La Divine Comédie
"How did it strike you on arrival?La Divine Comédie is hidden behind a big gate down one of the honeycomb-colored alleyways in old Avignon, just a few minutes from the Palais de Papes, in a historic district where cardinals used to live. It's incredibly central, but you don't feel it in this majestic mansion with the largest private garden in town, which took seven years to build because it had been so abandoned! The garden was a jungle, overrun with vegetation, but its designer owners embraced the task as a labor of love. Nice. What's the crowd like?The owner, Giles Jauffret, is a known decorator and stylist from Paris, and the property had a huge, 12-page spread in a recent issue of Côté Sud magazine—expect to see other Parisians who appreciate aesthetics and the finer things in life. The good stuff: Tell us about your room.The decoration is noticeable from the start. Gilles and his co-owner Amaury de Villoutreys (who the French papers call a "cultivated aristocrat") scoured the French countryside to source antiques, and have positioned them among contemporary pieces. The five suites (Venice, Consul, Aphrodite, Naples and Anatole) are all individually decorated around their namesake theme. I stayed in the Venice room, with 45 different gorgeous gouaches depicting Venice from the 18th- to 19th-centuries. Then in the public area you have 1920s chairs that are replicas of Tutankhamun's throne, tulip chairs by Eero Saarinen... How about the little things, like mini bar, or shower goodies. Any of that find its way into your suitcase?The Wi-Fi worked—as did the Nespresso machine (and the very comfortable, elegant bed.) If you had to award a trophy to a member of the staff, who would you award a trophy to and what did they do to earn it?The dogs and cats! They lounge around the house. Top marks to the dog for being adorably affectionate. Anything stand out about other services and features? Whether it’s childcare, gyms, spas, even parking—whatever stuck with you.The hot tub in the garden has views of the Palais and the surrounding flowers—there are 100 different species in the garden, framed by towering, centuries-old plane trees. Bottom line: worth it, and why?After a mammoth renovation, the maison finally opened in June 2017. Just don't call it a hotel—there are only five luxury suites, making it legally a 'chambres d'hôtel', and a truly intimate space."
