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Where to Stay in France: Former Artist Homes & Creative Retreats
©Domaine de la Cavalerie
These are places across France where artists, designers, and creatives once lived, and where you can now stay.
There are quite a few places in France that weren’t originally built as hotels, but as real homes, often by artists, designers, or people with a strong creative vision. Over time, some of these houses have been opened to guests, and that’s what makes them interesting.
You’re not just booking a hotel for the night, you’re staying somewhere that was actually lived in, shaped by someone’s taste, habits, and way of seeing things. In some cases, the spaces are still very intact. In others, they’ve been reworked, but you can still feel the original intention behind them.
What we like about these places is that they don’t feel generic. Each one is very specific, whether it’s a former countryside retreat, an artist’s studio, or a house that became a meeting point for creatives over the years.
If you’re looking for somewhere to stay in France that feels a bit more personal, these are the kind of addresses we tend to recommend.
©Domaine de la Cavalerie
Domaine de la Cavalerie — Emanuel Ungaro
This one is quite special because it was actually the Provençal home of Emanuel Ungaro. He used it as a place to come back to after Paris, to slow down, host people, and spend time away from work.
The estate is huge, with olive trees, forest, and gardens, but the way it’s set up still feels very much like a house. There are two buildings, a handful of bedrooms, and everything is organised around shared moments, meals, long tables, being outside.
It’s not a hotel where people come and go. You rent the whole place, and it becomes your own house for a few days.
©Adel Slimane Fecih & Axel Aurejac
Pavillon Southway — A Contemporary Artist House
This one is much more under the radar, which is exactly why we like it.
Located in Marseille, the Pavillon Southway is less of a hotel and more of a living creative space. It’s run by Southway Studio, and the whole house is constantly evolving depending on the artists and projects happening there.
You’ll find frescoes, ceramics, paintings, everything is integrated into the house itself. It doesn’t feel staged at all, more like you’re stepping into someone’s world while they’re still building it.
There are only a couple of rooms, so it’s quite intimate, but that’s also what makes the experience different.
©La Colombe d’Or
La Colombe d’Or — Artists’ House
La Colombe d’Or has a completely different story. It started as a small café and slowly became a place where artists would stay, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall…
Some of them didn’t even pay in money, but with artworks, which are still there today. You’ll see them on the walls, around the pool, a bit everywhere.
What’s nice is that it hasn’t been turned into something too polished. It still feels quite simple, very Riviera, somewhere you go for lunch and end up staying longer than expected.
©Domaine de Primard
Domaine de Primard — Catherine Deneuve
Primard used to be the countryside home of Catherine Deneuve, and it still has that slightly discreet, elegant atmosphere.
The setting is beautiful, right by the river, with large gardens designed by Jacques Wirtz, and the house itself keeps that classic French layout with salons opening into each other.
It’s a good option if you want something close to Paris but still feel completely outside of it.
©Château de Rosa Bonheur
Château de Rosa Bonheur — Rosa Bonheur
Just outside Paris, this is the former home of Rosa Bonheur, and it’s probably one of the most immersive places you can stay.
She lived and worked here for decades, and a lot of it has been preserved, her studio, the layout of the house, even the atmosphere. It doesn’t feel like it’s been overly transformed.
What’s also interesting is her story. She was one of the first women to build this kind of independence through her work, and you can really feel that sense of freedom in the space.
You can visit, but also stay overnight, which makes it a very different experience from a typical château stay.
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