Hostellerie de l'Abbaye de la Celle
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Hostellerie de l'Abbaye de la Celle · La Celle, France
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Key Highlights
- ✓Exceptional Dining: The Michelin-starred restaurant is a major draw, celebrated for its inventive and gorgeously executed Provençal cuisine, emphasizing local and seasonal ingredients.
- ✓Impeccable Service: The staff is frequently praised as "fantastic," "super helpful," "passionate," and "warm," creating a personalized and welcoming experience.
- ✓Breakfast Cost: While excellent, breakfast is not typically included in the room rate and incurs an additional charge.
Expert Review: Hostellerie de l'Abbaye de la Celle
Hostellerie de l'Abbaye de la Celle, a distinguished Michelin Key Selected property, consistently earns high praise for its enchanting Provençal charm, exceptional gastronomy, and impeccable service. Owned by world-renowned chef Alain Ducasse, this intimate 18th-century inn offers a luxurious and tranquil escape in the heart of the Var vineyards.
1. Overall Rating & Sentiment
The general consensus among guests is overwhelmingly positive, with the hotel frequently described as "superb" and "magical." Reviews often highlight a perfect blend of luxury, authenticity, and a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. The overall rating for the property is high, scoring 9.3 out of 10, with cleanliness, comfort, and staff receiving particularly excellent scores of 9.7. The restaurant also achieves high marks, with a 9.4/10 for cuisine and service.
2. Key Highlights
Guests consistently laud several aspects of Hostellerie de l'Abbaye de la Celle:
- Exceptional Dining: The Michelin-starred restaurant is a major draw, celebrated for its inventive and gorgeously executed Provençal cuisine, emphasizing local and seasonal ingredients.
- Impeccable Service: The staff is frequently praised as "fantastic," "super helpful," "passionate," and "warm," creating a personalized and welcoming experience.
- Charming Ambiance & Design: The property itself, an 18th-century inn set within aged monastery gardens, is described as beautiful, tastefully furnished, and exuding a peaceful, authentic Provençal feel.
- Peaceful Location: Surrounded by vineyards, cypress trees, and olive groves, the hotel offers a serene and quiet retreat.
- Thoughtful Amenities: Guests appreciate touches like Nuxe bathroom products, nightshirts, a heated outdoor swimming pool with a view, and convenient services such as complimentary car parking.
3. Room Quality
The 10 rooms and suites at Hostellerie de l'Abbaye de la Celle are "unfailingly tasteful" and designed in a "restrained French countryside style." They are often described as lovely, clean, and comfortable, some featuring elegant details like flowing silk drapes and centuries-old antique furniture. Amenities typically include air conditioning, a private bathtub, flat-screen TV, minibar, and a yoga kit. Many guests appreciate the thoughtful provision of Nuxe bath products and nightshirts. The suites are particularly noted for being "glorious and very well equipped."
4. Dining Experience
The dining experience is a cornerstone of the Hostellerie de l'Abbaye de la Celle. The gastronomic restaurant, led by Chef Nicolas Pierantoni, is highly acclaimed and part of the Alain Ducasse Group. It offers "inventive and completely gorgeous" cuisine rooted in traditional French Provençal dishes, with a strong focus on fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients, many sourced from the hotel's own gardens or within a 30-kilometer radius. The menu often features creative dishes highlighting vegetables, alongside impeccably executed classics like fish soup and lamb. The wine list is extensive, featuring local specialties, with knowledgeable staff offering expert recommendations.
Breakfast is consistently rated as "excellent" or "fabulous delicious." However, it is typically an extra charge, costing approximately €32 for adults for Continental breakfast or €26 for cooked-to-order options.
5. Service & Staff
The service at Hostellerie de l'Abbaye de la Celle is a standout feature, frequently highlighted by guests as exceptional. The staff is described as "fantastic," "very nice," "super helpful," and genuinely welcoming. Reviewers often note their attentiveness, professionalism, and passion, making guests feel like they are "staying with a relative who is delighted to have you." The "sincere hospitality, a personalized welcome, excellence, conviviality and sharing" are core values upheld by the devoted team. Even families with children report feeling well-catered to, with staff paying attention to the needs of younger guests.
6. Location & Accessibility
Nestled in the tranquil Provençal village of La Celle, the Hostellerie is surrounded by picturesque vineyards and a 2.5-hectare private park featuring ancient cypress trees and olive groves. It is adjacent to a beautiful 12th-century Benedictine abbey, adding to its historic charm. The location is ideal for those seeking peace and quiet, with Sainte-Baume Regional Natural Park just a minute's walk away.
While offering a secluded feel, the hotel is accessible, approximately a 1-hour drive from Marseille Airport (MRS) and 1 hour 15 minutes from Nice Airport (NCE). A car is recommended for exploring the surrounding charming villages and local markets. Free private parking with video surveillance is available on-site. The property does not have an elevator, which might be a consideration for guests with mobility issues, though it is generally wheelchair accessible with potential limitations.
7. Value & Pricing
As a luxury 5-star property associated with Alain Ducasse and recognized by the Michelin Key, Hostellerie de l'Abbaye de la Celle is positioned at the higher end of the market. Room rates can start from around €285 per night. While specific prices vary by season and room type, guests generally find the experience to be worth the cost due to the high quality of service, accommodation, and especially the exceptional dining. Additional costs include breakfast (€32 for adults), extra beds (€50 per night), and pet fees (€40 per pet, per day).
8. Common Complaints
Recurring complaints are minimal, reflecting the high standard of the hotel. However, some practical considerations for potential guests include:
- Seasonal Closures: The hotel and restaurant observe specific closure periods, typically on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from September to May, as well as annually for a week in November and 10 days in January.
- Breakfast Cost: While excellent, breakfast is not typically included in the room rate and incurs an additional charge.
- Accessibility: The absence of an elevator might be a concern for some guests, although the property is generally noted to be wheelchair accessible (with limitations).
Sources
Points to Consider
- •Recurring complaints are minimal, reflecting the high standard of the hotel. However, some practical considerations for potential guests include:
- •Accessibility: The absence of an elevator might be a concern for some guests, although the property is generally noted to be wheelchair accessible (with limitations).
Google Reviews
472 reviews
Recent Guest Reviews
Mimi
We enjoyed a wonderful 2 night stay here. It was quiet as it was off season but we loved our comfortable and cozy room and fabulous meals at the restaurant. The service at reception and in the restaurant was attentive and warm , gracious and professional. They toasted our anniversary with champagne at dinner and made us feel welcome and at home during our time there. We would love to return in ano...
Tomasz A Biczel
The stay at the hotel was absolutely flawless. The hotel staff was so friendly and always helpful. The hotel and services delivered fully at all fronts and often went well above my expectations. There were small details that just elevated the experience to a whole new level. Restaurant is superb, with food so fresh you can feel all of the aromas. Breakfast service is as good, which is often missed...
Konrad R
All together a beautiful place with a stunning garden. Great food and wine list. Note: if you’re not staying in the hotel, you will be treated as a 2nd tier guest, sat in a less pretty room and assigned the trainee waiter. Ask for the main room for bookings inside.
Karolina C
The hotel experience wasn’t very satisfying. For a start It’s rather a 4* than a 5* hotel. The luxury touches of 5* hotel are missing and so is the service. It’s an okay place to stay for a one night in you want to have a dinner at the restaurant but not for longer. We booked the hotel because it had an Alain DuCasse restaurant but after we already made a reservation it turned out that restaurant...
Response from the owner
Dear Madam,<br><br>We thank you for taking the time to share your comments following your stay at the Hostellerie de l’Abbaye de la Celle.<br><br>We focus our efforts every day on providing our guests...
Matthieu ALHURAISH
Had lunch last year with friends, everything was fantastic and everyone were really happy. This year 2020 it was a complete disappointment. The food was extremely heavy and fatty. Pity there were no much of vegetables or anything more fresh to suggest then fried and oily food on a hot summer afternoon.
Zenji Nakazawa
Highly recommended! Three days into our trip through southern France, we found refuge from the heat and crowds of the Cote D’Azur at Hostellerie de l’Abbaye de la Celle. We were greeted by Maxine who ushered us into a bucolic courtyard where he served us the chef’s refreshing grapefruit sorbet, while we rested from our journey. Here we met the perfect combination of an extraordinary location, exc...
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