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Astoria Villa opened in late 2007 on a quiet residential street above the Cassis coastal road, a few minutes' walk from the Plage du Bestouan, a picture-postcard cove with a pebble beach. Run by antique collectors Laurent Aiello and Rodolphe Von Blon, this stylish, white-stucco guesthouse is a real gem, a 1940s Provençal mini-castle with a circular tower, tropical garden and impeccably restored pool.
Each of the four bedrooms is a showcase for unusual finds and family heirlooms, but the eclectic mix feels homely rather than museum-like. Room 1, on the second floor of the tower, has turquoise walls and a 19th-century carved bed; the Asian-themed Room 2 is more subdued, with cream walls, a brass bed, Chinese objets d'art and a spacious walk-in shower. The attention to detail is impressive throughout: TVs are hidden in vintage cabinets, exotic knick-knacks abound and the Art Deco bathrooms are stocked with Pascal Moribito products.
Couples may decide to splash out on poolside Room 4 on the ground floor for its private veranda, 1930s walnut bed and old-fashioned pewter bath. Breakfast is an exquisite spread of croissants, breads, homemade jams, fresh fruit salad and goat's cheese.
ROOM TO BOOK: Room 1, for the panorama of parasol pines, the Cap Canaille - the highest sea cliff in Europe - and the burnished blue sea.
15 Traverse du Soleil, Cassis (00 33 4 42 62 16 60; www.astoriacassis.com). Doubles from €150
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