High above the sparkling coastline of Nice - tucked away in the hills surrounding the magical village of St Paul de Vence - a special hotel awaits. She is a little in need of a make-over at the moment; but this is on track for early 2012, and in no way diminishes her charms. (No where have we found a hotel more comfortable: almost a hermitage of stillness above the glitz of the Riviera.) A few minutes drive up the tangled, green mountainside will bring you to Le Mas d’Artigny - a hotel like no other. It is located on the summit of a 20-acre wooded hill - is part ivy-clad and built of cream-coloured stone along simple, almost monastic lines. Standing high above the Riviera and the sea, it commands a breathtaking view of St. Paul and is uniquely surrounded by twenty-five individual suites, each with its own private swimming pool.

The huge foyer seems completely composed of glass; polished, white marble and works of art displayed on high, wooden easels. A large, Romanesque swimming pool extends directly into the grand entrance where, surrounded by exotic greenery, the water looks like liquid, blue glass. It is captivating! The impact is of light and space - at once tasteful and inspirational.

Dine on the elegant terrace, overlooking the green expanse of the valley, and watch the coastline sparkle into life as the twinkling lights come on one by one. Delight in the three shades of blue: the sky, the sea and the pool. Enjoy the modern Provençal décor of the spacious bedrooms and the well-appointed white, mosaic-tile bathrooms. Throw open the windows and fall asleep in total stillness, literally under the stars. Wake to the scent of the wild, pine forests - fresh and beautiful. Ne perdez pas, le Sud!

Take a short drive to enjoy the delights of the medieval fortress village of St Paul de Vence and find more treasures hiding in the forest! Tucked away on the slopes between the Mas and the village, is a world famous, modern art gallery: Fondation Maeght - and no visit to the area would be complete without exploring its collections. The Mas is a Grand old Lady and a wonderful find. Her impressive guest list includes many celebrities like French Presidents and Hollywood stars.A wonderful find. Enjoy. Daphne Beames

The website photos really make the place seem extraordinary but I'm afraid we were disappointed, especially given the price tag. Let's start with the pros: (1) The common areas and gardens were beautiful, (2) the view from the restaurant was wonderful, (3) we were pleased with our food and (4) we LOVED St. Paul de Vence -- the town. However, the cons: (1) we paid a lot extra to have our own private pool and it turned out that it was a bit chilly and the pool was not heated (so we jumped in one time only and stayed in for about 10 minutes), (2) the bed was uncomfortable, (3) decor was old/dated, (4) the exercise room was a complete joke (equipment circa 1982) and (4) loud kids outside of our private pool. We were there for a romantic vacation and all we could hear were children at the neighboring villas playing in the pool. I love children, have two of my own, but hearing other children just made me miss mine and didn't allow me to fully escape to a world of serenity as I had wished. We LOVED St. Paul de Vence and would go back there in a second. In fact, the best part of staying at Le Mas d'Artigny was that it introduced us to St. Paul de Vence and ensured we spent more time there. We had a car, which was key. You couldn't stay at this hotel without a car. The next time I go to the French Riviera (if such an opportunity arises again), I would either stay at the Intercontinental (Carlton Hotel) in Cannes or the Chateau de la Chevre d'Or in Eze. I should say that my vacation was a dream because the region is so magical, not because of where I stayed.

Normally we really do our research for hotels but...
We had little time and found this hotel close to our arrival.
The website looked fine and so did the description.

The location is cool - set on a hill top overlloking both St Paul de Vance as well as the ocean (great view).
But the hotel turned out to be very old - it was build in the 70s - and have probably not been touched up since.
It was expensive and when I did put forward my feeling about the hotel not meeting our expectations the front desk woman said "I know - it is old. So sorry about this..."
At least she was honest.
But it did not make us feel much better.

Way too expensive! The rooms are very outdated. If you don't have a car, you will be stranded and stuck paying 30 or 35 euros for breakfast (much much more for lunch or dinner). The cheapest rooms they offer are not worth it - super tiny , no A/C and kinda gross. The service was great though. They could tell we were extremely disappointed with our room, so they offered us an upgrade to a much bigger room with a balcony view for only a little bit more than what we paid. The place is at the top of a hill so if you want to get into the historic part of town and you don't have a car, you'll be stuck walking about an hour uphill to get back. Again, they were very helpful and had someone shuttle us to the town and the bus stop when he was on duty (which was not every day). Great pool - that was good for a relaxing place to lounge in the country.