We loved this. Stayed here on our honeymoon. The service was incredible, friendly and not at all pushy. Our room was good - a little outdated but who cares when you have such a lovely, large terrace to yourself. The food at the restaurant was outstanding - an absolute gastronomique experience. We can't wait to go back. We liked going through the front office to exit to the town as it gave us a good chance to practice our greetings in French!! The staff were lovely and immensely helpful and flexible - we ordered berries and wine to eat on our terrace one evening when we didn't want to dress for dinner and they brought it promptly complete with cheese, bread, wine and fresh berries. The manager is also delightful to get to know. We couldn't get into the restaurant on our first night there and so they sent us to this fantastic other little restaurant in town. We couldn't be more pleased. But if you're looking for a Ritz, or Westin, stay away, this place isn't for you. It is too unpretentious.

I was really looking forward to a break at Le Prieure due to it being part of the R & C group and was therefore somewhat dismayed to find the hotel a huge disappointment.

On arriving at the hotel the first minute was quite pleasurable walking through the beautiful gardens adjacent to the swimming pool. However as soon as we arrived in our "superior room" I realised I'd made a huge mistake in my choice. The room was very tired and had had no attention paid to it for I guess about 40-50 years. The tiles in the shower were mildewed and the tiny space they spared for a toilet smelt and reminded me of a hostel I stayed in 10 years ago in Russia as a student.

The room itself was large enough but the large glass windows looking out over the pool were dirty and the decor was once again tired and akin to something I would expect to find in Russia of old.

Amazingly we had air conditioning which was not very efficient at keeping the place cool and also succeeded in waking me up at various stages during the night due it's loudness. Alongside the trains whizzing past during the night at great speed and close proximity, it's safe to say we didn't feel entirely rested when we left.

The swimming pool area was perfectly pleasant although the pool didn't tempt me once during my 4 day stay there due to the fact I hadn't seen it cleaned once and it looked "grubby".

After spending a fortune on the accommodation, sadly we could only afford to eat at the restaurant once during our stay. It was a nice meal, but not relaxed due to the sheer volume of waiters and waitresses breathing down our necks.

My husband and I have spent probably too long debating the reason for the 4* accolation awarded to the hotel and have come to the conclusion that it's surviving on a reputation earned from a bygone era.

We would not recommend this hotel to anyone and we will certainly not be visiting a R & S hotel again.

My husband and I stayed at Le Prieure in October, 2005, for two nights. It was our first experience staying at a Relais & Chateaux property. What a diappointment! We echo everything the Trip Advisor from N.Y. said in his Nov. 20 comments, with this additional: I believe we had a "better" room -- rather like the one described in the previous letter from Oakland, California, with much more negative feelings on our part. The room was large, indeed, but it had mildew in the corners. The bath was indeed large with double sinks, but the faucets needed replacing or polishing or something, the shower leaked all over the bathroom, the w.c. area was so cramped both my husband and I nearly knocked ourselves out getting up -- not to mention I couldn't reach the toilet paper. It did have the feeling of another era -- I would put it in the 50's, when presumably everything was shiny and new and clean. And we intensely dislike having to go through the front desk every time we wanted to leave. And telling them we didn't want dinner once wasn't enough. We were told we had to tell them each morning -- I am glad we stayed only 2 nights. Plus it is so hard to get into the parking lot the first time, being on a one-way street.

Villeneuve is lovely town and we had a great dinner at a little place in the center of town. Le Prieure has great potential, but it needs some big-time detailing. I also thought, from the pictures, it was on the river. It is not.

We got a pretty good price in view of staying two nights in October, but we still do not feel we got our money's worth. I surely hope this is not indicative of Relais & Chateaux.

One would never imagine that this secluded, gated property is in the center of a sizable town. It is quiet and elegant. The staff is hospitable and efficient. We loved our original room until the TGV roared by, but, in response to our request for a room change, we were given an even larger room with an huge balcony overlooking the pool and a luxurious bathroom. The air-conditioning performed perfectly in spite of the atypical heat wave with temperatures well over 90 degrees. The one star restaurant was a bargain considering the food quality, ambience and superior service.

Just outside Le Prieure are a great many restaurants, boulangeries, patisseries, charcouteries, markets and cafes where we purchased breakfast and lunch to go. There are few tourists in Villeneuve compared to Avignon where there is nothing but. We were warmly received all places we frequented.

Le Prieure is centrally located for wine tasting, exploring Provence, visiting Roman sites, driving to Les Baux and a jaunt to nearby beaches. The sommelier and hotel were very helpful in arranging wine tastings in excellent yet inexpensive local wineries where the owners drank with us and treated us like guests in their home (which we were).

Nonstop TGV service from Paris to Avignon took a little over two hours. Finding Le Prieure took another hour. We have nothing but wonderful memories of our week at Le Prieure and give it our highest recommendation.