The Place
The hotel occupies two beautiful houses in the same street in the medieval hilltop town of Vaison-la-Romaine; one was built in the 16th century for the Comte de Saint Véran, the other, built in the 17th century, was the home of the Marquis de Taulignan.
There are plenty of beams, old stone, and polished terracotta tile floors in both, and views from the terraces look down to the new town below, which is built around two sites of Roman excavations. (Some of the houses in the old town were built of stone from the ruins.) The Beffroi is above it all; even in the hottest weather there’s a fresh breeze.
The friendly, and often very busy, proprietor, Yann Christiansen (the hotel has been in the family for three generations now) and his wife, Christine, constantly strive to come up with ways of making the hotel even more comfortable and convenient for their guests. Their home has a typical Provencal atmosphere to it. One of our favourite features was the swimming pool, with fine views of the rooftops below.
Serving lunchtime salads on the terrace has proved a great success. At dinner, the cooking from their restaurant, La Fontaine, is traditional Provençal. Head chef Coline Christiansen and her young team source ingredients from local producers and use herbs from the hotel’s garden.
Vaison-la-Romaine offers a delightful combination of gastronomic and natural attractions. There’s markets and vineyards close by; hiking trails that offer full views.
Visitors are in agreement on the subject of the “helpful…young, friendly and enthusiastic staff” and one enthuses that the hotel “is a delight”, “dinner was delicious” and “our only regret was we could not stay longer”.