Coquillade Provence is the Luberon hotel for couples who want vineyards outside the window and a serious spa within walking distance of the room. It is a Relais & Châteaux estate built around an 11th-century hamlet near the village of Gargas, close to Apt, on a hilltop looking toward the Luberon Regional Natural Park. The estate makes its own wine, the vines run right up to the buildings and the views take in hilltop villages and the Luberon ridge.
It is bigger than it first looks, with about 69 rooms and suites, three restaurants, two bars, a spa with a heated indoor pool and outdoor hot tubs, plus a cycling program that is one of the best in Provence. Yet the stone lanes of the old hamlet keep it feeling like a village rather than a resort.
It suits couples who like wine, food and active mornings followed by lazy afternoons. Families and pets are welcome, so it is not a place for total seclusion, but the five Luberon Suites in their own private wing come close.
Highlights at a glance
- Restored 11th-century hamlet in the estate's vineyards
- Five Luberon Suites with terrace hot tubs
- Large spa with indoor pool and outdoor hot tubs
- Estate wines and winery tastings
- Guided cycling and a bike clinic
Why Couples Love Coquillade
The estate feels like a small Provençal village that happens to have excellent service. Stone houses, shaded lanes and terraces have been restored from the original medieval hamlet and the Charm Rooms sit inside these old buildings. Everywhere you look there are vines, olive trees and lavender.
Couples come for the rhythm of the place. Mornings start with a ride or a walk through the vineyards, then long lunches overlooking the vines. Afternoons pass at the pool or the spa and dinner comes with a bottle of the estate's own wine. The Luberon's best villages, including Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux and Lourmarin, are all within a half-hour drive, so it makes a comfortable base for a week. Guests often say the staff strike the right balance between attentive and relaxed.
Rooms and Suites to Book
There is a wide range, so it helps to know what to ask for.
- Classic Rooms (about 30 m²) are comfortable and the entry price.
- Charm Rooms (about 30 m²) are in the original hamlet, with more character and old stone walls.
- Junior Suites (about 50 m²) add a sitting area.
- The five Luberon Suites are the honeymoon pick. They sit in a private wing next to the spa with their own entrance. Elysia, Cyrène and Ida are each about 645 square feet and Daphné about 1,184 square feet. Each has a landscaped terrace with a hot tub set into wooden decking and a wine fridge stocked with estate wines.
- Cassiopée, the largest at about 1,614 square feet, has a heated outdoor lap pool, a solarium and a private sauna.
The estate villa sleeps up to 14 with its own pool, which suits a wedding party.
Food, Wine and the Spa
Les Vignes & Son Jardin is the main restaurant, open every evening, with long meals looking over the vineyards and a menu built on Provençal produce. Cipressa serves Italian-leaning food at lunch every day and dinner on Friday and Saturday. Bar Coquillade opens from mid-afternoon to late evening and the Ange Bleu bar is reserved for hotel guests. The estate's own wines appear on every list and you can book a winery visit and tasting.
The spa is one of the largest in the Luberon. It has a heated indoor pool, three outdoor hot tubs, a hammam, a sauna, a steam bath, Kneipp basins, an ice fall and a private sun garden. Treatments include vinotherapy and phytotherapy, using grapes and plants and there are yoga and aqua classes. Book couples' treatments before you arrive in summer.
Why guests fall for it
Cycling and Things to Do
Cycling is a big part of Coquillade's identity. The hotel organizes rides through the Luberon's vineyards and canyons and runs a bike clinic offering fitting sessions, so a keen rider and a casual rider can both enjoy it. Quiet back roads link the hilltop villages and the ochre cliffs of Roussillon and the Colorado Provençal near Rustrel are close.
Off the bike, visit the Saturday market in Apt, one of the best in Provence and walk the lanes of Gordes and Bonnieux. Sénanque Abbey's lavender usually blooms from late June to mid-July. The concierge can arrange truffle hunts in season, wine tastings and hot-air balloon flights. Summer afternoons are hot, so do anything active early and save the pool for later.
Getting There
Marseille Provence Airport (MRS) is about 1 hour 15 minutes away by car. For rail travelers, Avignon TGV station is about 50 minutes, with fast trains from Paris taking around 2 hours 40 minutes. Nice (NCE) has more international flights but is about three hours away.
A rental car is close to essential for exploring the Luberon, since buses between villages are infrequent and the best restaurants are scattered. The hotel can arrange transfers if you would rather not drive on the day you arrive. Parking is on site. If you are combining Provence with Paris, many couples take the train south, pick up a car at Avignon and drop it back at the end. The estate is easy to reach on good roads, without the narrow lanes of a hilltop village.
Is It Worth It?
Coquillade sits in the luxury range for the Luberon, with summer rates noticeably higher than in spring and autumn. Prices vary widely by season and room, so treat any figure as approximate and look at direct-booking offers, which sometimes include extra nights.
It is worth it if you will use the spa, enjoy wine and want a base where the hotel itself is part of the holiday. The Luberon Suites, with their private terraces and hot tubs, are among the most romantic rooms in Provence. Pick elsewhere if you want a hotel inside a village you can walk around at night, in which case La Bastide in Gordes is better. If you want a smaller, quieter house, a rented mas or a boutique bastide will feel more intimate. Families and dogs are welcome, which may matter in August.
Insider tips
- Book a Luberon Suite for the private terrace hot tub; Cassiopée has its own heated lap pool.
- Ask for a Charm Room in the old hamlet if you prefer character over modern space.
- Go to the Saturday market in Apt early, before the heat and the crowds.
- Book a winery tasting on your first day so you know which bottles to order at dinner.
