Four fabulous French Hideaways

This maison d'h?te caters for all tastes: sleep in a room of whitewashed Proven?al simplicity with stone flooring, plain wood furniture and a white claw-foot tub in the bathroom. Eat poolside - aubergines au gratin, perhaps. Lounging on the candystriped banquettes in the garden room after dark, though, the louvred doors thrown open and the candlelight from the Moroccan lamps dancing patterns on the brick-red walls, you could almost be in North Africa.

Even the room names are fragrant at Annie Z?au's "rustic chic? hideaway in the Alpilles foothills near St R?my: Figuier, Amandier, La Miel ... all with sisal flooring and muted shades of beige, sage or dove grey. A lateafternoon snooze underneath the vast oak tree - disturbed only by the soft scrunch of footsteps as chef Herv? Gely wanders down to his veggie garden - is the perfect prelude to a candlelit dinner ? la terrasse: foie gras followed by sea bass, perhaps.

There's a hint of eastern exoticism about Les Muscadins: in the yellow suite, you'll sleep under a sumptuous silk bedspread and wake to a caravan of camels on the ochre wall in front of you. Wander out on to the terrace, though, and there's no mistaking the Riviera setting: the Bay of Cannes glittering in the distance beyond Mougins' tawny rooftops and the scent of bougainvillea wafting in on the breeze.

A "no pets, no children" policy means the only thing liable to wake you at this old presbytery - in a postcard-perfect village setting overlooking the Serein valley - is the sound of bells from the ninth century church next door. Table d'hôte evening meals - jambon à la crème with homegrown veggies, for instance - are served in the historic dining room (complete with ancient bread oven). In fine weather, it's a Manet-style picnic in the garden.