Le Vallon de Valrugues Hotel Spa & Villas in St. Remy-de-Provence

Unfortunately, we did not have the experience we were hoping for at Le Vallon de Valrugues. I think this hotel is misclassed -- it's a solid 4-star experience, but otherwise the luxury is largely skin-deep. Also, the art around the property is egregious and they really need to get rid of those tacky country flags outside 😂

The aspects that met a 5-star standard for us were:

1. The quality of the steak and vegetables at dinner;
2. The overall aesthetic of the outdoor areas (though much of this can be attributed to the natural beauty of Provence);
3. The bed sheets.

These are some areas we found especially disappointing:

1. We were placed in a room directly over what we can only assume was the utility area and/or loading dock of the premises. We actually wouldn't have minded the view itself if it hadn't been for the excessive amount of mechanical noise first thing in the morning. As we only stayed one night and were eager to leave, we didn't raise this issue with management.

2. Mandatory valet is not ideal or accessible for everyone who is travelling by car. For people who require more time and personal space -- especially after a long journey -- it's very uncomfortable to have members of staff hovering over you while you disembark. I think more awareness and discretion around the actual needs and preferences of the guests in this regard would improve the quality of service.

3. While most of the staff were courteous, we found our server at The Valrugues Bar to be excessively rude and obnoxious. When we asked to sit outside, this Particular Server insisted that reservations for the outdoor area were fully booked for the entire evening. Not only was this the opposite of what hotel reception had advised us, but we couldn't help noticing that more than half the outdoor tables were empty for the 2 hours or so we were there. Perhaps we can just chalk that one up to quirky seating operations.

The rest of the experience, however, was less ambiguous. Despite the rest of the staff being proficient enough in English to help manage our stay and the dinner menu including an English version, this Particular Server claimed not to speak any English at all and then acted like he didn't understand my basic French -- which thus far has been sufficient enough to get me around the entire rest of the country. I may not be able to orchestrate a rocket launch in French, but I can definitely order a meal.

Then when we ordered our food, this Particular Server actually PUSHED BACK to say he didn't think what we were ordering was suitable (we wanted to share a salad and a steak) and launched into a long explanation *in French* about what we *ought* to order. Funny behavior for someone who seems so aware of dealing with people who don't speak French.

Another behavior we found quite aggressive is that every time he passed our table -- meaning not when he was coming to address us or drop off a drink, but simply passing by to get elsewhere -- he would DRUM HIS HANDS on the empty chair next to my partner (we were seated with an extra chair). I noticed he did not repeat this behavior with any of the other guests in the restaurant, despite an abundance of extra chairs and his bopping around constantly.

I don't know if he had some kind of problem serving non-white people, or people younger than himself, or if he just hated our dogs -- who were in perfect comportment -- but his behavior was not subtle. I don't think it was the language thing, as there were at least 3 other non-French parties that came through -- American, British, and Australian/NZ -- and he was perfectly gracious with them.

To close out on a positive note, the live performer at dinner was wonderful! His vibe was on point and helped us stay relaxed during these otherwise frustrating interactions 😅