La Bonne Etape – A Charming Relais & Châteaux Property in Provence

Relais & Châteaux is a French marketing organization with more than 500 members worldwide. France is by far the leading country when it comes to the number of members of this prestigious organization. To become a member of Relais & Châteaux, there are a number of requirements as you would expect, but this organization is unique as the cuisine is an important requirement to become a member.

Many of the European members have a Michelin-star and this property, La Bonne Etape in Provence is no exception. Food is one of the main reasons to stay here, but let me take you back to the beginning. I arrived late in the evening after a long journey and received a warm welcome from the friendly receptionist. I was escorted to the charming room, that had a comfortable bed, bathtub and separate shower, and a design that is typical for many Relais & Châteaux hotels.

The next morning began with a great breakfast on the balcony. I really enjoyed a room service breakfast, which was my first in quite some time, and my full day at La Bonne Etape was very relaxing. The highlight was the dinner at their Michelin-starred restaurant. Recently I have started on a vegetarian diet, but that was not a problem for La Bonne Etape to accommodate.

The dinner was a great experience with high-quality food, and friendly service in a really nice atmosphere. The staff at La Bonne Etape are very friendly and deliver some of the best services I have received in France. After my stay, I was stuck with my car elsewhere in France and with my limited French, I didn’t know how to get help. I decided to contact La Bonne Etape and they helped me out of a very stressful situation and I highly appreciate their kind help.

The chef has a good level of English and I enjoyed the departure day with breakfast at their impressive buffet and a talk with the chef during a tour of the hotel. They are currently doing renovation and a spa is also in the plans. To sum it up, La Bonne Etape was a really nice Relais & Châteaux experience and a property I can highly recommend for a place to relax with great food.