Auberge de Cassagne & Spa is an exquisite former Provencal farmhouse turned luxury hotel, located at the gateway of Avignon, France. If you’re looking for a cosy boutique hotel complete with romantic twinkling gardens and fabulous modern facilities, this one is for you.
Rating
★★★★
Location
Avignon, Le Pontet, France
Accommodation
This boutique hotel comprises 35 rooms and 8 suites, ensuring a sense of seclusion and intimacy. Accommodation ranges from the Home Room to the large Garden View Suite, all of which are very reasonably priced for a 5-star property.
We opted for a Swimming Pool Suite located at the far end of the garden for four nights in late March. It was incredibly private and I particularly enjoyed walking through the pristine gardens each time we came and went. It was also lovely and quiet, though when we visited it wasn’t quite warm enough for guests to be using the nearby outdoor pool.
Our suite had a living room area with a coffee maker and TV, a bedroom with a large wardrobe and modern bathroom featuring a jacuzzi bath. It came equipped with lovely fluffy robes, complimentary sweets, a safe and free WiFi, which suited us nicely. Though I will flag that the rooms within the main house seemed a little more elegant. As long as you have done your research, you’ll be happy with the room you have chosen. These things always come down to personal preference at the end of the day! That, and availability!
Meals
All meals take place in the hotel’s main restaurant, aside from in the summer months when guests can enjoy dining outside. On the terrace. Overlooking the exceptional gardens complete with fragrant lavender and olive trees. C’est parfait!
In addition to the terrace during the summer months, you can also indulge in a glass of wine (from the extensive wine list) in one of the many lounges in the main house. Picture antique furniture, numerous open-hearth fireplaces, epitomising Provencal hospitality.
The breakfast buffet is a delectable spread, with everything you could ever desire, whereas dinner is a much more sophisticated affair. In fact, many visit the hotel just for the a la carte menu, curated by Master Chef of France, Phillipe Boucher. There is no denying that Phillipe’s food is delicious and I enjoyed the added quirks such as the cheese trolley, decadently laid out with local fromages.
That being said, I found that the ambience in the restaurant lacked somewhat and the menu was rather overpriced in comparison to everything else at the hotel. Needless to say, Mike was rather surprised that his house red came in at €20 per glass, particularly when you can purchase a whole bottle of delicious local wine for a fraction of the cost.
Facilities
Spa: The crown jewel of Auberge de Cassagne is its spa. Fully equipped with a large heated swimming pool, jacuzzi, eucalyptus steam room, sauna and chemotherapy shower. And the best part? It’s open until 1 am. Quite unusual for a hotel spa but a welcome perk.
Health & Fitness: The spa also encompasses multiple treatment rooms, though I didn’t sample these myself. Additionally, there is a gym for those who like to keep up with their fitness regime whilst on holiday, and the aforementioned outdoor pool.
Other: The hotel also has table tennis and an area for bowls, nestled within the bucolic Provencal gardens.
Location
Auberge de Cassagne & Spa is situated at the gateway of Avignon, not in Avignon itself. It’s rather difficult to locate the very first time, though once you’ve become accustomed, you’ll soon realise that it’s fairly easy to navigate the surrounding area and it takes only 15 minutes to drive into Avignon. Unfortunately, it does mean you’ll have to hold back on that next glass of rosé!
It’s pretty crucial to be able to self-drive if you do stay at this hotel, but honestly, I’d recommend you do so anyway. Provence has so many charming areas, it would be a shame to miss out on exploring them! My favourites were Châteauneuf-du-Pape (20 minutes drive from the hotel) and Gordes (40 minutes drive from the hotel).
Staff
The staff were all so discreet that we barely came across any of them! Though, should we have ever wanted for anything you could always find someone to help. Which to me is a sign of good service.
The two staff members that we did come across the most often were those on the front desk. They were always incredibly polite and helpful, nothing was too much trouble and I felt very welcome upon arrival.
Personal Summary
Our stay at Auberge de Cassagne & Spa was truly lovely. Granted, some aspects of the accommodation could do with refurbishing and the overpriced dining experience was disappointing – but the grounds are beautiful and the spa is fantastic.
The pros do outweigh the cons but I can’t ignore them, hence why I rated the overall experience as a 4/5. Whilst I would stay again, it would be more to do with the surrounding area than how much I love the hotel!
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