An Enchanting New Provençal Retreat

The Luberon — a beautiful region of vineyards and lavender fields that begins just east of Avignon and rolls on to the foothills near Apt — is one of my favorite areas of France because it concentrates all there is to love about Provence. Having known it well for years, I also have great respect for the tenacity with which its inhabitants fend off threats to its charm and authenticity, most recently the real estate boom that followed the opening of the TGV line from Lyon to Marseille, new tracks that made it more accessible to weekending Parisians.

My affection notwithstanding, I’ve often wondered why the Luberon lacked a really great hotel. To be sure, it has some very nice bed-and-breakfasts, but it has long needed a true luxury establishment with real Provençal style and hospitality. And that was just what I hoped to find at the new 28-room La Coquillade in Gargas, five miles east of delightful Roussillon.

Crowning a hillside planted with vineyards, this 70-acre property comprises six renovated farmhouses and outlying buildings (the most ancient of which date to the 11th century), all with terra cotta-tiled roofs, gray wooden shutters and pale ochre stucco walls with stone-trimmed windows.

To be honest, we were disappointed by a rather perfunctory welcome at the front desk, but we instantly fell in love with our Junior Suite. This came with cool quarry tiles, a beamed ceiling and ample closet space. The sitting area was furnished with cotton-upholstered sofas and an easy-to-operate entertainment center. Up a short flight of stone stairs, we found a white bedroom with modern paintings and a comfortable bed topped by a linen fiber-filled comforter. The spacious and well-lit bath was equipped with separate shower and tub. This pretty and private suite was exactly what we’d been looking for in the Luberon all these years.

After a lazy afternoon of swimming, reading and gazing at the sublime panoramic view, we returned to our private terrace to listen to the splash of a fountain and to sip a glass of chilled rosé.

Since it was a hot day, we set off to the pool. There, we found loungers scattered through gardens dotted with olive trees, as well as canvas awnings for those who prefer shade. A bar serves drinks and light meals. And unlike their colleagues at the front desk, the pool staff were charm personified. After a lazy afternoon of swimming, reading and gazing at the sublime panoramic view, we returned to our private terrace to listen to the splash of a fountain and to sip a glass of chilled rosé.

La Coquillade offers a number of excellent dining venues, including Le Gourmet, a gastronomic restaurant where we enjoyed artichoke ravioli with ginger, followed by delicious saddle of lamb with mushroom polenta. Le Bistrot serves traditional Mediterranean cuisine; while our favorite, open-air Le Jardin dans les Vignes, offers a simple menu of dishes cooked over a wood-fired grill. Although it was convenient to have so many options on the premises, we also set aside an evening to visit one of our favorite Luberon bistros: Le Fournil in Bonnieux.

Activities on the property include winery tours and tennis. Swiss-made BMC bicycles are available for rent, as are several vintage cars, including a Jaguar E-Type and a Triumph TR4. The nearest golf is at the Provence Country Club, 16 miles away.

Though the service could use some fine-tuning, overall, this is a splendid property from which it is hard to drag yourself away. But it would be a shame not to explore, as the famously picturesque Luberon villages of Bonnieux, Gordes, Goult and Ménerbes are all within 30 minutes’ drive.

La Coquillade 92 Junior Suite, $330-$495; Superior Suite, $495-$730; Luxury Jacuzzi Suite, $670-$1,005. Domaine de la Coquillade, Gargas. Tel. (33) 4-90-74-71-71.