La Chèvre d'Or ★★★★★

The perfumes of jasmine, bougainvillaea and roses greet you on arrival in the mountaintop village of Eze. Here, it feels almost as if you are at the end of the world, despite Nice (with its airport) and Monaco being only ten minutes away along the coast. The Mediterranean stretches out far beneath you and deep green mountains rise up all sides. You can easily picture the donkeys of the last century walking back from the surrounding countryside, loaded with figs, olives and mandarins.

The Chèvre d’Or is situated in the heart of this pretty medieval village. And it is a truly exceptional establishment. On arrival, we decided to start as we meant to go on; relaxing over tea on one of the hotel terraces, looking out to the sparkling blue sea. From here, we spotted the statue of the golden goat that gave the hotel its name, standing on the rooftop. I must admit I was a little jealous; the lucky thing enjoys the breathtaking view and tranquillity all year round!

After enjoying our tea break, it was time to find our rooms. They were both decorated in a beautiful, refined style with muted tones and luxuriously comfortable furniture. Very spacious and bright, they also featured have a lovely reading corner, which made for an ideal retreat. And we even had the treat of a sea view, so we could wake up to that fabulous Mediterranean blue.

An hour or two later, we made our way to the hotel restaurant: a lovely fresh, bright and elegant space. We chose one of the tables beside the window, so we could feast our eyes on the sunset over the Côte d’Azu as well as the delicious and locally-inspired meal. To top it all off, it was accompanied by the perfect wine which the sommelier suggested from some 15000 bottles that are kept in the hotel wine cellar. The following day, we would be lounging beside the infinity swimming pool and indulging in a massage. We were there to relax, after all: and at the Chèvre d’Or, nothing could come more naturally.