La Maison de l'Olivier

We slept really well, thanks to the quiet setting and comfortable beds. The rooms were spacious and beautiful, as nice as any hotel I’ve stayed in. Florian and Emmanuelle were welcoming, kind, and quick to respond. We were there with friends for two nights at la maison de l’Olivier à Avignon, and the garden and patio made a lovely place to eat together. You’d never guess from the walk up how gorgeous the property is. Once through the gate, it feels like a beautiful sanctuary in the middle of the city. Highly recommend!

The yard felt like a little oasis, and we were made very welcome. The service and location are hard to beat, and the owners were generous, kind, and easy to communicate with. We had one of the small rooms that’s usually not offered, but is opened during the festival. It was comfortable and nicely decorated, though the strong smell of damp and mold made it clear the room doesn’t get opened often. I considered changing hotels, but with only two nights I stayed and spent as much time as possible in the communal areas to avoid the smell. The first night I felt like throwing up, and I did wonder if it was healthy. I can’t speak for the other rooms, though I hear they’re great. I’d stay again, but not in that room.

I wouldn’t recommend this property based on my stay. I booked two nights and was given a lower-category room than I’d reserved. The bathroom had a strong unpleasant smell, the window looked out at a wall instead of the promised view, and I hadn’t been told the room had a waterbed. It caused severe back pain, and I had to get up in the middle of the night and sleep on the floor because I couldn’t rest on it. This felt more like a family-run guesthouse, with a family owning two houses and renting rooms, than an actual hotel. There was no formal reception or breakfast, and the high gates on a very narrow street made access inconvenient. The family was polite and friendly, but they handled payment issues and disputes very poorly. After we left early because of these problems, they refused to refund the three unused nights, almost €1,000, and ignored our follow-up emails. Their responses to our calls were very rude. I later found out they had resold my room for those nights, effectively charging two guests for the same booking. That felt deeply unfair. The service, transparency, and fairness fell far below what I expect from a hotel. I don’t understand the many positive reviews. If you decide to stay, I’d check the room, bed type, view, and facilities before committing to more than one night.

You’d never guess from the street that there’s such a beautiful pool and hot tub tucked into the gardens. This is an amazing oasis in the heart of Avignon’s old town, and the hosts are incredibly kind, treating guests like family. The in-room jacuzzi tubs and high-tech showers were a lovely bonus too. Highly recommend.