Hotel Le Pigonnet♡

Sublime, relaxing and delicious!

10.0

Review of Le Pigonnet After a mishap with a malfunction in the reserved room upon check-in, I was upgraded to a large suite with an even larger deck looking out onto the grounds. Since it was chilly, I went out for a few moments at a time and it was spectacular. The staff were excellent. They went above and beyond, especially the managers. I’d like to point out the best staff members that looked after me: • Mekki Salmi – rooms division manager-5* • Frédéric (tall with grey hair and a beard) – concierge • Alex (light auburn hair and blue eyes) – assistant front desk manager Emailing with them before end during the stay was seamless and efficient. This is a truly wonderful boutique hotel. The cuisine was lovely. I thought the breakfast was great as opposed to another person saying it was just adequate. I also had a fabulous facial and massage which was really needed and was quite relaxing. I would definitely return; probably in two months time.

Luxury Hotel

8.0

The hotel and grounds are gorgeous and it’s hard to believe that it’s walking distance to the tourist district of Aix as it feels like you’re in the country side. The hotel itself is beautiful with very attentive and friendly staff. There were several welcome gifts in the room, including a small cake (although I couldn’t try this as I am gluten intolerant. I had informed the hotel prior to arrival). Overall this hotel is spectacular - but the breakfast lets it down, as it doesn’t match the calibre of the hotel. There were two breakfast staff present, although we didn’t realise this at first as one of them was dressed in a tracksuit. This was very surprising as the rest of the staff were very well dressed. The breakfast buffet itself was quite small. There is no gluten free bread in the buffet, you need to request this to be brought to you. I ordered a poached egg on gluten free toast. It was brought out on wheat bread. The waiter realised this just as he was about to serve it to me. I asked the waiter if he could bring extra gluten free bread when the eggs returned, but he didn’t, just two very tiny pieces under the eggs. The same thing occurred in the afternoon when we ordered some food from the bar. I ordered some dips with gluten free bread. Two tiny pieces of bread were brought out with a very large quantity of dips (far more than the bread could handle). I asked for some extra bread and the staff were obliging, but it took a very long time. I would recommend the chef try this bread. It has a very strong buckwheat taste that overpowers the food it is served with. There are many brands of gf bread on the market that are much better than this. Putting the gluten free issue aside, I would definitely recommend the hotel for its beauty, the staff and the experience. Just sitting in the bar or lounge was wonderful.

Beautiful hotel with a bad smell

8.0

Would absolutely stay at this lush hotel again . lovely staff, particularly the bar staff. Excellent and varied breakfasts in the beautiful dining room over looking the garden. Comfortable communal spaces to relax with cozy seating and a loads of interesting books. Our well appointed room had French doors that opened into a small balcony overlooking the garden. Our only issue was that our 2nd floor hallway had an odor each day that was nauseating - a mix between fishy and vinegar. There were large (water?) stains on the carpet near one of the hall windows. We walked up and down the hallways of the other levels and didn’t notice any smells. The location was excellent. Parking was easy.

Historic Gem in Aix-en-Provence—Perfection!

10.0

My wife and I returned to Hotel Le Pigonnet this November after a year's hiatus because of their renovation construction. I'm very pleased to report that the refurbishment and renewal project was a great success. The hotel has a fresh look, but one entirely consistent with its storied history, but with added contemporary amenities in the rooms. The magnificent private garden remains the hotel's greatest treasure, with 30+ fountains, gravel paths, and a covert view of Mont Sainte Victoire, where Cezanne once painted. The feeling of old stone and long-tended foliage imparts a sense of timeless luxury. The garden alone is worth the visit. The dining room and the bar have been updated, but still retain their immaculate, classic look. Restaurant La Table serves elegant dinners in the best French tradition, with a wide selection of excellent wines to accompany your meal. In good weather, guests may also choose to dine outside in the midst of beautifully manicured surroundings. We stayed in a Garden Suite, and enjoyed our own private terrace overlooking the grounds—a perfect setting in which to read and write. The room(s) are tastefully decorated in subdued tones of green which lend a serene atmosphere in which to relax and enjoy the silence with a glass of wine at hand. The main room of the suite boasts a double set of French doors leading to the terrace, and comes equipped with refrigerator, writing desk, club chairs and a luxurious daybed on which to while away the hours. The bathrooms have been updated and gleam with refreshed glass, tile and chrome. Towels and linens are ample and immaculate. Two small suggestions for improvement might include the addition of rugs to the tile floors, and a few more wastebaskets. Other than that, the rooms were perfection. Like any exceptional hotel, the staff at Le Pigonnet are highly trained professionals, and experts in the field of hospitality. From the desk personnel to the wait-staff, to the bar tenders to the cleaning staff and the grounds crew, we were invariably greeted with a "Bon Jour" and a smile. From the minute we arrived, we felt like family. Every request was greeted with a genuine smile, and addressed immediately. Most of our needs were anticipated before we could even articulate a request. Mornings, we enjoyed the lavish breakfast buffet, with a wide selection of fruits, breads, pastries and meats. Eggs and omelettes are prepared to order by the kitchen—creamy scrambled-eggs as only the French are able to accomplish (perfection). We expect to return for another visit next autumn. We've stayed at a number of hotels in Aix-en-Provence over the years, but Hotel Le Pigonnet is our hands down favorite. Highly recommended!

Beware: NOT a 5 star hotel!

2.0

I feel bad that I'm leaving such a bad review but this felt like a big scam and I'm very unhappy that we paid this amount of money for a hotel that is in reality a 2-star at best. - The corridors of the hotel were very shabby and tired, our room very disappointing. Very basic, old (but not charming) furniture, worn walls and doors, badly lit. A place you don't want to spend time in, so we tried to be out as much as possible. - The WC didn't have a functioning light and despite telling staff 3 times during our stay, nobody bothered to even come and investigate. We were using our phone torches whenever we had to go to the toilet.. - The bathroom was moudly, old, in desperate need of renovation, the door even had a big visible hole which no one had bothered to even cover. See photos taken. - Amenities in the room: none. A mini bar with only water and nothing else. - Lighting of the room was very poor and in the entrance it was practically non-existent. - Worst of all: my husband took one of the clean rolled towels after a shower and it had blood on it! Not just gross but a health hazard. See photo. - Staff were at a loss every time we asked for the simplest thing. Although some were friendly and tried what they could, it was clear that they don't receive adequate training and that the management is grossly lacking. We kept hearing the phrase "c'est pas possible" for whatever we asked, staff don't communicate among them (when we told one of the housekeeping people about the WC light not working, she said we should tell the front desk. Another example: when we asked the front desk if they could book us into the spa, as the spa therapist was engaged at the time, they said no and we had to go directly to the spa and wait). Most times there was no one at the front desk when we entered or exited the hotel, instead they hung out in the side room. There were other little things too but it's not even worth me mentioning them as the hotel failed us in every way. I have stayed in 3-star hotels that were better. In fact last year I stayed at the small Cezanne hotel for a couple of days and it was far better and its price reflected what I was getting. What infuriates me with Le Pigonnet is that the price they charge is too far off from what it is and also the fact that they have 5 stars. Very deceptive! I will certainly write to the bodies that award the stars as this is a rip-off that shouldn't be happening. Some positive things among our ruined holidays: - some staff try what they can (some don't). - grounds are full of charm and the hotel has a lot of potential if given the right investment and management. - the spa and gym were the only areas that were actually renovated and were very nice. - I had a fabulous massage with one of the massage therapists.

Avoid

2.0

This hotel is old and tired. Our room was awful; it was simply subpar. The bathroom in particular was awful and looked like it had not been renovated in years. Service at breakfast was disorganised. The breakfast buffet was passable, but the food was obviously left out from one morning to the next, with the same stains under the yogurt display and the leftover fruit. This hotel felt like a scam.