Former Convent in the South of France Gets Second Life as Heavenly Oasis

“The first time we came, there was nothing except the old walls,” says Hugo Sauzay of Festen Architecture, who with his partner Charlotte de Tonnac has ensured that its interior design met an appropriate kind of monastic luxe. “But the soul and the atmosphere of the place was incredible.” Architecture firm Studio Mumbai, the Indian practice run by Bijoy Jain, who believes in looking to historical technique to create future proof design, and local counterparts Studio Mediteranée, brought the buildings back to life and added one new and  perfectly blended structure. “Then it was up to us to adopt the same kind of humility,” says Sauzay. “The bones and the materiality of the building speak for themselves.”

There are 70 rooms and 18 suites, with plain beige curtains and blue or white linen bedspreads. “We looked at historical pictures and saw that the nuns covered the entire bed, so we’ve done the same,” says Sauzay. Furniture and accessories were largely gleaned from energetic excursions to flea markets, especially in Bologna and Parma in neighboring Italy. “One of my favorite pieces is a 16th-century monastery table, which is so simple but with the most incredible patina,” says Sauzay, noting that it now has pride of place in the main restaurant, called La Cloitre.

A skilled carpenter based in central France created bespoke pieces and furnished the herbalist shop next door. “He loves apothecaries and churches,” laughs Sauzay. A fresco painter who has worked on restoration projects at Notre Dame de Paris provided delicate painted motifs in the corridors. “Sometimes just a tiny flower. You have to seek them out!”

The biggest suites have been fashioned from the nuns’ communal areas—such as the Secchoir, a long room where laundry was dried—while some of the “cells” remain. They are comfortably cute at around 250 square feet, though the average is at least double that size.

Guests will find it easy to stay on site, thanks to a 66-foot-long lap pool, an exercise studio and a spa that adheres to the principals of the Roman bath (moving from the warm water of the tepidarium to the hot caldarium and then the invigorating super-cold plunge pool). But the hotel’s rus in urbe set-up should prove a magnet for the city, too. Its trio of restaurants include the casual Guingette, where visitors can eat in the gardens, and the brasserie-like Serrurier over the road.

Much of the food comes from the hotel’s nearby farm, at Touet-sur-Var, and bread is baked on the premises, in the same spot where the nuns baked theirs. “Having our own farm means making a commitment to the living world,” says Grégo. “And that we can preserve local savoir-faire in ingredients and cuisine.” So far, everything from pea tarts and amberjack crudo to pistou gnocchi and seasonal artichokes have been gracing the plates.

Meanwhile, five-star touches include a stellar organic wine list, lavender-based beauty products created by local parfumier Azzi Glass, and the best Kir Royale in town. “We wanted to maintain an idea of calm,” says Sauzay, who is now in the midst of working on several residential projects in New York with de Tonnac. “To honor the beautiful light, and to make the nuns proud.”