A distinguished, well-travelled, poetic gentleman of a hotel. Wonderful, wonderful food blended with the sensual luxury of a restored 16th Century Provençal farmhouse, lavender, rose gardens and olive groves, hotel L’Oustau de Baumanière just outside of the village of Les Baux is a very special treat indeed. We will advise you immediately that the outlays involved in a stay here may be a little higher than normal.
We will also advise you that your stay here will be far, far from the normal. In fact the L’Oustau de Baumanière is one of those hotels that just seem unfair. As if it weren’t enough to have one of the most beautiful positions in Provence, just 5 minutes’ walk from the beautiful village of Les Baux, in its own hidden valley, the hotel also has stunning gardens of lavender, and roses with boxwood growing on the patios. Two Michelin stars, sumptuous rooms divided between L’Oustau, Le Manoir and Le Guigou – beautifully furnished Provençal farmhouses, an attention to well-being and comfort that knows no bounds; welcome to sweet, delicious heaven.
The ambience rejects stark, cold minimalism in favour of a warmer, more passionate style – design does feature strongly but it is almost playful. One of the rooms has a small pine tree growing in it, vivid tiles in some of the bathrooms, elsewhere those pale blues and olive greens remind you of something more classically French. All in all then, there is a blend of the traditional and modern, the two working together to create an air of vitality and freshness.
Another, perhaps silly, thing we liked about the L’Oustau de Baumanière were the chairs and seats outside. It seems to be someone’s intention to force you to relax, sit a while and enjoy those stunning views, surrounded by olives and the scents of Provence.
A remarkable and very special place, a hotel for a deserving break, a treat or simply for those who want to forget the world and spoil themselves over a weekend or indeed a week.