Le Couvent Des Minimes

We absolutely loved this gorgeous and very special hotel. The peace and beauty are outstanding. The decor is second to none—every detail is truly exceptional. The pool, spa, breakfast, lobby and our terrace room were fantastic. We loved the food and in fact ate here every night except one because they place us gorgeous. The staff took great care of us. The stations of the cross kept intact were truly special. We loved our pool days and service. The wine tasting with Jules was outstanding. We hated to leave and wanted to stay and live there. We hope to someday return.

Superb contemporary convent, extremely well-kept by its friendly owners..an address of tranquility, where it is pleasant to relax in the magnificent L'Occitane SPA..the restaurants are delicious, the starred restaurant Le Feuillée is wonderful and a moment of emotion..Jm & S BOUET

The property itself is undeniably beautiful. Set in a former convent, it has been tastefully restored and offers an elegant atmosphere. The bed was comfortable and the valet team was genuinely friendly and welcoming. Unfortunately, almost everything else was disappointing and nowhere near 5-star standards. The pillows were extremely soft, offering virtually no head or neck support. I asked for firmer pillows on the first evening and was told that the hotel had no alternatives. I repeated my request the following morning; the receptionist assured me he would take care of it. Nothing was done and the same unsuitable pillows remained throughout our stay. Most members of the staff appeared distant, rarely smiled and seemed indifferent. They would say a generic “hello” while passing by, but never a warm or personal greeting such as “Good morning, Sir.” It may seem like a small detail, but it reflects the overall attitude towards guests. Surprisingly for a hotel of this category, there is no evening turndown service. Our room (Room 5) had a rather impractical layout: the toilet was completely separate from the bathroom, which was located on the other side of the room. Even more surprising, the bathroom was closed only by a transparent sliding glass door, offering virtually no privacy whatsoever. Housekeeping did not service our room until after 4:00 p.m., and only because I went to reception to ask for it. The valet service also failed us. I requested that my car be brought to the entrance 15 minutes before our dinner reservation. When I arrived, the valets had already left. Worse still, the wrong set of car keys had been left inside my vehicle. I had to return to reception, wait in line, explain the situation, hand back someone else’s keys, wait while the receptionist searched for mine, while the owners of the other vehicle were simultaneously looking for their missing keys. This should simply never happen in a luxury hotel. The L’Occitane Spa was another disappointment. Throughout our stay, it was impossible to book any treatment. Every request was met with the same answer: “We’re fully booked.” For a destination spa, this is frustrating, especially without any attempt to offer alternatives or solutions. One afternoon, while I was relaxing by the spa pool, a member of staff came and closed all the parasols without asking any guests. I was suddenly left in direct sunlight and had no choice but to leave the area because the heat became unbearable. Service was consistently slow, including in the restaurant. At lunch, our order was not correctly taken the first time and apparently had not even been entered. Someone had to come back and take the entire order again, making an already slow service even longer. The internet connection was also well below expectations. The hotel’s Wi-Fi was extremely slow, making some applications difficult or even impossible to use properly. To make matters worse, mobile phone reception was poor or completely unavailable in several areas of the hotel, including inside our room, leaving guests with very limited connectivity. Even small details reveal a lack of attention: the complimentary water bottles provided in the room were exceptionally difficult to open, even for someone with strong hands. Overall, the impression is that the hotel relies on the beauty of the building while paying insufficient attention to service. The décor and setting deserve five stars; the service certainly does not. Too often, it felt as though nobody really cared. With better management, improved staff training and greater attention to guests, this property could be exceptional. At present, however, it falls well below the standard expected of a true luxury hotel.