Road trip in the South: 6 hotels to stop at between Marseille and Nice

You think you know this road by heart. It has the taste of youthful summers, overcrowded seaside resorts and ice cream that melts too quickly. And yet, it still manages to surprise. All you have to do is slow down, turn off the main road and let yourself be drawn in by a half-open gate or a terraced garden, and the South changes its face. It's no longer just a sunny destination, it's a series of selected stops, charming houses, places where you'd love to stay another night... or the whole week, in the end. Here are six hotels that will make your trip last.

Maison Juste in Marseille

A hotel without a reception desk, but with an answer. In this Marseilles building, carefully renovated by local architects and craftsmen, you enter via an app, without badge or formality, and discover 18 vast, bright rooms, full of carefully chosen details: antique furniture, kitchenette and beautiful bathrooms. Inaugurated just over a year ago, the house has already won over a small tribe of loyal guests. You can live at your own pace, between a coffee in the large living room, an impromptu sports session or breakfast in the sun in the 600 m² garden. Shared kitchen, self-service coffee, fast wi-fi, and zero unnecessary chatter. A fair, local, sincere, well-thought-out address.

• Price: €113 per night
• Where? 28 Rue Balthazar-Dieudé- 13006 Marseille. Tel: 04 42 59 02 90
• See Gault&Millau's review of Maison Juste

Le Pigonnet in Aix-en-Provence

a stone's throw from the Cours Mirabeau, this century-old bastide has the allure of elegant old ladies. Now under the Esprit de France banner, the house has been renovated - in part - by Jacques Garcia, master of interior design: striped curtains, deep armchairs, saffron-colored walls. The atmosphere is hushed. Two villas have been added to the historic rooms, and a 400 m² spa now offers a full range of treatments. The place has seen the likes of Barbara and Clint Eastwood come and go... Cézanne is even said to have set up his easel here, looking out over Sainte-Victoire. The gardens, with their 29 fountains, a discreet swimming pool and a pergola from which you can watch the light change, are a particular highlight.

• Price: €386 per night
• Where ? 5 Av. du Pigonnet, 13090- Aix-en-Provence. Tel: 04 42 59 02 90
• See Gault&Millau's review of Le Pigonnet

Mondrian in Cannes

Set in the highest building on the Croisette, just a few minutes from the Palais des Festivals, the Mondrian has given new life to Cannes' oldest hotel (the Grand Hôtel, built in 1863). The hotel's feet are planted in its 4,000 m² garden, like a hyphen between the Mediterranean and the heart of the city. Each room - a minimum of 36 m² - opens onto a private balcony behind a large bay window. inside, the design features curved lines, turquoise hues and carpets inspired by the movement of waves. Special mention goes to suite 113, with its 60 m² extended terrace overlooking the sea.

• Price: 234 € per night
• Where? 45 Boulevard de la Croisette- 06400 Cannes. Tel: 04 93 38 15 45
• See Gault&Millau's review of Mondrian

Domaine du Mas de Pierre in Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Eighteen months of metamorphosis for this discreet, family-style estate, nestled among the fragrant hills of the Nice hinterland. Eight hectares of vegetation where century-old olive trees stand alongside works by Folon, César or Sosno, while the rooms oscillate between Provencal charm and Patrick Ribes' Baroque refinement, in shades of blue, fuchsia or soft pink. Children find their kingdom near the Alice-inspired playground, while adults take refuge in the Bastide des Fleurs, a confidential setting around a long swimming pool. The South, in all its richness and restraint.

• Price: €284 per night
• Where ? 2320 Rte des Serres- 06570 Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Tel. : 04 93 59 00 10
• See Gault&Millau's review of Domaine du Mas de Pierre

Anantara Plaza in Nice

Overlooking the sea, the Anantara Plaza unfurls its saffron façade over 140 meters of Belle Époque revisited. Restored by Nice architect Jean-Paul Gomis, the hotel has regained its original volumes, its majestic glass roof, and a rooftop transformed into a panoramic restaurant overlooking the Baie des Anges. inside, soft natural tones, green mohair, blond travertine, discreet marine details and photos of a mythical Riviera. The rooms and suites, designed by a Madrid studio, combine marble, dark wood, brass and contemporary comfort. Aix-en-Provence skincare products, Monegasque organic coffee: local, precise luxury without ostentation.

• Price: €451 per night
• Where ? 12 Avenue de Verdun- 06000 Nice. Tel: 04 93 16 75 75
• See Gault&Millau's review of the Anantara Plaza

Les Roches Blanches in Cassis

Clinging to the white cliffs that gave their name to the place, the establishment seems suspended between sky and sea. Once a manor house, turned into a hotel in the 1920s, the address has seen Churchill and Piaf pass through its doors, but today it's the Aleppo pines, terraced terraces and Cap Canaille in the line of sight that steal the show. The garden unfolds in tiers, and the pools nestle like secrets: a black mosaic swimming corridor, a turquoise basin evoking the Caribbean. In the 45 rooms and suites, light is everywhere, even in the bathroom. Few frills: calm, taste, a few Art Deco nods, and that rare feeling of being exactly where you belong.

• Price: €662 per night
• Where ? 9 Av. des Calanques- 13260 Cassis. Tel: 04 42 01 09 30
• See Gault&Millau's review of Les Roches Blanches