Avignon
France


The Experience

Built in the shadow of the Papal Palace in Avignon, the austere frontage of this former 18th-century cardinal’s mansion conceals a treasure box of delights. Artfully arranged birdcages, leather-bound volumes placed on mahogany sideboards and tiered displays of jewel-like tarts in the covered courtyard dining room have the inspiring impact of still lifes. Yet for all the impressive artwork and antiques, this is no museum, but a uniquely comfortable hotel that has been welcoming guests since 1990. There are various treats in store for those who stay here, such as the secret walled garden with its giant huckleberry tree (where you can dine in warm weather), the historically re-created kitchens, which are sometimes used for communal dinners and cookery courses, and the small boutique selling objects (linen cushion covers, copper pots and bronzes) that personify the Mirande lifestyle and outlook.

The Rooms

The extravagant attention to detail extends to the rooms, where handmade carpets and hand-blocked fabrics on walls recall the affluent and refined aesthetic of the French Pompadour style in the 18th century. There is not a jarring note: TV screens are concealed behind ornate mirrors; windows are made of antique glass. Bathrooms are similarly generous, with floor-to-ceiling marble and luxurious furnishings. All rooms have their own unique character; in the summer ask for those with small terraces overlooking the gardens -- they are by far the most romantic.

The Service

Exclusivity does not have to be excluding. Service throughout the hotel, from reception to room service, is attentive and accommodating. Expect the kind of meticulous, white-gloved formality, especially in the restaurant, that has waiters de-crumbing your table between courses and refolding your napkins when you get up to use the bathroom.

The Highlights

After exploring the cultural delights of Avignon, ensconce yourself in the oasis of the Rose garden with a preprandial Kir while you take time over the menu. Will it be tuna carpaccio with caviar, or pigeon stewed in the traditional aromatic herbs of Provence, served with artichoke and arugula? Guests find the menus so inspiring that many of them sign up for the cookery courses held in the authentic 19th-century-style kitchens below. And the perfect place to present these meals is the dining room; with candlelight illuminating the Aubusson tapestry and the finely carved Renaissance ceiling, it allows for basking in the atmosphere of rarefied elegance.

-- Catherine Fairweather

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