Where We Stayed for Two Weeks in France: Paris, Burgundy, and Provence

If you have been following along on the blog, you know that Steve and I just wrapped up two weeks in France. We spent three days each in Paris, Beaune in Burgundy, Bonnieux in the Luberon, and L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue in Provence. Four properties with four very different experiences. All of them memorable, and all of them firmly on the go-back list.

I didn’t plan this trip they way I normally plant trips, obsessively, with spreadsheets and millions of recommendations. I had to let go and plan this trip in a bit of a rush. However, my criteria are always the same: character over cookie-cutter, location that makes sense for what we want to do, and staff who actually seem pleased to have you there. We found all of that, with a few honest caveats along the way.

Here is the full rundown on where we stayed for two weeks in France: Paris, Burgundy, and Provence, what the rooms were like, what made each property unique, and what I would tell you if we were sitting across from each other with a glass of Burgundy in hand.

The Hoxton Paris — 2nd Arrondissement, Paris

3 Nights

The vibe: Cool, design-forward, effortlessly Parisian without trying too hard about it.

The Hoxton brand has figured out something that a lot of hotels haven’t: that the lobby and the bar matter as much as the room. The Paris outpost, tucked into the 2nd arrondissement, absolutely delivers on that. The moment you walk in, you feel like you are somewhere. The bar buzzes in the best way, the design is layered and interesting, and the staff — genuinely one of the friendliest and most helpful hotel teams I have encountered anywhere — manage to make a large, busy hotel feel almost personal.

The room: Great, with one caveat — and that caveat is square footage. The Hoxton rooms in Paris are on the smaller side, which is very much in keeping with Paris generally, and if you are coming from American hotel expectations you may need a moment to adjust. Once you do, you realize the room has everything you actually need and the design makes excellent use of the space. It is stylish and comfortable and you will spend most of your time out in the city anyway, which is entirely the point.

The honest assessment:

• ✓ Ambiance and design — one of the best hotel atmospheres of the trip
• ✓ Bar — genuinely great, worth a drink even if you’re not staying there
• ✓ Staff — exceptionally helpful, warm, and knowledgeable
• ✓ Location in the 2nd — central, walkable, well-connected
• △ Room size — smallish; if space is a priority, book their larger room category
• ✓ Would we stay again? Without question.

Book The Hoxton Paris: https://thehoxton.com/paris

Places Where we ate and Loved in Paris

Poulette — This restaurant was suggested by a reader and did not disappoint.Tucked into the 1st arrondissement in a beautifully restored Art Nouveau building with intricate tilework and frescoes, Poulette is the kind of place that reminds you why Paris dining has the reputation it does. The menu is seasonal and short, and the atmosphere is exactly right: lively without being loud, beautiful without being precious.

La Bourse et La Vie — A classic Parisian bistro in the truest sense, run by American chef Daniel Rose, who has assembled an impressive roster of extremely classic French dishes. Steve enjoyed the duck a l’orange. The steak frites are said to be legendary. The setting is cosy green and grey velvet, warm and generous, everything a Paris bistro should be. Not cheap, but it absolutely delivers.

Hôtel Abbaye de Maizières — Beaune, Burgundy

3 Nights

The vibe: Sleeping inside history.

Beaune is one of those towns that makes you wonder why you don’t live there, and Hôtel Abbaye de Maizières, a converted 12th-century abbey right in the heart of the old city, is the kind of place that makes you want to cancel your flight home. The property has been thoughtfully restored while keeping all the architectural soul intact: stone walls, vaulted ceilings, a sense of quiet and permanence that you simply cannot manufacture.

Breakfast in the abbey caves was one of the genuine highlights of the entire trip. I want you to picture this: a candlelit, vaulted underground cave that was once part of a medieval abbey, laid out for a beautiful morning breakfast. I We went down every single morning and I was never once not delighted by it.

The room: Luxurious, large, and full of beautiful details. This was the most spacious room of the trip and it showed — high ceilings, gorgeous linens, a real sense of arrival. There is one logistical note worth mentioning: the room is accessed via a small spiral staircase, which is charming in the way that medieval architecture always is, and also a genuine consideration if stairs are a concern for you. Worth flagging before you book so you can request an alternative if needed.

Thibault, the day staff member who helped us throughout our stay, deserves a specific mention. He handled reservations, restaurant recommendations, and approximately forty of my questions with patience and genuine warmth. The kind of person who makes a trip.

The honest assessment:

• ✓ Ambiance — unlike anywhere else
• ✓ Breakfast in the caves — a special treat
• ✓ Room — luxurious and spacious, one of the best rooms of the trip
• ✓ Staff, especially Thibault — exceptional
• ✓ Location — right in the heart of Beaune, walk everywhere
• △ Spiral staircase to the room — charming but worth knowing about in advance
• ✓ Would we stay again? Absolutely yes.

Book Hôtel Abbaye de Maizières: https://www.abbayemaizieres.com

Where We Ate in Beaune

Caves Madeleine — A wine bar and restaurant that is exactly what you want after a day in Burgundy’s vineyards. Chef Martial Blanchon works closely with local producers to create wholesome, punchy cuisine that lets the ingredients do the talking. The setting wine crates, a big blackboard menu, a communal table in the middle of the room iis wonderfully unfussy, and the wine list is, as you would expect in Beaune, exceptional. In nice weather, the terrace is the place to be. This is the kind of place you could eat at every night and never tire of it.

L’Écrit’Vin — Right on Place Carnot in the heart of Beaune, L’Écrit’Vin , parisian bistro meets Burgundian classics all under one roof. Chef Etienne Wolff and his son Julien run a kitchen that takes the great French standards and executes them with real care and pride. The atmosphere is warm and friendly, the wine list leans heavily Burgundy (as it should), and the desserts are worth saving room for. A very solid choice for a relaxed Beaune evening.

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Capelongue — Bonnieux, Luberon, Provence

3 Nights

The vibe: Hilltop Luberon perfection. The views alone justify the booking. If only it hadn’t rained!

Capelongue sits above the village of Bonnieux with the kind of panoramic view over the Luberon that you see on screensavers and assume is slightly exaggerated. It is not exaggerated. If anything, the photographs undersell it. The grounds are beautifully kept, the property has a serene, unhurried quality that settles over you within about twenty minutes of arriving, and the room was absolutely fabulous, well-designed, comfortable, and with a lovely patio to enjoy a glass of wine after a day of sightseeing.

Breakfast was one of the best of the trip, abundant, beautifully presented, and served in a setting that made it impossible to be in a hurry.

The restaurant: Here is where I will give you my honest opinion, because that is what you come here for. Capelongue has a Michelin-recognized restaurant, and the food is genuinely excellent. However, and this is a genuine however, the service was extraordinarily slow. Not in the pleasant, unhurried French way that I love. Slow in the way where you find yourself checking the time and doing mental calculations about whether you will make it back to your room before midnight. We would not do the full Michelin dinner again. The breakfast and more casual dining? Absolutely. But if you are planning an evening at the restaurant, go in with patience and no early morning plans the next day. We were there for four hours!

The honest assessment:

• ✓ Views — spectacular, everything you hope for
• ✓ Room — fabulous, beautifully appointed
• ✓ Grounds — serene, beautifully maintained
• ✓ Breakfast — one of the best of the trip
• ✓ Location above Bonnieux — magical
• △ Michelin restaurant service — very slow; adjust expectations accordingly
• ✓ Would we stay again? Yes — and we’d stick with the fabulous breakfast and casual dinners at La Bergerie

Book Capelongue: https://www.capelongue.com

Where We Ate in the Bonnieux Area

La Bergerie — This is actually the more casual restaurant on the Capelongue property, and frankly it is where the magic happens. Wood-fired cooking, Provençal produce, truffle pizza at aperitif hour, and that terrace overlooking the village of Bonnieux with the golden Luberon light doing its thing as the sun goes down. La Bergerie is a celebration of the Provençal art of living in the most literal sense — relaxed, generous, deeply rooted in place. This is the Capelongue dining experience I would go back for without hesitation.

Maison de la Truffe et du Vin du Luberon — Located in the beautiful village of Ménerbes in a 17th-century building classified as a historic monument, this is part restaurant, part wine bar, part truffle emporium, and fabulously wonderful. A terrace lunch here with views over the Luberon and a glass from their selection of 170 local wines is one of those simple, perfect French experiences. The truffle dishes are the obvious order, this is Luberon truffle country and they take it seriously. Highly recommend as a lunch stop if you are driving through the Luberon villages.

Maison Sur la Sorgue — L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Provence

3 Nights

The vibe: Not a hotel. A home. The most personal and atmospheric stay of the entire trip.

L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is famous for its antiques market, apparently one of the best in all of France, and Maison Sur la Sorgue is, fittingly, a property that feels like the most beautiful, art-filled home you have ever been invited into. We were there when the market wasn’t running, which I will get to in a moment, but even without the market the property and the town more than delivered.

The room was absolutely fabulous. Decorated with an extraordinary eye, thoughtful, art-filled, layered with interesting objects and beautiful textiles. Every corner had something worth looking at. It felt like staying inside someone’s very well-curated life, which is exactly the kind of accommodation I am always chasing and rarely find.

Frédéric, who runs the property, is an absolute delight. He made breakfast every morning, a delicious, personal, unhurried breakfast.

The whole experience of staying there felt hosted rather than hoteled. The surrounding gallery and the art throughout the property added another dimension entirely. This is not a place for people who want a generic hotel experience. It is a place for people who want to feel like they actually live somewhere beautiful for a few days.

One practical note: L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is a village where parking is public and nearly all properties require a short walk from wherever you leave the car in a public parking lot.Maison Sur la Sorgue is no different from anything else in the village in that regard. What matters is that the property itself is beautifully situated right in the center, with wonderful wine bars and restaurants within easy walking distance. We strolled out every evening and never once wished we were somewhere else.

On the market: We would love to go back specifically when the famous antiques market is running. If you are an antique people, like we are, timing your visit around the market would be worth it. It runs on Sundays year-round and Thursday mornings, with a larger version on Easter and Pentecost weekends.

The honest assessment:

• ✓ Room — absolutely fabulous, the most beautifully decorated of the trip
• ✓ Frédéric — warm, delightful, makes the stay feel genuinely personal
• ✓ Breakfast — delicious, personal, one of the highlights of each morning in the beautifully decorated kitchen or in the courtyard
• ✓ Art and design throughout — extraordinary, unlike any other property
• ✓ Wine bars and restaurants within walking distance — excellent
• A short walk to get everywhere, which we loved but worth knowing
• ✓ Would we stay again? Yes, and next time we’re timing it for the market.

Book Maison Sur la Sorgue: https://www.maisonsurlasorgue.com

Maison Sur la Sogue-Harpers Bazaar-Travel Reviews

Where We Ate in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

Le Jardin du Quai — One of those restaurants you walk into and immediately feel fortunate to have a reservation. Chef Daniel Hébet is Michelin recognized, runs this celebrated garden restaurant with his wife Stéphanie, and the whole experience feels like being welcomed into a very gracious home. The cuisine is fresh-market Provençal, changing with the seasons, served in a lush wisteria-scented garden alongside the Sorgue river. There is no à la carte you trust the chef, which in this case is extremely easy to do. One of the best meals in the most charming spot of the whole trip.

La Balade des Saveurs — A Michelin-recognized gem right on the Quai Jean-Jaurès with a terrace running along the picturesque river Sorgue. Run by Benjamin and Sophie Fabre, this is traditional Provençal cooking done with real care and seasonal intelligence — the menu changes constantly based on what the market offers, which is exactly the right approach in a town this connected to its terroir. The setting is lovely, the service warm, and the prices are remarkably reasonable for the quality on offer. A wonderful, unfussy evening.

The Full Picture: Two Weeks, Four Properties, Zero Regrets

Every property on this trip was chosen for a reason, and every one of them delivered something distinct and memorable. The Hoxton for Paris energy and effortless cool. The Abbaye de Maizières for the kind of historic immersion that you simply cannot get anywhere else. Capelongue for those Luberon views and that Provençal hilltop serenity. And Maison Sur la Sorgue for the most personal, art-filled, genuinely hosted experience of the trip.

If I had to send a friend to just one? I could not do it. They were all the right choice for where we were and what we wanted to feel in that moment. Which is, I think, the whole point of travel.

Questions about any of these properties? Ask me in the comments. I am happy to go deeper on any of them. And if you missed the packing post, that’s linked below.

What I Packed (and Actually Wore) for Two Weeks in France: Paris, Burgundy & Provence in Late April–May