Provence is one of our favourite parts of France, where we have spent some of our happiest times inspecting hotels. From the Vaucluse lavender fields to the saltmarshes of the Camargue, it is still possible to find wonderful countryside unspoilt by tourism. We have also discovered some gems of hotels, traditional places passed down from one generation to the next. Recently a crop of boutique hotels has sprung up, beautifully-decorated but lacking character. We've rejected these in favour of hotels with real individuality and charm. You'll find more rural hotels in our Cote d'Azur Hills list. The order of the hotels in this list bears no reflection on our preference.

Written by Leonie Glass