People are always asking me for advice on where to go in Provence and though I am constantly forming and revising a ‘master’ list of restaurants, activities and worthy sights, I wanted to put up a few basic recommendations for where to stay in the area of Luberon.  Though I have not had the pleasure of visiting each of the places listed, they have been recommended to me through well-trusted sources and I look forward to your comments and feedback should you have the opportunity to visit.  The hotel summaries are generally those provided by their official websites, which frequently include tourist information about the surrounding villages.  Again, this is only a start, so please check back as I will be updating often with more information, photos and resources!

TheLuberon.com is a great resource for general activities, happenings and tourism of this famous region of Provence, as well as rental availability if you are planning a more extended visit. 

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La Bastide de Gordes & SPA - Hôtel

Gordes, Luberon, FRANCE

http://www.bastide-de-gordes.com/en/index.php

Hotels & Preference

La Bastide de Gordes and SPA is located in Gordes, one of the most beautiful villages in France.  Built into the old ramparts of Gordes, this 16th century residence is a luxury hotel with all the residential splendour combining charm- refinement- comfort and luxury services.  The hotel provides rest and relaxation in the calm of the terrace and gardens or by the heated swimming pool overlooking the valley.  The rooms and suites are spacious and comfortable- designed in Provencal style.  Accommodations are individually air conditioned with a range of thoughtful amenities for guests pleasure and satisfaction. 

The SPA offers a large area entirely dedicated to serenity and well-being: massages, face and body care treatment, chromatic bath, Jacuzzi, herbal tea room, and meditation room.  A favourite with food connoisseurs, the restaurant is renowned for its Provençal and Mediterranean flavours.  Lunch and dinner are served on the terrace with its breathtaking view over the Luberon hills.  The wine cellar proposes a choice of local wines and a selection of the finest French labels that can be tasted and purchased with the help of an expert sommelier.
*Le Bastide de Gordes Website

GORDES*

This village can boast about being amongst one of the most beautiful in France.  It has narrow cobbled streets which thread their way through tall houses; built against the rock, clinging onto its flanks and whispering the tales of a thousand legends. 

Gordes is also proud of its castle firmly planted in its very core and which reminds the passer-by of a past rich with conquests but also marked with the sufferings of its inhabitants.  Today, the castle acts as both a Town Hall and a Museum sheltering the works of art of the painter Pol Mara.
Gordes also extends its territory to include the Bories village, those curious igloo-shaped structures made of stones - no mortar; the Sénanque Abbey set in its green valley, the Bouillons oil press and the cellars of St Firmin's Palace.
As for the soul, Gordes has sheltered many a famous artist such as André Lhote, Marc Chagall, Jean Deyrolle, Victor Vasarely and Pol Mara, who amongst others have found here some inspiration.
Such a cultural tradition is kept alive to this day, during the summer time when many exhibits do take place in buildings marked by History, such as the St James almonry, the White Penitents chapel.

The Castle and the Church
Which dominate the village, impress their stature upon the visitor, as if to protect Gordes' inhabitants and extend upon them their respective influences, as was the case in the past. The castle, rebuilt in 1525 already, existed in 1031. Well preserved, and carefully restored, it brings together the architecture of the troubled medieval period with the new ways of the Renaissance.

The Senaque Abbey
A community of Cistercian monks still lives there. The entire XIIth century building is opened to visitors; this includes the abbatial church, the cloister, the dormitory, the chapter room and the calefactory.

The Village des Bories
Curious constructions with dry stones piled without mortar!  Used in the past by the herdsmen and their families, a tradition which would go back up to the old time Ligures.

And…
Le musée Pol MARA, Le Moulin des Bouillon, L'aumônerie Saint-Jacques, La chapelle des Pénitents Blanc, Les caves du palais Saint Firmin,...
*Bastide de Gordes Website

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La Bastide de Marie

Ménerbes, Luberon, FRANCE

http://www.labastidedemarie.com/

Sibouet Hotels & Spa

Between Gordes and Ménerbes, you will spot an elegant 18th century residence: a typical country farm restored with respect for the pure tradition of the Provencal "mas". Nestling among 25 hectares of vines, La Bastide de Marie shines out with a splendour rooted in authenticity. A driveway bordered by cyprus trees, century-old olive trees and enchantingly scented lavender bushes leads up to the house.

Emblematic surroundings where everything seems to whisper that here, we move at Nature's pace. And if you want, you can take a pair of secateurs and join in the life of the vineyard, and enjoy wine tasting in the cellars where the fruit of this fertile region is stored.
*Le Bastide de Marie Website

MÉNERBES*

“From the height of a rocky spur overlooking the scrublands and vineyards of the Luberon, the citadel and chateau of Ménerbes keep watch over their treasure. Celebrated as one of the most beautiful villages of the Luberon, it has stone ramparts, frontons marked with dates and vaulted cellars that you enter like Ali Baba caves… The little paved streets lead the way to the rich historic heritage of the town, taking you to the doors of old residences and the 17th century bell tower rising over the square. This genuine place full of character has triumphantly stood the test of time and preserved the authentic Provencal spirit. To listen to the heart of this region is to discover its tenderest, dearest secrets…

A region of inspiration:
Countless artists have responded to the call of this generous territory, fired by an inspiration renewed by so much beauty and unspoiled countryside. Nicolas de Staël and Picasso both owned houses at Ménerbes. They were joined by a large number of creative figures, with musicians, actors and writers all finding a haven in one of the beautiful farms scattered around the village.

A region of curiosities:
You should not leave Ménerbes without visiting the picturesque corkscrew museum, which contains more than 1,000 different specimens of this tiny, magical tool – which was invented in the 17th century by a Frenchman, but patented in 1795 by an Englishman, the Reverend Samuel Henshall.

A region of festivals:
With tales and legends, music, opera and theatre, you will find that this area offers plenty to entertain and amaze you. So don't resist the temptation! For your convenience, our team can keep you informed, help you make a choice, and if you wish, organise your outings.” 
*Website

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Le Domaine de Capelongue

Bonnieux, Luberon, FRANCE

http://www.capelongue.com/uk/index.php

Relais & Chateaux

Perched above the village of Bonnieux & the Mount Luberon in Provence, Le Domaine de Capelongue, inside this superbly renovated Provencal farmhouse and contemporary accommodations for long stay, all is harmonious, elegant, calm and please the senses. Le Domaine de Capelongue propose you swimming pool, 40 yards lap pool, private park and garden of 15 acres, gourmet restaurant, summer restaurant, massage, relaxation.
In tune with the grand metronome of the seasons, Edouard Loubet, the 2 stars Michelin Guide Chef, brings to bear his remarkable talent to create a crescendo of flavours, colours of his native Provence.  For lunch, between conviviality and idleness, you will discover our summer restaurant “Le 4Months” Summer Restaurant.  In the Gourmet Restaurant, Master Chef Edouard Loubet perfectly captures the flavours and colours of Provence in a cuisine without equal, with  accents of savory, hysop, lavender and wild thyme at it's  heart. “I aim to bring you authentic dishes from my past evoking the memories and dreams of my childhood” *Website

BONNIEUX*

The view from Bonnieux is wonderful, out across the valley floor with its patchwork of orchards and vineyards, towards the equally picturesque perched village of Lacoste across the Vaucluse plateau.

At the top of the village, as ever, is a church, the 12th century, Roman/Gothic 'Vieille Eglise' (old church), and near the bottom is the much newer (1870) New Church ('Eglise Neuve') - no great beauty but home to some intensely painted scenes of the Passion of Christ.

In the 19th century the villagers started coming down from the top of Bonnieux, as plagues and persecutions had dried up. It took 10 years to even reach agreement on building the new church, a debate possibly swung by a doctor's note stating: "the old church is so insalubrious that it causes 80 cases of cold, catarrh, stomach ailments and rheumatism per year".

So the old church, surrounded by cedars, is now out of use. But it is well worth climbing up through Bonnieux to the top for the views of the Monts de Vaucluse, Mont Ventoux, and also Lacoste, Gordes and Roussillon. The altitude here is 425 metres (1,394 ft). In July the church is an atmospheric setting for classical music concerts.

There are some fine houses in Bonnieux dating back to the 16th century, and the village's relative opulence dates back to this period when several bishops chose to live in Bonnieux when this area belonged to the Popes.

Bonnieux was a fortified village as early as 972 AD. It started off lower down the hill, but inched its way up the slope as events got hairier in the 13th century, and barricaded itself against invaders and attackers with ramparts, which sometimes kept them out and sometimes did not.  

Market day is Friday mornings. A pretty market at the bottom of the village with local crafts and produce.

Bonnieux, uniquely, has a bread museum, the Musée de la Boulangerie, in a village house, in the rue de la République. This will tell you all about how bread is made in the artisanal manner, should that be of interest to you.
*TheLuberon.com

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Le Mas des Herbes Blanches

Joucas, Luberon, FRANCE

http://www.herbesblanches.com/uk/index.php

Relais & Chateaux

Watermills, windmills, dry stone bories, landscapes flooded with light, sunsets that prompt heartrending sighs… The incomparable charm of Luberon, to which so many artists succumbed - Marc Chagall, Serge Poliakoff, Vasarely - will be greatly appreciated in this magnificent Mas, positioned around a swimming pool, when the sun heats the white stone… How gentle is a swim in the land of Chagall and the crickets.
*Le Mas des Herbes Blanches Website

JOUCAS*

Joucas dates back to 960, although it was only 200 years later that the typical fortress at the top emerged. In the wars of religion Joucas was not spared, nor was the prior who was massacred by his friends and neighbours.

The village is still crowned by its fortress, which now is a private residence. This is just as well as any visitors would be startled by the monster that dwells in its nether reaches, the Mandragoule, a creature of uncertain, but hideous appearance.

The 18th century church at Joucas is worth a look, if open, it is unspectacular from the outside, but contains a treasure trove of Italian trompe l’oeil artwork.

Joucas also has tennis courts, a children’s playground, and a couple of high-end hotels with good restaurants: Le Phebus and le Mas des Herbes Blanches
*TheLuberon.com