Au Saint Roch Hotel et Jardin, Avignon, France

While our experience of small hotels, especially in Provence, is that great hospitality is a given, we received the ultimate in helpfulness at Au Saint Roch Hotel et Jardin (9 rue Paul Mérindol, 84000 Avignon, FRANCE; phone +33 [0] 4 90 16 50 00, fax 90 82 78 30, www.hotelstroch-avignon.com). My husband and I and our daughter and son-in-law were traveling together in May ’08.

The St. Roch is a fine choice if you want something with a bit of atmosphere. Located just outside the walls of Avignon and a short walk from the main sights, restaurants and shops, the hotel has 27 rooms (with facilities en suite) in an old stone-block building.

There was an assortment of room styles, most with beamed ceilings and some with antique furniture, and lovely views of the garden out back. Some of the ground-level rooms opened onto the garden.

The rates were quite reasonable: €50 ($66) per night for a double.

The breakfast buffet, which included croissants, a selection of cheeses, jam, cereal, yogurt and fruit plus juice, coffee and tea, cost €7 ($9). In good weather, breakfast is taken on the patio adjoining the garden, where guests can enjoy the flowers and birds.

The sudden and unexpected death of our son-in-law brought about a level of hospitality above and beyond the usual. Eric and Arno, who manage the St. Roch, spent literally hours on the phone translating for us and assisting in the necessary maneuvers through the bureaucratic entanglements required.

An emergency in a foreign country where one does not speak the language can be a harrowing experience, but the people of Avignon, the hotel staff and even the neighbors next door were so warm and helpful, we felt as though we had acquired another family. We will never be able to adequately thank Eric and Arno for all they did for us.

— MARJORIE MAGUIRE MALLOY, San Diego, CA