Arles Golf Resort

PROMONTORIO has been invited to design a Golf Resort concept in the vicinity of the small historic town of Arles. Strategically located in the heart of the Provence/Côte d’Azur region, 17 km (30m drive) from Nîmes Airport and 65 km (50m drive) from Marseille International Airport along the A7 Highway, it is the gateway to the Camargue, one of Europe’s richest ecosystems.

Arles became Roman after Julius Caesar distributed the land among his veteran legionnaires in 46 bc. The “Little Rome in Gaul” as the city was dubbed, owes to this history the splendor of its unique Roman heritage including the monumental coliseum that dominates the core of the old town. This charming center, complete with its 17^th and 18^th century aristocratic townhouses, was listed as a unesco World Heritage Site in 1981. Arles is also the head of the Rhône River delta, making the town a favorite stop for the cruise boats going up or down river. The name of Arles is closely connected with the life and paintings of Vincent Van Gogh, whose 15 months sojourn was the most productive period of his life.

The site of the Golf Resort has much of the most enticing quality of Arles: It is within walking distance of the Old Town, next to the famous Langlois draw bridge that Van Gogh so obsessively painted, and it literally borders the Rhone’s riverfront.

The masterplan comprises four different areas that can be phased and run as autonomous (but complementary) business units: (i) a lifestyle retail centre with a health & fitness club at the entrance next to the main road; (ii) a 1,500-seater conference centre for large events; (iii) freehold villas, townhouses, and apartments designed for residential tourism, long stays or retirees; (iv) and a 5-star hotel & spa with 120-bdr and an apart-hotel with 100 lock-off units bringing the serviced lodging capacity to 500 beds.

The 18-hole golf course covers the whole property, but is centred around the hotel and the clubhouse, a renovated farm building located in the ecological reserve. 10 of the 18 holes plus the driving range provide a unique memorable river promenade. The site includes the existing 19^th century Châteaux of the Domaine Tour d’Aling which is located approximately in the centre of the property. It is a charming house surrounded by a dense oak forest, and is due to be renovated and converted into the resort’s business club and gourmet restaurant.