Les LILLAS

Such a lovely place.

The room was spacious and very nice, with a view of the little village of Saint Jeannette, but it was too remote for us. The two hosts did make an effort and suggested excursions. Still, the evening before we left, they subtly reminded us to vacate by 10 pm. They thanked us politely, but the exchange felt odd. There were notes everywhere: slippers were provided and a reminder asked guests to remove their shoes indoors; another note said not to put suitcases on the bed. The bathroom window had a request to use air conditioning only with the windows shut, though once the room reached 25 degrees Celsius, it switched off by itself. Breakfast was very meager: a few baguette slices, two pieces of cheese, three little dollops of jam, a small yogurt and applesauce, and sometimes a pancake. We were expected to load our own dishes into the dishwasher, and on the last morning there was nothing savory left.

We found the experience quite mixed. The room was clean and practical, and the pool was lovely, but the garden was neglected, with grass that hadn't been cut in a long time. It's a shame, since the B&B is well placed in the Nice hinterland. Breakfast started well, but the second morning was much worse: stale bread, cold coffee, and hardly any jam for the two couples. The owners were away that morning and also weren't there when we left. A text and a note on the breakfast table said they had to go at 5:00 AM. We arrived in sweltering heat and got no welcome, not even food or a cold glass of water. The husband was pleasant, while the wife came across as rigid and uptight. There were lots of verbal instructions and notes around the house: no shoes indoors, don't set the air conditioning below 25°C, no bags on the bed, keep windows and shutters shut, and load everything into the dishwasher after breakfast. We were also told not to leave crumbs because magpies were supposedly hungry, though I didn't see one in two days. Just after we arrived, the owner left a note asking for the tourist tax even though we were staying two nights.

The hosts were friendly and helpful, the decor was stylish, and the bathroom was modern. There's a magnificent view and a small pool, and breakfast was delicious enough for royalty. Parking is in a small semi-public bay on a quiet cul-de-sac, which might be tricky with a large sedan. The road up is quite steep near the top, so low sports coupes with front spoilers need to be very careful. The space is on a private road, but the property itself isn't gated or fenced. Check-in times are strict, with arrival no later than 7:30 pm.