Lou Calen

Beautiful hotel in a delightful village. We arrived by car and went to the lower entrance which caused confusion. The receptionist came down to greet us and take us to the hotel entrance and then to our rooms. The easier entrance is further on so prior knowledge would have been very helpful. My daughter with 1 year old baby had a beautiful room overlooking the Main Street. However, they could not provide a baby bath and we were there for a week! Our room with a little Terrance was very small and a tricky climb up through the vineyard which could pose a real problem for anyone elderly or with mobility issues. The breakfast was very nice and an additional cost of €20. The bistro was lovely for lunch and the bar was very pleasant in the evenings. We ate in the Secret Garden restaurant with was delightful although mosquitoes were everywhere. Prior warning of the parking arrangement when arriving by car and extra baby baths please!

Nice Hotel in a lovely location...the problem is the staff. I'm not sure if it's lack of customer service because they are not trained properly or because they are simply rude. Out of the staff we did see during our stay I would say ten per cent of them knew how to converse with the guests...some said they did not speak/understand English (turns out they did) and made it difficult to converse as a guest - not ideal. The main issue I have with this Hotel is the service particularly in the restaurants - terrible and very poor attitude. Whilst the Hotel is trying to be 'eco' the price of a room does not reflect what is on offer - the rooms are nice, spacious and clean but there is no housekeeping service although reception tell you there is - the bed is made and thats it....so, you basically pay for the room but don't expect anything else

Lou Calen provides a heavenly stay in a heavenly Provencal village. It has beautiful grounds set on a dramatic hillside that spills right down into the center of town. Our room was spacious with a bed that seemed larger than king size, comfortable furniture, and a beautiful terrace overlooking the hillside. There is a nice pool area and good breakfast served. The front door brings you out to the town which has many choices for dining and beautiful shops. The lobby area even has a wonderful bookstore with French and English titles.

Lou Calen is built in and around substantial gardens on sloping land close to the centre of Cotignac. It mainly takes advantage of existing buildings, but has also developed some new rooms in sympathetic styling. The views from the gardens and from some of the rooms are delightful - across to the well-known caves and cliffs in one direction, over the countryside and village in others. The gardens contain a pool for adults (14 plus), a separate pool and play area for children and a tennis court - but there is still plenty of room to wander and find space. The restaurant had (in April; it may be different in high season) very high standards of cuisine with a fairly limited choice of dishes - two for each course. Some work was continuing when we were there at the bottom of the property - we were given an upgraded room at the top of the gardens and the work was never an interference or problem for us or for other guests. Staff were very friendly. The room we were given, a suite, was outstanding. We would have no hesitation in recommending Lou Calen. We stayed for 3 nights as part of a driving holiday in Provence.