Jules César

Breakfast under the old cloister arches sets the tone: this is a hotel that takes the Provençal pace seriously. A former Carmelite convent dressed up in Roman imperial style, it lands somewhere between monastic quiet and aristocratic fuss, which turns out to be a comfortable place to land. Rooms around the courtyard come with genuine antiques and heavy local fabrics. There's a pool, a dining room that pulls in Arles locals, and very little that's trying to impress you.

One honor, in evidence: