Hello all,

I've read and believe there are so many knowledgable and seasoned provence travellers in this forum and would love some assistance for my upcoming 9 day trip.

Any assistance with hotels booked - and recommendations for holes would be greatly appreciated.

April 2, 07
Arrive: Nice
Hotel Le Perouse - one night

April 3-4 - open

April 4-6
Hotel Mas de peint
dinner confirmed in restaurant April 5

April 6-8
Crillon le Brave

April 8-9
open

April 9
flight from Nice at 11am

Where is Mas de Peint??

I count only 6 1/2 to 7 full days there if you arrive sometime on the 2nd and depart in the morning of the 9th

Crillon le Brave is probably 2 1/2 to 3 hrs from the Nice airport. Seems like you're going to do quite a bit of early rising & driving to get to the airport on the 9th if you stay at Crillon on the 8th.

I would spend the nights of the 2nd to the 4th in Nice. Then rent a car & stay in Crillon la Brave on the 5th to 7th. Then back to the Nice area (St Paul de Vence) for the night of the 8th. Easy drive to the airport the morning of the 9th. This is actually more moving around than I would want to do. I would also not stay in Crillon - a little too remote. Usually first timers like to stay in/near St Remy or the Luberon (Gordes, Roussillon, etc).

Stu Dudley

Thank you Stu!
As per your recommendations - I have been ammending my trip -

Are there any wonderful hotels you might recommend in St. Remy and St Paul de Vence?

I have the Crillon le Brave confirmed.

Trying to get (fingers crossed) La Bastide de Marie in Menerbes confirmed - and am open in St. Remy and my journey back to Nice.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

Stu..

The Mas de Peint is a wonderful property in the Camargue.

Imillerx...

I agree that Crillon le Brave is pretty far away from everything if your interest is in seeing the sites in Provence - it's over an hour's drive to Avignon from there - and it's well over three and a half hours drive to Nice airport.

A more central location would be St. Remy... here are a couple of suggestions for hotels there.
Hotel Gounod - www.hotel-gounod.com
Originally a "relais", already well frequented in 1660, this charming hotel is across from the church in St Remy. In 1863 the composer Charles Gounod, a friend of Frederic Mistral, stayed there while he wrote the opera "Mireille". The entire hotel has been renovated and restored and has A/C
There is also a charming tea room on the ground floor.

Hôtel Les Ateliers de l'Image - Les Ateliers de L'Image hotel
Modern hotel, on the site of the old village movie house with A/C.

Outside of the Town center:
B&B - l'Amandiere - Hôtel l'amandière - Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
About 2 kms outside of the town center. With pool and lovely gardens

Mas des Carassins - www.hoteldescarassins.com

Restored 19th C Mas (farmhouse) with lovely gardens. Pool

Château des Alpilles - Hôtel Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Château des Alpilles, Accueil
(2 kms from town on the D31)
19th Century mansion set in spacious grounds. Pool, tennis courts.
There are aslo four "apartments" available.

Domaine de Valmouriane - www.valmouriane.com

(4.5 kms from town on the D27, route des Baux)
Restored Provençal Mas set in elegant gardens. Pool, tennis courts, A/C.
Very good restaurant.

Mas des Figues - www.masdesfigues.com
Outside of town on the "vieux chemin d'Arles". You can either stay in the suite in the main house or in the gypsy wagon on the grounds.

Domaine de Bournissac - www.lamaison-a-bournissac.com
(11 kms from town center)
Restored Mas, with a view of the Alpilles, Luberon and Mont Ventoux.
Restaurant with an excellent reputation... with a terrace under a large old fig tree

Check out "gites de France".
You can rent a very nice Gite ( which is a house fully equipped ) for a week cheaper then hotelling it. There are many to choose from and they book fast.
Just a thought.

We stay in Gites while vacationing in Provence and the Cote. Don't have any recs. about hotels.

We had dinner with friends at the Bastide de Marie - they were staying there. Not my type of place. Gated, you MUST have lunch or dinner there (it's included in the price), and it was loaded with Americans when we were there. The bartender was recruited from Ireland because he spoke English. Beautiful setting, however, and very nice outside dining.

Stu Dudley

PB
trying desperately to reinstate my reservation with Mas de Peint

I let it go

and have realized it is the spectacular spot I was looking for..

Swoop

will check it out

Does anyone have any wisdon, knowledge, opinion of:

Grand Hotel Nord - Pinus in Arles?