COUNTRYSIDE

Domaine
les Martins

Gordes - France

David and Régis left New York for a stone hamlet near Gordes. Les Martins is what happened next: courtyards, warm pool light, pétanque, and Provence handled with real taste.

Adults Only

Guest Table

Pool

Fireplace

Open Air Cinema

Bikes

THE SETTING

Domaine Les Martins sits in a former farming hamlet near Gordes, in the Luberon.

The Luberon is the Provençal countryside many people picture before they can name it: hilltop villages, dry-stone walls, lavender fields, vineyards, ochre cliffs, olive trees and pale roads cutting through the hills east of Avignon. It can be famous, busy and photographed from every angle. It can also become very quiet once you leave the main village streets.

Les Martins belongs to that quieter side. The domaine sits outside Gordes, between some of the region’s best-known villages, with old stone buildings arranged around courtyards and arches. The setting gives guests the useful version of Provence: close to markets, restaurants and villages, with a house to return to when the day has had enough heat, driving and sightseeing.

The property feels personal from the first minutes. The courtyards, the garden, the pool terrace, the open-fire seating and the small objects in the rooms all seem chosen by hand. Nothing is trying to recreate a Provençal fantasy. The place has taste and a clear idea of how guests might actually spend their days.

THE ROOMS

Domaine Les Martins has seven guest quarters, arranged as superior rooms, suites, and gîtes.

The superior room is the most classic choice: one bedroom, a large bathroom and a view towards the hamlet. The suites add sitting areas and a little more indoor space, sometimes on one level, sometimes across two. The gîtes give more independence, with kitchens, living or dining areas, and in some cases a private entrance, terrace or wider view.

The rooms do not need a grand explanation. They are calm, comfortable and carefully put together: old stone, soft colours, good linen, chosen furniture, enough air and light, and none of the heavy rural decoration that can make Provence feel staged.

The gîtes are especially useful for longer stays. You can go to the market, bring back fruit, cheese, tomatoes or a bottle from a nearby vineyard, and keep part of the day at your own pace.

THE FOOD

Breakfast is served on the terrace or in the breakfast room. It is one of the best moments of the stay: coffee, bread, fruit, homemade touches, local products, something sweet, something fresh, and the easy pleasure of sitting outside before the region gets too bright and hot.

At times, David and Régis may host a table d’hôtes dinner.

Those evenings belong to the charm of the place: a shared table, Provençal flavours, guests who have spent the day in different villages, and everyone coming back to the domaine at the right hour.

Light snacks, drinks, picnic baskets and local arrangements can also be organised depending on the day. The best approach is simple: ask, listen, and let the hosts point you towards the right table.

THE STAY

Les Martins is built around courtyards and garden life.

One courtyard is shaded and made for reading, sitting, talking, or escaping the strongest sun. The garden adds olive trees, fruit trees, wildflowers, lawns, and quiet corners.

The heated pool sits on its own terrace and stays warm throughout the season. It becomes the natural return point after a village outing, a morning at the market, or a drive through the Luberon.

There is also a pétanque court, an indoor salon with books and films, an open-fire seating area outside, and plenty of places to sit without feeling like the whole house has only one mood. Massages, private yoga, car services, electric bikes, scooter rentals, excursions and concierge help can be arranged.

AROUND DoMAINE LES MARTINS

Gordes is the nearest famous name, perched on its hillside with stone houses, views, galleries, restaurants and busy summer energy. It is close enough for dinner or a morning visit, then easy to leave once the crowds arrive.

Ménerbes and Lacoste sit nearby, each with its own version of Luberon charm: narrow streets, old walls, valley views, small shops, and the feeling that the landscape has been lived in for centuries.

Roussillon brings the ochre cliffs and red earth. Oppède-le-Vieux is good for a quieter hilltop walk. Bonnieux gives another high village view. Isle-sur-la-Sorgue works for antiques and a more animated market day.

The wider region opens quickly from here: lavender in season, vineyards, olive oil, cycling roads, hiking, Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Arles, Nîmes and Orange.

THE OWNERS

Domaine Les Martins is David and Régis’s project.

Before Provence, they spent around twenty years in New York. David worked in fashion, while Régis ran an international retail branding and design practice. Their earlier life explains much about the domaine: the attention to colour, flow, comfort, objects, lighting, and how people move through a space.

They first imagined a guesthouse almost as a joke between friends. Later, after a period of heavy work and travel, the idea became serious. They looked through the South of France and kept returning to the Luberon, drawn by the light, villages, vegetation and position between sea and mountains.

That story gives the house its tone. It is not a large hospitality machine. It is a domaine shaped by two people who chose Provence with purpose, then kept the place small enough to remain personal.

GOOD TO KNOW

The property has seven guest quarters, including a superior room, suites, and gîtes. The gîtes have kitchens and work especially well for longer stays or guests wanting more independence.

Table d’hôtes dinners, light snacks, drinks, picnic baskets, massages, private yoga, car services, electric bikes, scooter rentals, and excursions can be arranged, subject to availability.

Children under 12 are not accommodated. Pets are not accepted.

Prices vary by season and category, starting from around €400 per night, with higher rates for larger gîtes and peak dates.

THE ADDRESS