Lou Calen

Cotignac, Provence, France
Book from USD 184

A rustic-luxe retreat in a lush country estate, with 24 swoon-worthy rooms set in historic houses, a garden restaurant and a heavenly tree-lined pool

A rustic-luxe retreat in a lush country estate, with 24 swoon-worthy rooms set in historic houses, a garden restaurant and a heavenly tree-lined pool

Tucked away in high Provence is this glorious, three-hectare country estate. Within it, set among olive groves, are 24 uber-chic rooms and suites. Each one is unique, some with a history dating back to the early 1800s. Choose a room in the lovingly restored, original stone houses (most have private terraces) spread through the garden from the hilltop down to the village square, or splurge on a three-storey, tower-like suite with views over the cliff.

The gardens are vast, tranquil and beautifully well-kept, we spent hours moving from hidden corner to hidden corner with a book and coffee (sometimes wine), watching the light change over Provence’s rolling hills. A large heated pool sparkles somewhere among the trees, there's a separate one for families too. After a morning exploring picturesque Cotignac (awarded prettiest village in France in 2022), visiting its ancient cliff-side houses, cave dwellings and art studio-lined streets, we had the tough choice to make between restaurants, each one another successful restoration project undertaken by the owners. We chose the fine-dining option; here a top-rated chef works his magic using produce plucked from the kitchen garden, and you are able to enjoy course after course in private, homely dining rooms that are majestically French.

Spend days reclining on a sunny pool lounger or sampling beer at the hotel microbrewery (yep, it has one of those too). We managed (with difficulty!) to drag ourselves away from this sanctuary to discover Provence's spectacular scenery – from mountain lakes and hidden waterfalls to historic hilltop towns and ancient vineyards – content with the knowledge we’d be cosying up in our sumptuous suite after a session in the steam shower. Bliss.

Highs

  • The picturesque, nature-rich country estate is quite the setting, with striking cliffs on one side, and Provence’s rolling hills on the other
  • We loved the classic-yet-chic Provencal country styling, with modern art on the walls and a steam shower in the bathroom
  • The tree-lined pools, perfectly placed in the lush green gardens
  • A top location: in the heart of a charming Provencal village, bustling with art stores, great eateries and live-music venues
  • Lunch at Jardin Secret was a treat – three courses made with ingredients sourced from within a 35km radius – each course light and bursting with flavour; no wonder it won a Green Michelin Star in 2023

Lows

  • Parts of the hotel are still under construction (including some of the rooms) so you might see some building work within the grounds
  • The main restaurant is closed for lunch and dinner on Weds & Thurs, but the bistro is open everyday bar Monday (& Sunday evening); the wine bar is only open mid-June to mid-Sept
  • Finding the place is a challenge – bring detailed directions!
  • The pools can be a little chilly during colder months

Best time to go

From April to June, and September to October, the climate is warm and the sights are less busy. Summers (July to August) are hot and busy in this region. That said, Lou Calen is a haven away from the masses. The hotel is closed for a month usually early Nov-early Dec.

Our top tips

There are lots of restaurants in the village, all easily walkable, so on a longer stay you can have quite a gastronomic experience. Picotte comes especially recommended.
The hotel provided chic straw sun hats for use during our stay - which was handy as we'd not brought any.

Great for...

Eco
Family
Foodie
Great Outdoors
Romantic
  • Boutique hotel
  • 24 rooms
  • Restaurants and bars (varying opening hours)
  • All ages welcome
  • Closed: Early Nov-early Dec
  • Heated Pool
  • Spa Treatments
  • Beach nearby
  • Pet Friendly
  • Disabled Access
  • Car recommended
  • Parking
  • Restaurants Nearby
  • WiFi
  • Air Conditioning
  • Guest Lounge
  • Terrace
  • Garden
  • Gym
  • Tennis Court
  • Bicycles Available
Room:

Rooms

The 24 rooms and suites are spread across the three-hectare estate and are split into two areas: the main hotel and the MICO zone; the restaurant separates the two.

Those in the MICO Zone are a little more secluded, but wherever you stay, you'll be among beautiful surroundings, and you can expect garden views and a private terrace with most rooms. The beautiful styling incorporates wood and stone, and the vibe is classic Provencal chic. Bathrooms are sleek with feature tiling, some rooms even feature Japanese toilets and steam showers. There are no TVs in the rooms, but there are in-room tablets and radios that connect to bluetooth.

At the upper end of the scale, the Trompine Suites have a luxury self-catering vibe: some have kitchens and cosy living areas with sofabeds – great for small families or larger groups. We stayed in one of these (without a kitchen) and loved how restorative the spaces were. For maximum wow factor, book the Signature Suite (MICO zone), set in an impressive tower-like structure and spread over three floors. They had us at 'cliff views' and 'hammam shower'.

Features include:

  • Bathrobes
  • Fan
  • Hairdryer
  • In-room treatments available
  • Minibar
  • Mosquito net
  • Safe box
  • WiFi

Eating

A continental breakfast is served on the shaded terrace or cosy communal living room. Produce is plucked from the garden or purchased from local markets, so expect the freshest ingredients on your plate – we feasted on cheeses, croissants and fruits, as well as homemade kiwi jam, every morning.

Stroll across the grounds to the hotel restaurant, Jardin Secret. You'll find it nestled in the hills, surrounded by picture-postcard olive grove views. It's housed in one of the estate’s original 200-year-old buildings. Meals here are a fine-dining affair (they've rightly won a Green Michelin Star), but the energy is very laidback. The menu is set, with dishes changing daily - let them know in advance if you have dietary requirements. In a cosy private room with a fireplace and a wall of vinyl, we ate homemade gnocchi with greens from the garden, grilled monkfish with potatoes, and Provencal mushrooms, and a light Mille Feuille with vanilla for dessert. Lunch and dinner are served Friday to Tuesday. If you're staying mid-week, you can dine at Lou Calen Bistro, a relaxed eatery with a beautiful patio garden, open Tuesday to Saturday (for lunch and dinner) and Sunday for brunch.

There are other excellent food options in the village and surrounds (we enjoyed dinner at Le Clos des Vignes). Back at Lou Calen, you've a choice of bars depending on your preferred nightcap: La Tuf Brewpub for homebrewed beers, O'Fadoli Pastis Bar for an excellent array of the traditional French spirit, or Didier’s Wine Bar. As big vino fans, we opted for the latter; the manager (Didier) knows his stuff when it comes to decent local tipple (note this bar is open mid-June to mid-September only).

Features include:

  • Bar
  • Coffee maker
  • Kids' meals
  • Restaurant
  • Restaurants nearby
  • Vegetarian options
Eating:
Activity:

Activities

  • Spend days swimming in the tranquil, tree-lined pool or snoozing on a sun lounger
  • This is the perfect spot for unwinding. Make the most of the space and play tennis, or join a yoga class; do ask if there are any workshops and retreats during your stay – such as truffle hunting or cooking classes with Hugette, the former owner of Lou Calen (we sampled her food, and wow!)
  • Visit the friendly on-site microbrewery, La TUF, and sample unique, seasonal beers. Or take part in a brewing workshop. Games nights take place here too, as do live music gigs
  • Discover the fascinating Troglodyte caves of Villecroze, which date back to the Middle Ages (19km/25 mins)
  • Rent an electric bike and explore the countryside
  • Potter the streets of Cotignac, where there is art to see, shops to explore and cafes to people-watch from. Don’t miss the weekly market on a Tuesday
  • Travel a little further to the teeny village of Sillans la Cascade (10 mins). A fairly tricky but short walk takes you to an incredible, clear-blue, 40m-high waterfall. Note that it gets slippy, so bring proper shoes
  • Sun worshippers should head to the beaches of the vivid-blue Lac de Sainte-Croix (50 mins)

Activities on site or nearby include:

  • Cycling
  • Historical sites
  • Shopping / markets
  • Swimming
  • Tennis
  • Wine tasting
  • Yoga

Kids

Children of all ages are welcome here and there's a dedicated pool for families plus a lagoon like splash pool for smaller ones. There’s lots of outdoor space to spread out and explore in. Younger ones will love the garden treasure hunts. You can even arrange a fun in-room tipi for an extra fee. The restaurant offers a children’s menu and high chairs.

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

The Cassole rooms, with their private terraces and garden views, can interconnect. The Sarrasine Suites come with a mezzanine offering a little second bed. Bigger families should opt for a Trompine suite, which has a spacious living area and kitchen and sleeps up to 4 guests, including a baby.

Cots Available

Baby equipment:

  • Baby cots
  • High chairs

Remember  baby and child equipment may be limited or need pre-booking

Children's meals:

Kids menu

Kids Activities on site:

  • Swimming pool for families
  • Petanque
  • Billiards

Kids Activities nearby:

  • Canoeing on the Argens river
  • Electric boat on Sainte Croix lake
  • Rent e-bikes and explore
  • Sillans and its waterfall

Families Should Know:

The main pool is adult only

Distances:

  • Airport: 1hr15m
  • Hospital: 30 minutes
  • Shops: 2 minutes
Kid Friendly:

Location

Lou Calen is a three-hectare country estate in Cotignac, a pretty village in central Provence.

By Air:
Fly into Nice or Marseille (70-80 mins/100km).

By Train:
Alight at Aix en Provence or Marseille.

From the Airport:
The easiest option is to drive. Car rentals are available from both airports; check out our car rental recommendations. It is about 1hr15m drive from Nice or Marseille airports, and a 1hr drive from Aix en Provence or Marseille railway stations.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.

Airports:

  • Nice Côte d'Azur Airport 118.0 km NCE
  • Marseille Provence Airport 100.0 km MRS

Other:

  • Beach 40.0 km
  • Shops 0.2 km
  • Restaurant 0.2 km

Our guests' ratings...

Based on 8 independent reviews from i-escape guests

9/10
Room
8/10
Food
9/10
Service
9/10
Value
9/10
Overall

The room was charming, and the staff were good. They left us a very nice bottle of sparkling Rose, which was unexpected. Breakfast is really good, and the Secret Jardin is a fantastic restaurant. Staff where helpful when asked, but not as proactive as some other hotels we have stayed at. For the price of the hotel, in our opinion, I think they are missing a trick here, we expected them to be a bit more on it for helping us plan our days.

9/10, , June 2024

Room was amazing. So was the pool area and the gardens. However, we felt that breakfast was a bit on the basic side.

8/10, , December 2023

The Bastidon is a nice little room, quite secluded with its own terrasse, close to the zen pool, so it is a nice retreat for relaxing. The jacuzzi of the zen pool makes some noise when it is turned on but is is highly bearable. The room lacks a curtain on the window to protect from the morning light, and the shutter provides shade but not total darkness. Overall the room could be better maintained.
The restaurant is very good and offers a very nice atmosphere. The wine bar is nice but not good value for money. Breakfast is served in the new premises which are not so nice but we could go upstairs on the terrace so it was perfectly fine (though the renovation work while we stayed made it difficult some days to enjoy breakfast). The jam and juices are very good, but is was difficult to get hot water for a tea, and the pastries were not very good. And there is no novelty at all, so after 7 days we felt a bit bored with the limited offer. Overall the food is not at the same standard as the rest of the hotel.
Service was friendly. On the last day the pool products ruined the colour of our bathing suits. We mentioned it to réception who said they would pass on the message but no commercial gesture.
Overall Value was ok because we had the cheapest room and the place in itself (both in the village and out of the village) is beautiful and quiet.
The village offers lots of restaurants within 2 mins' walk where you can eat well: Picotte was very good.
I love your website so please keep going, you are doing a great job!

9/10, , December 2023

This is a fabulous place - staggeringly beautiful and very charming. The staff are all wonderful and ensure you will have a lovely time playing tennis, swimming, and eating at the elegant, bohemian Jardin Secret. Thank you all.

10/10, , October 2023

A little piece of heaven. We loved everything about it and found it hard to drag ourselves away. Perfect location with the gorgeous village of Cotignac only a short walk away. Lovely friendly staff. The food was excellent.

10/10, , September 2023

Lou Calen is a true gem in the charming town of Cotignac, which is mostly unspoilt by heavy tourism. The grounds of the property are wonderful, and the pool (which we had no time to use) looks very inviting. With more time we would also have taken advantage of the tennis court. The “piece de resistance” of our stay was the amazing dinner at “Jardin secret”, the hotel restaurant, where we enjoyed a superb meal with fantastic local wine. Our room was very comfortable with a beautiful patio that overlooked the lush gardens. We will definitely return to Lou Calen!

10/10, , June 2023
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