect French Riviera luxury stay at Le Mas Candille Hotel including the following:
2 FREE night stays for 2 persons in a beautiful authentic Le Mas room
Including breakfast, 1 lunch AND 1 dinner at the hotel’s restaurants,
And to top it off also a 30 minutes spa treatment of your choosing at the hotel’s award winning spa.
To win this all you have to do is follow these 3 simple steps:
Sign up here Registration French Riviera Contest to confirm you want to win this FREE ultimate luxury package,
Like the page of AuthenticChica and Le Mas Candille on Facebook and/or follow both accounts AuthenticChica and LeMasCandile on Instagram,
Comment under this blog post or on social media that you followed all steps and tag/mention at least 2 persons in your comment that would be interested in this competition as well.
For bonus points you can also share this blog on Facebook and name 1 good reason on social media or in the comments of this blog why you should win this to convince us.
The winner will be announced on Facebook and Instagram on the 31st of July, good luck!
Now back to the hotel…
Let me show you what exactly makes Le Mas Candille so unique and why I can certainly recommend it to you as well.
This hotel is a 18th century farmhouse owned by a British family which lovingly transformed it into the 38 room and 7 suite hotel it currently is. This can be recognized in its authentic vibe, rustic architectural elements, natural surroundings and French façade! The hotel is a member of the Relais & Chateux group, which represent a unique and chic selection of luxury hotels and high quality restaurants.
Although it’s a small scale boutique hotel Le Mas Candille offers a multitude of facilities, while the amount of rooms is kept small by choice. Next to exclusivity, luxury and service the owners want to offer their guests the space and privacy they deserve, and this is recognized by celebrities and people of note from all around the world.
The hotel is divided in 3 living spaces which each have something different to offer.
We stayed in a traditional room at ‘’Le Mas’’, part of the main building and the original farmhouse. I really loved this cozy Provencal styled bedroom with our French balcony with valley view, as this represents the perfect combination of authentic chicness to me!
Next to the accommodation and architecture I really loved the lavender fields, scented jasmine flowers, olive trees and different flowers all around the hotel, combined with tall cypress- and palm trees, which are so typical for the French Riviera and Provence region. At Le Mas Candille we were able to enjoy this without even having to leave.
All of this is complemented with unique sculptures and artworks of local artists from the surrounding village Mougins. For an architecture and culture lover like me the perfect setting.
To show you what exactly made our stay here so careless and complete I summarized the unique features of the hotel for you:
Le Mas Candille is a small-scale 5 star hotel with many amenities in the room: free WIFI, flat-screen TV, safe, mini bar and air-conditioning,
The hotel is centrally located near Nice and Cannes, in the middle of the authentic and quiet village Mougins,
Extensive nature grounds surround the hotel which provide many seating- and relaxing options spread out over the premises,
The hotel has 3 swimming pools and 2 Jacuzzi’s,
It even has an award winning spa with 5 treatment rooms, Jacuzzi, sauna, hydrotherapy pool and an outdoor fitness room,
This was the first SHISEIDO spa in the French Riviera and they recently added the pure and natural products of ESPA to complete the spa’s product range. From the wide choice of treatments I really enjoyed the facial treatment with ESPA’s wonderfully scented products, and fell in love with the hammock and relaxation area,
The service in both the spa and hotel reception is perfect. The staff is welcoming and always willing to help with directions, book day tours or give sightseeing tips,
An excellent breakfast is served at Le Candille restaurant with unique views over Grasse, but it is also possible to have it served at your room,
Lunch and dinner I have to mention more extensively, as the 2 hotel restaurants are definitely something to be highlighted!
About the restaurants
Stunning views can be enjoyed during breakfast, lunch and dinner, each of them different but all equally beautiful from both restaurants. At ‘’La Pergola’’ summer restaurant next to the stunning main pool lunch is served all afternoon with panoramic views over the valley. We loved our 3 course lunch here as they offer such an extensive Mediterranean menu and the signature macaron dessert was just to die for! See for yourself:
Dinner in Michelin star restaurant ‘’Le Candille’’ is truly unique and something that should be experienced! Chef David Chauvac serves lunch and dinner here with flair and creativity in a classic setting of romantic round tables spread out over the wide terrace. This restaurant is situated in front of the traditional facade, lined with trees, and also offers wide views over the French Riviera country side.
The food itself, the wines, the presentation of each dish and the service were all wonderful. Completed with tasteful lighting, views over Grasse lighting up during sundown while being surrounded by scented jasmine flowers, I couldn't help but wonder if dinner could get more romantic and perfect than this. But you can be the judge of that as well:
Both restaurants are also open to non-residents. And lunch, but especially the 4 course chef’s dinner menu is highly recommended, even if you’re not staying at the hotel!
About the surroundings
While nearby Cannes and Antibes are more well known and definitely worth a visit, we preferred the small medieval town Mougins directly surrounding the hotel!
This typical French village with ancient stone houses, Provencal restaurants and winding streets is something that should not be missed if you want to experience the true French Riviera spirit.
The village is renowned for its gastronomy and culture and hosts several gastronomic events throughout the year, which we were happy to witness during our stay. Mougins is also known for its many resident artists and unique cultural events. Pablo Picasso even worked and lived here the last 15 years of his life!
In this quaint village I recommend to roam the medieval streets with unique facades and flowers all around, to admire the art in the various art galleries, marvel over the views of the bay of Cannes, visit the Classic Art Museum if you are a true culture lover, or just enjoy the many restaurants all around the village.
You can watch this slide show to get a good impression of wonderful Mougins already:
And find out more about the most beautiful spots in the Cote d’Azur in my previous blog post. If you need more French Riviera tips or want to ask me anything travel related feel free to contact me by mail at:
Or get social with me on:
What do you think of this hotel? Can’t wait to stay here and have the same unique experience I did? Then go to the hotel’s website to book directly for the best price: website of Le Mas Candille
But don’t forget to enter the competition for a chance to win a free stay incl.many extra’s in this French Riviera luxury hotel as well, by signing up with this link: Registration French Riviera Contest
Good luck and leave your comment, and a reason why you really want to stay here, in the comments below!
