Tamsin & Cooke: Le Mas de Pierre, a truly special boutique hotel outside the village of St Paul de Vence

For several years I made frequent visits to the charming village of St Paul de Vence in the south of France. A walled hamlet medieval town just 20 minutes above Nice airport, so when an invite to not only return to this gem of an area, but also to stay at Le Mas de Pierre my heart leapt. It was the last few days prior to the seasonal closing of this amazing Relais Chateau property, yet the weather and gardens made it feel like September not December .

I felt the warmth of the property in each corner from the vintage collection of seamstress models to their greenhouse orchid collection, BUT , their service topped all.

Not only were they there for every need on property but jumped forth in helping me out with my first ever serious travel booboo. I did a no-no, didn't check the safe in my last hotel room and had left my passport there. The manager, Christian Baumgartner drove to my last hotel in Cannes collected my passport, and brought it back the next morning. I can't thank him and the staff at the hotel enough for such amazing support and service as they patiently called the hotel, tracked my faux pas and sorted it all to have a happy ending.

St Paul de Vence,' famous for it's medieval charm of old stone buildings and cobblestoned streets also has the most amazing collection of art musuems and galleries including the Maeght Foundation. Marc Chagall lived in the village for many years and is buried here, naturally there is a lot of his art to see .
The local tourist office offers a selection of 10 different guided tours for group or individual .. Well worth while to chose at least one while