Rocabella

Villa Rocabella is a grand Belle Époque estate on the Mediterranean coast between Toulon and Hyères, at Le Pradet in the Var. Film lovers will know it as the "Villa of the Doves", the Riviera villa that the Crawley family visit in Downton Abbey: A New Era.

The villa was completed in 1899 for the industrialist Jules Petin, to designs by Hans-Georg Tersling, the architect behind many of the Riviera's finest Belle Époque houses. Its neoclassical façades, Ionic colonnade facing the sea, marble-columned hall and alabaster staircase have been lovingly restored, and three hectares of grounds slope down to a private cove.

The estate is made up of three houses, which can be taken together or separately. The château itself has 11 en-suite bedrooms, a lounge, a library, a professional kitchen, a winter garden and a summer kitchen. The Bastide adds seven bedrooms, a studio and a ten-metre swimming corridor, and the Cottage has five further bedrooms and an outdoor jacuzzi. In all, Rocabella sleeps up to 43 guests across 25 bedrooms, making it ideal for celebrations, weddings and corporate retreats.

There is a heated outdoor pool, a sea-view jacuzzi, a dock and a nautical centre with paddleboards, canoes, windsurfing and kitesurfing gear and snorkelling equipment. Stays are half board, with daily cleaning, concierge and an overnight security guard, and a private chef, wellness specialists and coaches can be arranged.

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