Chemin du Lac 04160 Chateau-Arnoux − France
Member of Relais & Chateaux
EXCELLENCE IN PROVENCE
In Giono's country, amid singing cicadas and the intoxicating fragrance of lavender, Relais & Chateaux La Bonne Etape whets your appetite!
With its modern comforts, culinary delights and green spaces, the hotel at Château-Arnoux Saint-Auban, between Manosque and Sisteron, is a perfect place to stay.Settle into the gentle pace of life at of our Relais & Châteaux in Provence, where "pleasing you is our pleasure..."
Nestled in the fragrant hills of Haute-Provence, la Bonne Etape in Château-Arnoux is a welcoming former 18th century post house where it's a joy to seek refuge! The hotel boasts 18 fully equipped rooms and suites with views of the garden, the pool or the mountains... all the pleasures of a traditional house, the ideal place for sharing and meeting.
The hotel in Château-Arnoux Saint-Auban, an authentically charming house, invites you to spend an exceptional stay in a snug, stylish and relaxing home from home.
Near the fireplace in the dining room or in the cosy atmosphere of the bar, where you can sample your choice of apéritifs and liqueurs, the days are as beautiful as the nights!
For several generations, the Gleize family have owned this former 18th century post house and infused it with their magic!
The family home, now Hotel la Bonne Etape, welcomes travellers and food-lovers from all over the world looking to recharge their batteries during a country break.
In a setting worthy of a Giono novel, the hotel opens its heart to the village on one side, and to the hills on the other. In the summer, the shady corners, the pool and the terrace are gentle refuges for a timeless getaway.
The kitchen garden alongside is perfect for acting out "Reveries of a Solitary Walker", or the pursuit of happiness!
It all started with a broken down motorbike on a lane near Château-Arnoux. Pierre Gleize, a confectioner, chanced on Arlette Rey, whose family own the former post house, which has gradually been converted into a hotel. Their marriage led to the birth of Jany, but also to the birth of Hotel la Bonne Etape, a symbol of their meeting. Pierre and Arlette completely redesigned this 18th century house which had been in Arlette's family since 1911. The 4-star Relais & Châteaux in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence celebrates the Provençal terroir and identity of yesteryear. Jany Gleize conveys his love for his region through his generous cooking with its musical notes.
The room where the wheat was ground became the fine dining room, the stable became the kitchen, and the adjoining house became the dining room of the "Au Gout du Jour" restaurant. In the old laundry hanging room, the water now drains into the pool.
The square opposite – "la place d'en face", as the old-timers used to say – is now a secure car park which ensures our guests can rest easy at night.
On the route Napoléon linking the Alps to the Côte d’Azur, La Bonne Etape, a Relais & Châteaux in Provence, offers you a warm welcome all year round in a dream setting.
The 4-star hotel has 18 characterful rooms, all equipped with all modern comforts and decorated in different styles with period furniture.
Spend a charming and comfortable holiday for two in our beautiful region, in one of our delightful superior rooms (around 30 m²). Bathroom with a bath and/or shower.
The 30 sq m superior deluxe rooms (kingsize or twin beds) have a private groundfloor terrace or a balcony a balcony on the first floor of the house with garden or pool views. Bathroom with bathtub and/or shower. Our deluxe rooms are perfect for a romantic break in Provence.
The 35 sq m suites offer modern comforts, including a living room and a room with a XXL bed or twin beds. TV in the bedroom and the living room. View of the garden or the pool and surrounding hills. Bathroom with bathtub and/or shower.
"Anybody who wishes to enter these happy lands, will find the doors open."
Jean Giono
Here in Haute Provence, let your gaze wander from the Alps to the Mediterranean, taking in characterful villages in the sunlit Durance valley. Sisteron and its citadel, Château-Arnoux–Saint-Auban and the chapel of Saint-Jean decorated by Bernar Venet, Monfort and the church of St-Donat, the out-of-this-world silhouettes of the Pénitents des Mées, the priory of Ganagobie, Lurs sitting on its spur, Manosque and its medieval old town, the earthenware of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie…
La Bonne Etape, near the Haute Provence geological nature reserve, offers stunning views of mountains, hills and fields of lavender!
Welcome to Hotel-restaurant La Bonne Étape, a family home which combines intimacy with authenticity, and gastronomy with harmony. Take advantage of the welcoming setting to try the cooking you love, a traditional cuisine that stirs the emotions. Decorated in golden hues with period furniture and objects, the dining room offers an intimate ambiance, ideal for private or business meals. The chef and his team will take pleasure in helping you find the right fixed-price menu or choose from the à la carte selection, before wishing you a hearty "bon appétit"!
The restaurant at Château-Arnoux serves harmonious, tasty dishes which are light and balanced, and overflowing with seasonal vegetables. Inspired by the wonders of the kitchen garden, and attaching great importance to the quality and provenance of his meat and fish, Jany Gleize's cooking offers a fresh take on the Provençal recipes of his grandmother Gabrielle. The desserts, including the famous lavender-scented honey ice cream served in a bee hive, pay tribute to Pierre, his confectioner father and Paul, pastry and grandfather of Jany.
Jany Gleize, a local lad born in Château-Arnoux, took over the reins at the family home. Just like his parents Arlette and Pierre, he conveys his passion for his region in his flavoursome, colourful cooking, a cuisine which tells stories.
La Bonne Étape restaurant in Château-Arnoux has been awarded one Michelin star. Chef Jany Gleize is a Maître Cuisinier de France, literally a Master Chef!
The hotel's second restaurant, "Au Goût du Jour" boasts a warm, simple local style with a menu that changes daily to serve the best the market and kitchen garden have to offer, and reflect our passing fancies. It is our pleasure to invite you to share the flavours of our beautiful region, to discover the fine wines from neighbouring regions, or to choose from the grands crus on our menu.
Enjoy them in the dining room decorated in the colours of Provence, or on the terrace in the summer.
Our restaurant is open every day!
To take home some of the tastes of La Bonne Etape, we offer you, depending on the season, a few dishes selected especially for you.
For your events, parties or receptions, we will spare no efforts to rise to the challenge.
On request:
Treat yourself to cookery classes with our Michelin-starred chef and discover the beautiful flavours of Provence. The chef will share with you a cuisine with its roots in a region where the sun transforms colours into fragrances...
Jany Gleize's afternoon classes are designed to bring people together, introduce them to his cooking and make them want to cook in a spirit of togetherness, sharing and generosity.
A blend of theory and practice: what better treat for your taste buds?
FEED YOUR INNER CHILD!
The pastry classes take place on Saturday afternoons from 3 till 5.
Depending on the time of year, you'll learn to make bread, pastries, ice creams, sorbets, fruity puddings and other desserts, éclairs, choux buns, a thousand and one chocolate cakes, and Yule logs.
Unmissable opportunities for all food-lovers, young and old!
The organic kitchen garden next to the house, Jany Gleize's pride and joy, bears the name "Jean Rey" in tribute to his grandfather, a farmer. Neglected varieties, vegetables, herbs, flowers and fruit trees grow side-by-side in a skillfully plotted yet rustic garden.
The English-style garden with Provençal touches is a great place to get away from it all and potter – depending on which way the wind is blowing! The chef-proprietor, if he's available, will gladly explain the ins and outs of his organic-style garden, where we don't turn the soil over with a spade any more, we gently aerate it with a "grelinette"! So much to do!
Please fill this form for individuals or for groups and you shall receive an answer written by a live person at La Bonne Etape. This is the only way you can know exactly what room types are available for the dates you want, and the best possible rate, because you are dealing directly with the hotel.
Bear in mind that websites set up to give an automatic answer, work with allocated quotas given by the hotel, therefore when it appears there are no rooms available for the date you want, this is not necessarily true, because they never allocate ALL the rooms to third parties.
Hotel: La Bonne Etape
Address: Chemin du Lac 04160 Chateau-Arnoux
Region: Cote d´Azur
Country: France
Official website: http://www.bonneetape.com/en/
Telephone: +33 (0)4 92 64 00 09
Fax: +33 (0)4 92 64 37 36
Hotel email: contact@bonneetape.com
If you are arriving from the north: take the motorway as far as Grenoble, then the RN75 via Sisteron or RN85 (Route Napoléon) via Gap, then the A51 as far as the Aubignosc exit (junction 21). La Bonne Étape is 3 km from the exit.
If you are coming from the south (Marseille, Monaco, Montpellier, Cannes, Nice).
Take the A51 motorway. Don't take the Château Arnoux-St Auban exit, instead take the next exit at Aubignosc (junction 21), and follow the signs for Château-Arnoux. La Bonne Étape is 3 km from the exit.
Route Napoléon (N 85) takes you from the French Alps to the Côte d’Azur. Halfway, La Bonne Etape is the perfect place to stop.
Verdon Gorge and its breathtaking panoramic views are on the way from Cannes or Saint-Tropez.
Luberon: you'll enjoy the Avignon road (120 km on the N100), which winds through beautiful villages and attractions like Apt and Forcalquier.
Just one hour from the TGV station at Aix en Provence and 90 minutes from Marseille Saint-Charles.
Five minutes from the station at Château-Arnoux - Saint-Auban.
One hour from MARSEILLE PROVENCE international airport.
Five minutes from Saint-Auban airfield – 20 minutes from Tallard airfield.