L’Hostellerie de l’Abbaye de La Celle

When Alain Ducasse (a world-renowned chef and owner of one of our favorite hotels in Moustiers Sainte Marie) asked us to visit his new hotel, L’Hostellerie de l’Abbaye de La Celle, we knew it would be a winner. We were already familiar with the property, which had been featured in our guide until it closed. Reopened in December 1999 under the talented guidance of Alain Ducasse and Bruno Clément, this charming inn is more beautiful than ever. Nestled next to a lovely 12th-century Benedictine convent in the sweet village of La Celle, L’Hostellerie de l’Abbaye de La Celle was built in the 1700s as a bourgeois home. It is not until you step through the gates that the true grandeur of the building and its gardens is revealed. The handsome mustard-yellow mansion with dark-green shutters faces onto its own 3-hectare park dotted with magnificent plane trees, chestnut trees, mulberry trees, and centuries-old cypresses. Lovingly tended beds of flowers and a stone swimming pool complete the picture of perfection. Inside is no disappointment. The lounges are tastefully decorated with fine antiques and the dining rooms exude charm. The spacious guestrooms have all been totally renovated with taste and refinement. A favorite one is the suite where Général de Gaulle stayed during his years as President.