I cant believe the negative reviews posted about this hotel. The staff were always courteous and friendly, the food was great and the service at breakfast and dinner was excellent. This is a family run hotel not a chain so dont expect 24 hour service. During the day the hotel is quiet and peacefull as it should be. The accommodation was clean and well maintained. Well done Albine and thank you to the delightfull Natalie who heped us with our limited French.

This is a beautiful hotel of great individualism and distinction. It is to be enjoyed for it's atmosphere and design and not for luxury services. There aren't staff running around everywhere waiting to help but it's not that type of place. It's a place for self sufficient travelers who don't need to be, or want to be waited on. You are left to get on with it and use the facilities as you wish. We've stayed lots of times and never had trouble checking in or out as some say and in response to the person who couldn't find out how to have breakfast, you sit at one of the tables under the trees at the front, where other people are sitting, and the staff bring you breakfast. I managed to lose our car keys when we last stayed and can't speak any French so the hotel sorted it all out for us while we sat by the pool. I thought that was good.

I can understand why some people don't like it. It is for a certain type of holiday maker and if you want 5* services and lots of attention then it's not for you, but if you want to stay somewhere of real aesthetic discernment and authenticity with loads of Provencal character and tranquility then you'll love it.

It's also in a beautiful part of Provence with Le Beaux down the road (which is too touristy, with coaches lining the road) but Oustau De Baumaniere is there and deserves it's reputation as one of France's best restaurants, although we prefer the terrace of it's sister down the road, La Cabro D’or as it's less formal.

St Remy is nearby, which is the nicest town in Provence in my view, and the scenery in the Alpilles is excellent, especially if you get off the roads and go into the hills via the tracks. The village of Eygalieres is small but picturesque.

My husband and I stayed here in 2004,2003 & 2002. As the other reviewer noted the owners and staff do appear quite off hand and abrupt. however I think it might be because they don't have very much english. We were lucky enough to be looked after by a lovely guy in the restaurant called Sebastian, and both his english and manner were superb.
We returned to this property 3 years running as it's just so beautiful. However checking in and out were a pit 'painful' I must admit as we don't have fluent french. I choose to believe it's because the owners don't have fluent english either!
It's a beautiful, beautiful little spot and a fab place to stay (except when it's really, really hot as it doesn't have air conditioning and it can get really hot at night in the rooms). It's a beautiful place to stay though and we ate there most nights and enjoyed it, although the menu only changes every few days, the setting more than makes up for this.
We did see notices for lunch but as there was never anyone to ask we didn't avail of it!
I must recommend the place though for it's absolute charm and tranquility and the setting is just what you would expect if you have a dream of what a provencal hotel should look like!

When we arrived we were in awe of the beauty and authenticity of the hotel. The setting is beautiful (remote setting among olive groves, dinner and breakfast in the garden, nice pool and hot tub,...) and our room was big, clean and wonderfully decorated. However, something big was missing...

The staff didn't seem to care whether we were there or not. It seemed like the owners have converted the property to a beautiful hotel but still aren't very happy with having people stay there. We felt as if they were doing us a favour by checking us in and out.
We didn't eat there, as it would have taken some serious ambition to find out how to have breakfast, lunch or dinner at the property (it was difficult to even find anybody at times during the day). The things you couldn't miss however, were handwritten signs left everywhere forbidding 'pique-niques' and visitors. These are the type of communications typical of a Euro 5 - hostel not of a relatively expensive hotel.

And by the way... if they realise your French isn't perfect, they'll speak as quickly as possible and look at you impatiently if you don't understand.