My husband and I are looking to spend our 10th anniversary in Provence this year. We will be traveling in early October. We will probably be there for 4 nights and then spend 3 nights on the French Riviera. So again, if money was no object, what is the most spectacular inn in the Provence region? <BR> <BR>Dee

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the Relais Chateaux properties.

My husband and I stayed at the Hotel St. Paul in St. Paul de Vence. It is a hilltown about 15 minutes from Nice. It was absolutely charming...the rooms/service/food all excellent. THe town is very quaint and a great base to explore the Riviera. No cars are allowed in the town, which adds to the quaintness and charm. If you're interested....e mail me and I can answer more questions. It is a Relais & Chateaux property. It cost about $300 per night...that was last October. <BR>

L Frey, <BR> <BR>That hotel in St. Paul de Venice looks really nice. I'll certainly keep that in mind. <BR> <BR>Now what about Provence?

I can't tell you how much We love The tiny village and hotel of that name, CRILLON LA BRAVE at the foot of Mt. Monteax. The view from the terrace is spectacular, the food fantastic, the staff very nice, and on a lower terrace the pool. The landscaping, fig treees and all and furnished with soleido fabrics and antiques. A visual delight. The newsletter they sent a few weeks again said they have added a bistro. The main dining room is lovely but we prefer dining on the terrace.

Try http://www.relaischateaux.com/site/u...e_provence.htm <BR> <BR>St. Paul de Vence is in Provence.

I neglected to include the hotel's site:www.crillonlabrave.com/french/frdiscover.html

Thanks, I have been looking at Relais & Chateau properties. I know I'm going to get a lot of flack for this but I have to say that I'm not overly impressed by Relais & Chateau so far. <BR> <BR>We stayed at one of the "gold crests" called Jean Bardet in the Loire Valley and it just wasn't all that great. Our room was the size of a broom closet and we paid a pretty penny for it! Maybe I'm just picky but the Relais & Chateau rooms we've stayed in just weren't all that special. And no, I'm not looking for an American hotel! :^) <BR> <BR>We've also stayed at one of their properties in Normandy (can't remember the name off the top of my head but it was also part of SLH) and in additon we stayed Boyer Les Crayeres in Reims! I wasn't at all impressed with Boyer, I found the staff to be very snobby and unhelpful. I was so disappointed because I was SOOOO excited to get a reservation there! <BR> <BR>I just wanted a very special place in Provence where the rooms are to die for and the service is top notch. Help!! <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>Hope I didn't offend anyone, these are just my personal experiences.

It would be hard to beat Crillon le Brave for comfort and beauty. I tried to use the link above and had some trouble. If you do as well, try <BR>http://www.crillonlebrave.com/home.html <BR> <BR>It's location, 20 mi. or so NE of Avignon makes it just a bit out of the way for the Luberon and Provence towns south of there, but not a serious problem. BTW,jhm, some people, including the Provencaux themselves, make a distinction between "Provence" and the "Cote d'Azur". St. Paul de Vence is more attached to the latter. Dee, I will keep looking for you. If I find something else I'll let you know.

My wife and I truly enjoyed Domaine de l'Enclos in Gordes, which is a neat little hilltop town. It's close to Avignon and St Remy. They have great rooms, and a SUPERB chef in their kitchen. The meals there were wonderful (and I'm not much of a food nut). <BR>There are a couple of websites; the only one I have is: http://www.provence.guideweb.com/hot...os/indexa.html.

Several of the hotels on this site look like they would fit the bill. I have never had the good fortune to stay in any of them. I am partial to the Luberon area and the Moulin de Lourmarin looks very nice. It has a Michelin ** restaurant and even offers a 3-day cooking course, if that interests you.

Sorry, I accidentally posted before pasting in the website. (I've got to quit doing that!) It is http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/n...t/hotels-4.htm

You can't beat Crillon La Brave, it's everything Mimi says.

Thanks again one and all. No one has mentioned it but I see La Mirande is written up in Fodors, Frommers and Karen Brown. Any opinions? <BR> <BR>

Betty, type in Crillon La Brave, Provence, and click on the hotel which should be listed as item two.

Not to be too negative, but the Relais & Chateau imprint is not a guarantee. We stayed in one of their properties in Provence called La Cabro d'Or, and dined there as well. The dinner was very good, and the grounds were very nice, but our room was old and tired, and not up to expectation. Their web site is a good start, as are the others mentioned, but do some additional research as well. <BR> <BR>I did not stay at La Mirande, but it appears lovely from the outside. We did stay at hoteld'Europe in Avignon, which I enjoyed very much.

I forgot to mention that I did e-mail Crillion le Brave for reservations but I suspect that with the time difference I won't hear back till tomorrow! <BR> <BR>

Hi, Dee. We stayed at Hotel Manoir de la Roseraie in Grignon about two years ago. The rooms and restaurant were fabulous. Check it out at www.ila-chateau.com/roseraie/

Cam, <BR> <BR>That hotel looks lovely but appears to be a bit off the beaten path. How long did it take for you to drive to areas in Provence from there?

If you want to be in an urban environment/bigger city I suggest either Hotel La Mirande or Hotel d'Europe in Avignon. They are both wonderful. La Mirande is very elegant, next to the Palace of the Popes--you are treated very well. The dining room and garden are wonderful. Same with d'Europe which is a bit more reasonably priced. Their websites are www.hotel-d-europe.fr/ and www.la-mirande.fr