My husband and I will be staying in Provence for 4 nights May 1 of 2009. With the dollar being so weak I'm concerned with pricing, but not so much so that I'm willing to give up charm and cleanliness.
I found in Bonnieux L'Hotel Cesar for 75E for a double room with terrace. This seems unbelivable, does anyone know anything about this hotel.
If Hotel Cesar is not a good find these are my other choices:
Le Clos du Buis has a small room for 92E Mas Pomona for 110E La Ferme de La Huppe 85 to 95E Villa Velleron at 115E, a little more steep. I prefer staying 100E or less, can someone give me an opion on my choices
I don't know about the hotel, but we absolutely loved Le Clos du Buis, as I know many other Slow Travelers have. I'm not sure how much they cost now, but I really thought it was worth paying extra for one of the larger rooms with the beautiful view across the valley to Lacoste (see below). However, when we went 6 years ago, those rooms were still under 100 euro, and of course, the dollar was worth a lot more then.
If the room at the Le Clos du Buis is the Provence room at 92 Euros...it is not a small room. It is actually quite a good size with an oversized bathroom with large shower and separate bathtub. It also has a small fridge and sink in the room. It doesn't have a view but you have access to the breakfast room which has a wonderful view. Several nights we made a nice dinner and sat with our wine enjoying that spectacular view.
The garden and pool are lovely with that same beautiful view and your host Pierre could not be more gracious. We had a wonderful 5 night stay with them and would recommend it highly.
After hearing those great comments I'm going to make my reservation at Clos du Buis, especially since no one commented on Hotel Cesar.
My husband and I are planning 5 nights in Paris, 4 nights in Provence and 4 nights in Ville Franche. Is 4 nights in Provence too many nights, should I add 1 of the nights to the Riviera.
Also, has anyone stayed at Hotel Darse in Villefrance, they have great prices.
I didn't stay at the Hotel Darse but I've seen lots of recommendations for the hotel. The price is definitely good and it is near the harbor end with some water views. The Hotel Welcome is the other hotel typically recommended for VSM but it is definitely more expensive.
You can get a good feel for Villefranche by reading Sandy's recent trip report. Also check out the Villefranche Sur Mer website map for an interactive map of the old town and bay.
It depends on you and what you like, of course, but for me 40 nights would not be too many. I've been there five or six times, for a week or two each time, and I've always been sorry when it was time to leave.
We were there for 5 nights and wished we had more time for the area. I think you'll find 4 days will fly by in the Luberon.
I don't think you'll be disappointed with your choice. If the room at 92 Euros is the Provence room, I'm sure you'll be quite happy with that.
There are no TV's in the bedroom but there is one in the lounge. Not many people were watching TV other than the soccer match so you wouldn't likely have any trouble with access. They also have free use of an internet terminal which made staying in touch with family very easy.
I believe the Chambre de Chapeaux was the room beside us. I didn't see the room so I can't comment. We stayed in the Chambre Provence and liked it very much...if you check out my photos there are several of the room.
It has very nice provencal decor with beamed ceilings and is a very good size. The oversized bathroom was great. The shower is very large as the room is equipped for the handicapped. It has a separate tub as well. There is a kitchen corner in the room with a small sink and fridge. There's a two burner stove but they would prefer you not to cook in the room.
You have full use of a larger kitchen downstairs with a fullsize fridge, microwave, toaster, kettle, dishes, utensils etc. That was a very nice feature that we took full advantage.
I still dream of the mini pain au raisin that Pierre served every morning. There is also choice of breads, cheese, cold meat, boiled eggs, cereal, yogurt, fruit, croissants, pain au chocolat, jams and jellies...juices, coffee and tea.
The car rentals are outside the station just a short walk downhill. There are signs inside the station that show the correct exit for rental cars.
I'm excited for you...you'll have a wonderful stay in Bonnieux at Le Clos du Buis.
Restaurant L'Arome is just across the street from you. In my photos, that's the one that looks like a cave. The food is fairly good and it has a very nice ambience. You may want to avoid the Pot au Feu if it is on the starter menu...it is vegetables in an aspic and although the presentation is attractive...it was quite horrible. Also you may want to avoid the Rouget...which is mullet. It is full of bones and is not very tasty. I had a wonderful meal but my husband didn't as he had the two things that I mentioned.
The restaurant Pizza Flambee is down the street. While the pizza is good, the service is very surley. Reservations are a good idea here. We waited an hour our first time there but the food was good. The second time we had a reservation and ate on the patio upstairs. The service was terrible by any standard. The waiter dropped one of my husbands food dishes and did not come back for almost a half hour. Then they send another waiter who looked at us like we had done it. His pasta was served stone cold so he didn't eat it...they wanted to charge us for it anyway.
There is another Pizza restaurant at the top of town just down the road from Cesar which may be a better bet. Beside the Cesar which has a restaurant, there is also a brasserie at the top of town. Quite a few choices for a small town.
Restaurant Le Tinel was closed during our entire stay but it's supposed to be good and Le Fournil gets very high marks...we did not eat there. Another option just outside of town is the Gare...which resides in the old train station. You'll eat with the locals there and it is supposed to be very good. I was having some challenges with my stomach during our trip so we ate a few meals at the B&B...some of our best meals actually because everything was so fresh from the market and simple. We bought our desert from Henry Thomas...the famous baker at the top of town.
There is also a good grocery store half way up in the middle of the town.
Please feel free to ask any questions if you have any.
Restaurant L'Arome is just across the street from you. In my photos, that's the one that looks like a cave. The food is fairly good and it has a very nice ambience. You may want to avoid the Pot au Feu if it is on the starter menu...it is vegetables in an aspic and although the presentation is attractive...it was quite horrible. Also you may want to avoid the Rouget...which is mullet. It is full of bones and is not very tasty. I had a wonderful meal but my husband didn't as he had the two things that I mentioned.
Crazy -
I'm sorry to hear about your husband's bad experience with the rouget. It's a shame as it's one of the specialities in Provence fish-wise and one of my personal favorites. Properly prepared, it is absolutely delicious. Very subtle and the well-presented filets may have a few small bones, but nothing debilitating. It's true that it's a fish which demands attentive cooking and the quality of what you start with is crucially important (like any kind of fish, I suppose, but more so).
I've had them flash pan-fried with a light olive-oil/lemon/herb sauce and it was amazing.
Tell your husband to give it another try some time.
Thank you for the info. My husband usually loves fish but he did not care for the flavour or texture (mushy) of this particular fish dish. He had it on one other occassion in Paris and again it was full of small bones and he didn't care for the taste.
We had a very nice fish meal in Cassis while we were there. Fille de Loupe. They brought the fish to our table and filleted it on the spot. It was quite something to watch.
We live on the east coast of Canada near the ocean so we eat a fair amount of fish. We're always willing to try something new...and will likely give it one more shot on your recommendation.
