Small hotels in the South of France 

►   Petits hotels en région PACA

iHi - Independent-hotels.info
the independent hotel directory.

A seriously selective directory of nice quiet hotels with character. The iHi France independent hotel guide lists small independent hotels with character,  that offer a relaxing environment and good value for money.

iHi welcomes suggestions from travellers and hotel owners.
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Vaucluse

• €€€  Villeneuve les Avignon  (84 - Vaucluse)
  Hotel La Magnaneraie. **** Top rated four-star hotel, with 32 rooms,located in a villa standing in its own grounds, in Villeneuve les Avignon, across the  Rhone just opposite the historic centre of Avignon.
  Pool.  Not strictly independent, but part of a small independent chain of 9 hotels, this hotel is affiliated to Best Western. An ideal base from which to explore the area around Avignon and inland Provence.
• Fontaine de Vaucluse ( 84 Vaucluse)
  *** The hôtel du Poète is an intimate small hotel, with wonderful gardens, an outdoor
  pool and hot tub. A haven of peace 20 km east of Avignon, and just a short walk from the village of Fontaine de Vaucluse. This is a clean comfortable hotel with friendly and attentive staff, that gets top reviews for location and atmosphere. Fontaine de Vaucluse is famous as the home, for seven years, of the Renaissance poet Petrarch (the "poète" in the hotel name).

Bouches du Rhône

• €€€ Les Baux de Provence (13 Bouches du Rhône).
  The Mas de l'Oulivier is a delightful small four-star hotel, nestled among the olive groves, cypress trees and lavender in the Alpilles regional park. Gardens, pool, 27 rooms. A central  location between Avignon, the Camargue, Arles and Aix en Provence
• €€€ Aix en Provence (13 Bouches du Rhône).
  The Hotel Artea was once the home of composer Darius Milhaud. It is a short distance from the station and from the Cours Mirabeau and the centre of old Aix. The hotel has the charm and quality of an old Aix town house, and merits much better than  its two-star rating. Spacious, bright and air conditioned rooms
•  €  Manosque (13 Bouches du Rhône).
  The Hotel du terreau at Manosque, between Aix en Provence and the Luberon, gets good reviews. Small friendly hotel in the historic part of Manosque, nice clean rooms, and good value for money. Plenty of cafés nearby, and street parking no problem in this small town. Great base for discovering the Luberon and the Gorges du Verdon.
• Arles (13 Bouches du Rhône)
  Hotel de l'amphitheatre Though classed as two star, this hotel, in a seventeenth century town house, deserves three or four*. Calm, tasteful, friendly; air conditioned rooms. In the heart of the old town, close to the Roman arena and amphitheatre and to the Rhone. Generally excellent reviews.

Southern and Provençal Alps

•   Sisteron (04 Alpes de Haute Provence)
  The hôtel Les Chênes is located just outside Sisteron. It offers a range of single, double and triple bedrooms, an outdoor swimming pool (seasonal), free car parking and a restaurant
  
• Saint Bonnet en C (05 Hautes Alpes)
  The Hotel la Crémaillère lies a few hundred yards from the N85 Grenoble-Marseille highway, north of Gap. Excellent reviews. Hotel in la rural setting with large gardens. 23 spacious and comfortable rooms, lounge, restaurant, well situated for outdoor activities all year round.
• La Grave (05 Hautes Alpes)  - Ecrins National Park
  The Châlets de la Meije *** are a small complex of modern chalets, at the edge of les Ecrins national park: magnificent setting with spectacular views towards the la Meije glacier.
  
  Swimming pools, spa, and a friendly welcome. Restaurants close by in the village. Telepherique in easy walking distances;  a lovely calm mountain location in summer.

Var - western Riviera

• Agay, on the Esterel coast (83 - Var)
  Hotel l'Esterella ** Clean friendly two star hotel in a small out-of-the-way seaside town between Cannes and Saint Raphaël. Ideal location close to sandy beach, restaurants and shops. Free parking. Train station 1 km. Reasonably priced given the location. The main complaint seems to be the lack of English & Italian TV channels...
• Bandol near Toulon (83 - Var)
   €   Hotel Key Largo; ** In this small seaside town, character two star hotel on the corniche by the sea, close to the beach, the marina and 5 mins walk from the station. Easy parking most of the year. Simple, clean and reasonable size rooms; restaurant with sea view. Friendly welcoming staff.
•   Bormes les Mimosa (83 - Var)
  Hôtel Villa Naïs  A small family-run 3 *** hotel in a rural location just outside Bormes les Mimosas in the Var ; ten guest rooms, pool, parking, barbecue, terrace, tennis court... Five minutes from the beaches. Good value for money.
• Cavalaire sur mer near St Tropez (83 - Var)
  Hotel Villa Provençale; ** Quality two-star hotel in a quiet residential area of this small seaside resort off the main routes. No swimming pool, but the hotel is about 600 metres from the beach. The welcoming German owners speak good English and French, the rooms are clean and spacious, and the atmosphere is warm and friendly.
• €€€    Saint Tropez (83 Var)
  Hotel Chastelas ***** Mythical small luxury hotel among the pines on the  Saint-Tropez peninsula; five stars, 7 suites and 16 rooms.  
  Pool. 
• €€€ 
   Saint Tropez (83 - Var)
  La Bastide Saint Tropez ***** Just 26 rooms in this smallt five star hotel in Saint Tropez, the ultimate chic resort: a beautiful old residence in its own grounds, standing among palm trees and other exotic Mediterranean vegetation.  Pool, restaurants,  very refined service.
•  €  
   Le Lavandou (83 Var)
  The Azur hotel ** is set in grounds of two hectares, overlooking the sea in this popular family resort. The hotel gets top reviews for its calm and tranquil setting, sea views and friendly welcome, as well as value for money.  Heated outdoor pool.
  

Alpes-Maritimes - the French Riviera and inland

• €€€
  Eze, near Nice
  Hotel Chèvre d'Or ***** As someone put it, "a hotel to die for" - but only for a once-in-a -lifetime treat. This hotel is perched like an eagle's nest at the edge of the dream village of Eze, on its hilltop overlooking the Mediterranean between Nice and Menton. Not cheap by any means, but maybe worth it for the experience.  Pool.
• Antibes - Juan les Pins 
  Hotel le Petit Castel; *** This hotel is located among the pine trees in a calm residential area on the isthmus between Juan les Pins and Antibes. It's a good small three star hotel, offering comfortable accommodation but nothing glitzy. Easy walking distance to the town and to the beaches.
• €€€
  Hotel at Juan les Pins - Antibes
  the Hotel la villa Cap d'Antibes **** is a very quiet small hotel set in its own Mediterranean gardens, a short distance from the beaches and restaurants of Juan les Pins.  Outdoor pool, free guest parking, clean comfortable rooms and welcoming staff. Not cheap, but then don't expect to find cheap hotels in Juan les Pins . 
• Cannes (06 - Alpes Maritimes)
   €  The Hotel PLM Cannes ** is a small two-star hotel in the centre of old Cannes. Lots of good reviews. A short walk from the train station, and from the beach and the famous Croisette boulevard. Plenty of cafés and restaurants in the vicinity.
• €€€  Vence, between Nice and Cannes.
  Hotel Diana: *** this very-well reviewed three-star hotel is close to the historic centre of Vence, the "artists town" in the hills just inland from the coast. It gets top marks for cleanliness and friendliness, and has both a garden and a terrace. Rooms are attractive, and nicely decorated.