La Bastide Saint Antoine

Superlatives can't describe how pleased we were with Bastide St-Antoine - from the moment of of arrival the service, accommodation and especially Master Chef Chibois' cuisine was unsurpassed.

Although a beautiful place the service we received was very mixed. You could not walk easily into town due to the poor pavements & reception staff advised against it. The wifi was virtually nonexistent & I was not able to take a planned Skype call but the receptionist went out of her way to try & help me. Despite telling the hotel in advance I had a dairy allergy the restaurant still presented me with a cottage cheese course before I reminded them once again. The duty manager was not able to explain why it had happened. The duty manager in the restaurant the following day was very charming & went out of his way to apologise. As a family we have been lucky enough to stay in luxury hotels all around the world & this one sadly fell short of what we experienced elsewhere at this price point.

La Bastide is worth the trip for the magnificent views of Provence, the beautifully maintained gardens, and the incredible food of the chef-owner. However, do not go there if you expect the convenience and comfort of hotels that cater to people who need internet access or any help at all physically. The pool has NO handrails, none, zero. The "free wifi" was snail like when it was working, and broke down completely halfway through our stay. There is no business center. The bathroom tub had only a handheld spray (like a kitchen sink) and a tiny glass partition, which meant water went EVERYWHERE. And then the hot water stopped completely. When it came back it was tepid for hours.

We did not set high expectation on this countryside 5-star Hotel after reading a number of negative reviews... After staying here is a fantastic experinece with incredible attention to detail - deluxe room was very spacious and lovely, nicely furnished in a French provincial style with a beautiful view over the valley below. Without any doubt the other spotlight of the hotel is the restaurant of Jacques Chibois - which offered superb services and excellent food. What a delightful stay and we cannot find anything wrong....We loved La Bastide!

The Bastide is a microcosm of high end French hospitality and cuisine. Beautiful location, superbly attentive, well-trained staff and the highest standards of decor and cleanliness. Yet, is its €70 charge for a main course fillet steak sustainable in the current economic climate in France? Not judging by the numbers at both lunch and dinner yesterday... I've eaten at many of London's 1 and 2 * Michelin restaurants and never paid anything remotely close. Whether this style of dining will survive in the current climate is debatable. That said, it was a real treat and an oasis for my wife and me in the middle of a holiday in the company of our teenage children!

Restaurant food was excellent and service in restaurant was beyond reproach. Rooms were very comfortableand inviting. There was however, no walking to enjoy the property. The grounds were not well maintained.