kiminokie

I am looking at hotels in Provence for a 4-5 day stay. I need our rooms to be comfortable and air conditioned as we are taking our 71 and 81 year old parents along to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. I am willing to pay up to 200 Euros per room per night.

Some I am considering include: Hostellerie du Moulin de la Roque in Althen des Paluds (outside Avignon); Le Mas d'Aigret in Les Baux de Provence; and Le Mas de Romarins in Gordes. I'm also awaiting availability information from La Bastide de Gordes in Gordes.

Anyone have any input on which of these would be best choice? I am interested in a provincial and "charming" atmosphere, comfort, and location.

Thanks very much.

cigalechanta

The Mas d'Aigret we have stayed there and liked it very much. I love cats, so be warned on the terrace were several, in case one is allergic, but they do not hang around unless someone(like me) feeds them. The rooms very comfortable, but I don't need AC , so I don't remember if they had it. A charming over-all place.

Underhill

One suggestion: try to get a room on the ground floor if possible. Most hotels are at least 2 stories, and few have elevators. Since I've had to deal with a problem knee I've learned to be very careful about places with stairs.

kiminokie

Thanks guys. Any more thoughts are well appreciated.

Kim

letour

did you stay at le mas d' aigret? i am thinking of staying there and would be interested in hearing your impressions!
thanks!

PBProvence

The Mas d'Aigret is definitely charming.
They do have A/C, but I would agree that you should get a room on lower floor if possible, as they don't have an elevator.

The one drawback is that it's at the foot of Les Baux, which is basically a tourist perched village - and it's all uphill to visit, which would probably present difficulties for your parents. You would need to drive to a neighboring village like Maussane-les-Alpilles, which is three minutes away (where I live) or over the Alpilles to St Remy if you chose not to dine at the hotel in the evenings.

Another choice in that area is the Cabro d'Or, further down in the valley outside of Les Baux. Beautiful grounds and rooms start at 165 euro - the hotel has been renovated and also has A/C.
(email - [email protected])
Fabulous restaurant... even some ducks from the pond wandering around the terrace in search of crumbs on some nights.

Patricia

Underhill

Another vote for Le Cabro d'Or, which is owned by the same family that has the famous Oustau de Beaumanière. The food is marvelous at both places, and the croissants at breakfast are so light that you almost have to grab them as they float into the air.

annetti

note to Underhill: How do you manage the walking with a troublesome knee? I've just developed a problem and my orthopedist said to avoid the stairs as you suggested and uphill climbs. This is going to present a problem for me since we leave for France in 3 weeks and I'm used to doing miles of walking everywhere. Any suggestions in case the knee continues to be a problem while I'm there? Right now it's hard to walk a quarter of a block and I'm concerned about the economy flight where I'll be packed in. Thanks.

Underhill

First of all, get a cane, preferably the kind that folds for traveling. Practice using it, holding it on the side with the good leg and using it to support the one with the bad knee as you walk (in other words, use the cane at the same time you step on the leg with the bad knee).

See your doctor about a cortisone shot in the knee a few days before you leave and ask whether some type of knee support would help. Get some sturdy laced shoes if you don't already have them--a bad knee rules out cute shoes, unfortunately, especially sandals.

During the flight, get up and move around as much as you possibly can.

And of course avoid stairs and uphill climbs as much as possible. Good luck!

cigalechanta

Oh, Underhill, I didn't know you had a bad knee, so I'll remember now when I mention a place for you in mind.

elsiejune

There is a lovely, elegant country inn just outside of St. Remy called La Maison Domaine de Bournissac. Rooms are air conditioned, restaurant is delicious, view superb, and pool refreshing. If it's an issue, make sure that they can accommodate you with rooms that don't require stairway access. Their website is www.lamaison-a-bournissac.com.

Underhill

Another hotel with ground-floor rooms is the Domaine de Valmouriane, between St-Rémy and Les Baux. The ground-floor rooms come with their own patio, but there are also rooms on other floors easily accessible by an elevator. It's a very nice place to stay.

cigalechanta

elsiejune's suggestion is a very good one. Several here have enjoyed it very much. It is located in Monte de Eryargues(Paluds-de-Noves) I think it is a good choice. i rember it when it was with euros and that was about 500 to 1200 hundred frans but I'm talking the year 2000. They had these great cream colored bowls with cigakles. I have a matching pitcher.

3gigs

Same with Le Mas des Carassins just outside St. Remy (www.avignon-et-provence.com/hotels/mas-carassins) - ground floor rooms with verandas and a curbless shower (walk-in - no steps)in at least one of them (I know because our travel companions were in that one, and we were on the floor above). Le Mas is owned by the same poeple who own Le Mas des Romarins in Gordes so perhaps you could contact them and decide which is best for your parents. I suspect they'll say Le Mas des Carassins because it is on a flat parcel of land within easy walking distance to the center of St. Remy (Gordes is a hill town). We stayed 5 days and nights at Le Mas des Carassins and it was great - gourmet evening meals (optional), friendly staff, gardens, swimming pool, and accessible to Provencal points of interest both to the East (Luberon) and the West (Pont du Gard, Arles). By the way, it's pretty nice of you to be taking your folks to France for their 50th.

cigalechanta

3gigs, it does look great!
http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/h...Interieure.htm

Hope you have at least one gig these days..

mari5

annetti... Underhill hit the nail on the head with the "bad Knee" suggestions.GREAT! I had replacement last year and the other is going bad fast. We were in Scotland two weeks in March...I just arranged ground floor rooms in B&B's OR hotels with an elevator/lift. Walked fine through the airports, and did walk around the plane a lot. Going to France ( Paris only 3 days) and Portugal this Nov, (IF the knee doesn't 'let me down badly by then&quot..
The good part is that traveling is possible and fun, though a little limited with the knees. But my theory is that "we play the cards we are dealt with"!!!
You said you are going to France (which doesn't necessarily mean Paris...but there are LOADS of steps in and out of th metro..(less escalators than in London). I've decided to take the city BUS this time instead of the metro..with of course as much walking as the ol' knees tell me to.

coccinelle

It's nice to know that I am not the only lady here with knee problems.
Happy Anniversarey to your parents.

annetti

Underhill: how nice you are to help!! Thanks very much. I've already had the cortisone shot. No help yet. It has been 3 days. I'll try the cane and I guess I can forget the high heeled sandals. Just kidding. Thanks again.

Underhill

Another suggestion: ask your airline for a wheelchair in the lobby so that you don't have long hikes out to the gate and don't have to stand in line for security. With luck, someone with a wheelchair will meet you at your destination. We chanced to arrive at CDG on the day of the nation-wide strike in May 2003, when the expandable arrival gates were not in use. If I hadn't asked for a wheelchair I would have had to go down those push-up steps and then back up others to get into the terminal. As it was, we and another person were met by a Star Wars sort of vehicle with long legs that drove us over to a special door leading to the terminal level: very convenient.

annetti

Dear Underhll,

Thanks again for all your help. (It's so hard to relocate the question, after a day or two goes by. It was already in the 200s.) I guess I need to check more regularly. I find the search does not work for me. Anyone have luck with it?