La Divine Comédie

"EXTERIORS: Lush and verdant gardens surround the historic La Divine Comédie, transporting you from the bustling labyrinth of ancient streets that surround the hotel to a beautiful and quiet place. With these images, taken during early autumn, I wanted to blend together the hotel’s vegetation and the striking stone incorporated around the grounds. In photo one, we see a small stone bath beneath a large clock, framed by green leaves and ivy. I composed the shot so that light fades towards the edges, making clear the subject of the picture. In photo two, the pool appears as if it were a natural spring. To compose this shot I took advantage of the hanging tree branches to frame the pool and pool house, enveloping them in nature. INTERIORS: La Divine Comédie is full of art, antiques, and literature. The two vignettes above illustrate the hotel’s luxurious interior and prove the power of detail in photography. The first photo was taken in the evening, to amplify the romance of the space. Some limited artificial light was included to aid in creating shadows on the walls. The second, taken in The Naples Suite, is composed off center to display the subject (fireplace) along with the surrounding design elements (chandelier, desk chair, mirror, gold accents). The light diminishes from left to right, evoking the calm moodiness of the space." - Mark Fedeli

"You'd never guess it but behind a massive unmarked iron gate at the end of an impasse lies a magnificent secret garden—Avignon’s largest—and a supremely chic new five-room maison d’hôtes. After seven years of painstaking restoration, Parisian owners Gilles Jauffret (an interior designer and self-professed antique-market addict) and Amaury de Villoutreys have transformed this former residence for cardinals into an enchanting theatrical space filled with rescued church relics, hand-painted screens, rich fabrics and crystal chandeliers. But a museum it is not: beyond the unique decor (inspired by Naples, Venice and the Middle East), the bedrooms are also deeply comfortable. Most romantic is Aphrodite, with its big round bed, ceiling-high white gauzy curtains and huge terrace for cocktail hour. Wild beasts and whimsy also feature: there are tables with Shrek-like feet, a life-size baby elephant sculpture in the salon, and a vintage merry-go-round horse watching over the stairwell. Wherever your eyes fall, there’s something to discover, including the collection of 200 historical regional artworks that decorate the monumental curved staircase. After breakfast in the sunlit conservatory, explore the garden (with a terrific view of the Palais des Papes’ crenelated towers), then follow the jasmine-scented path to the stone pool and a spa pavilion. Jauffret and de Villoutreys will arrange a private dinner in the orangery, or you can step next door to their bar, Le Complot, a converted barn where a switched-on theatre crowd drink local wines alongside plates of sardines and foie gras. —Lanie Goodman." - Lanie Goodman, Sarah James

"How did it strike you on arrival?La Divine Comédie is hidden behind a big gate down one of the honeycomb-colored alleyways in old Avignon, just a few minutes from the Palais de Papes, in a historic district where cardinals used to live. It's incredibly central, but you don't feel it in this majestic mansion with the largest private garden in town, which took seven years to build because it had been so abandoned! The garden was a jungle, overrun with vegetation, but its designer owners embraced the task as a labor of love. Nice. What's the crowd like?The owner, Giles Jauffret, is a known decorator and stylist from Paris, and the property had a huge, 12-page spread in a recent issue of Côté Sud magazine—expect to see other Parisians who appreciate aesthetics and the finer things in life. The good stuff: Tell us about your room.The decoration is noticeable from the start. Gilles and his co-owner Amaury de Villoutreys (who the French papers call a "cultivated aristocrat") scoured the French countryside to source antiques, and have positioned them among contemporary pieces. The five suites (Venice, Consul, Aphrodite, Naples and Anatole) are all individually decorated around their namesake theme. I stayed in the Venice room, with 45 different gorgeous gouaches depicting Venice from the 18th- to 19th-centuries. Then in the public area you have 1920s chairs that are replicas of Tutankhamun's throne, tulip chairs by Eero Saarinen... How about the little things, like mini bar, or shower goodies. Any of that find its way into your suitcase?The Wi-Fi worked—as did the Nespresso machine (and the very comfortable, elegant bed.) If you had to award a trophy to a member of the staff, who would you award a trophy to and what did they do to earn it?The dogs and cats! They lounge around the house. Top marks to the dog for being adorably affectionate. Anything stand out about other services and features? Whether it’s childcare, gyms, spas, even parking—whatever stuck with you.The hot tub in the garden has views of the Palais and the surrounding flowers—there are 100 different species in the garden, framed by towering, centuries-old plane trees. Bottom line: worth it, and why?After a mammoth renovation, the maison finally opened in June 2017. Just don't call it a hotel—there are only five luxury suites, making it legally a 'chambres d'hôtel', and a truly intimate space."