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Suite Spaces

Samantha Brooks

September 1, 2005

Four Seasons Provence
The Four Seasons Terre Blanche is the kind of hotel Americans lust after. About 30 minutes from the Côte d’Azur, the resort is the perfect compromise between a traditional French countryside aesthetic and elegant modern luxury. “The architecture was conceived as a cluster of typical Provençal buildings, scattered on a hillside like its own village, to convey a residential feeling,” says Dana Kalczak, vice president of design and construction for Four Seasons. The interiors, however, reflect a more modern lifestyle. The walls are a rustic plaster and most wooden surfaces are given a smooth whitewash finish, but amenities are decidedly fresh and modern. “If we were really true to the regional style, it would probably be a little bit too rustic for our guests, so we found a balance between what a typical Provençal home would have and what our guests would expect,” explains Kalczak. That meant opting for marble floors rather than terra-cotta, but in tones that resemble terra-cotta. Small squares of black marble were inserted to create a rug-like mosaic on the floor. And since marble can be cold during the winter months, the floors are heated.

The hotel features three different kinds of bathrooms corresponding to the different room and villa types. Each had to meet stringent design standards. “There’s been more of an emphasis on the bathroom lately. The ones here are particularly generous in size—you could probably fit four or five people in the showers,” says Kalczak. Showers are made from marble, and all feature Hansgrohe’s Mistral showerheads, which meet the hotel’s requirement that water flow at a rate of at least five gallons per minute. “These days, showerheads have become so complicated and overdone, but these are simple and straightforward—you don’t need to leave guests an instruction manual in order to use them,” jokes Kalczak. Standard rooms have vintage-looking Kohler tubs from the Iron Works Tellieur collection, but the villas feature the modern Agape Spoon tub. Villeroy & Boch sinks are used throughout, in styles ranging from modern to traditional. “The bathrooms here are complete rooms, not just a small space for a sink and a shower,” says Kalczak.

Four Seasons Resort, Provence at Terre Blanche, +33.49.439.9000, www.fourseasons.com