Has anybody ever stayed at this property? It as rated #1 in Provence by Travel and Leisure. We are trying to find the nicest place to stay in Provence. Some properties we are looking at are Bastide de Marie, Hostellerie Crillon de Brave and Bastide de Moustiers. Where would you stay if you had 5 nights and wanted to see as much as the region as possible and money is no object?

We have stayed at all three. The Marie had the best breakfast an American could wish for. Pichets of SEVERAL fruit juices which you can go to a table and get seconds and thirds. It's expensive my spouse a huge breakfact eater . Th choices are incredible.

Where in Provence are these places?????...

Well it's good for you that money's no object as all 3 of these properties are very pricey. We stayed at Bastide De Moustiers several years ago and it is fabulous. It's an Alain Ducasse creation; if you're really into the creature comforts the cottages they rent have all of the special touches. And the restaurant is quite good, although don't expect it to be quite as outrageous as his other establishments.

We've only had drinks at Hostellerie Crillon de Brave and considered staying at Bastide de Marie but it was booked.

Personally, although I like Moustiers, it does not make a good base in which to see the region. It's very isolated and not central to the more popular Provence destinations such as Avignon, Arles, Aix and the Luberon. I think Crillon de Brave is also a bit isolated to use as a base and we found the town pleasant but lacking in character. For our tastes, Bastide de Marie in Menerbes has a much better central location to use as a base to see the Luberon hilltowns (Gordes, Roussillon) and other sights along the Mayle trail. Enjoy...

I was thinking along the same lines about the Bastide de Moustiers. It is way out of the way! I would stay two nights, tops, if that were my choice, but not five.

Thank you for your feedback. That is really helpful. We are in Provence for 5 nights and Bastide de Marie only had 4 nights available. Where else would you stay that is fabulous for one or two more nights? We are flying out of Montpellier (I'm not sure where that is).

39 steps sounds so much like... notice only posted a few tomes. The whole idea of staying at these special places IS that they are away from traffic but the roads have little traffic so it's easy to go in and out. I've stayd several times and we are not concerned about the issues that don't exist.

Hi Cigalechanta. I'm curious as to what you meant by "sounds so much like...notice only posted a few tomes" response. I mean no hostility, just curious I've been a regular forum reader for several years but don't post often, although I seem to be inspired this evening with all of the threads on France as we are planning a big trip there this summer. Merci...

Sorry, 39steps, I was way-y-y out of line and it was meant for anothe.
Forgive me.

No worries cigalechanta, thanx for the reply. You usually have great travel advice and a taste for the good life so I had thought you were trying to say that I sounded so much like YOU! I did a search on your threads and we seem to have a common bond in our love for Provence and France. In fact we are considering renting an apartment there for a few weeks this summer in the luberon area so we'll be glad to hear any advice you or anyone else out there might have. Peace...

I haven't stayed at any of them and don't stay in hotels at that price level, so cannot comment on that point -- however, I do know those sites and have been to those towns and just on location, would also pick Menerbes as the most central for the general Provence area. Is that Bastide de Moustiers in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie? I'm assuming so because of the name -- I wouldn't even consider that location for what I think you want to see. I also think Crillon le Brave is too inconvenient a location unless you mainly wanted to concentrate on the upper Vaucluse or want to do a lot of driving. I could see staying at Moustiers for a couple days and then moving farther west.

As I said, I do not stay in those top properties, but know there are some very nice places elsewhere. I believe there are a couple very nice hotels around Gordes, for example, such as Les Bories and La Bastide de Gordes. That isn't far from Menerbes, though, so don't do both. Hotel La Mirande is supposed to be very nice, but is right in the center of Avignon, and I don't think you want that. I really liked Roussillon, but don't think there is a deluxe place there as I was researching hotels in the area. I know there are a couple Relais and Chateaux properties around Menerbe so think they might be the same level as Hostellerie Crillon le Brave (such as Mas des Herbes Blanches).

Is there a deluxe place around St Remy, perhaps? You'd think there must be. I stayed at a nice place just on the west side of Aix-en-Provence which was very convenient for touring as it's right on N7, and a lovely place. It is a 4* place, the Mas d'Entremont www.masdentremont.com and has an excellent restaurant. It was very nice but much cheaper than the places you are considering and not that really expensive luxury type place for people where money is no object, though. The Villa Gallici is probably the top expensive place in Aix. You can find some of these top properties on www.avignon-et-provence.com in the 4* hotel section.

It sounds like maybe you'd like those places around Gordes or Villa Gallici.

oh, I was going to say -- Montpellier is west of Arles, that is an unusual place to choose to fly out of given your plans. Is there some reason for that? Marseille would make a lot more sense, I think, and I would think have better flight choices.

For some reason, the best flight option and price was out of Montpellier. Do you know of a nice hotel to stay in that area?

I have to disagree about the Bastide de Moustiers; we found it overpriced and the restaurant's service unbelievably slow. We had expected great things of the food but were disappointed. Our room, however, was very nice, if a bit precious.

We arrived a day early for our reservation and were directed to the Château d'Esparron de Verdon, owned by the Compte Bernard de Castellane. He is a charming young man with a Scottish wife, and they have restored about 8 rooms for visitors. It's like staying with friends at a private home rather than a hotel, and we'd return in a wink. The château is located about half an hour south of Moustiers in a beautiful area near the lake; you can get information at

http://www.provenceweb.fr/04/ukEsparron.htm

Is this a duplicate thread? I remember another about Crillon le Brave today. msalzer, if you click on your name at the top of the page you will locate your posts and their replies.

The Marie is on the road to Menerbes, not out of the way. Most places are outside the villages.