Jardins Secrets

A spectacularly beautiful establishment full of charm and curated antiques. We loved our stay at Jardins Secrets, it is indeed a unique and special place for pure relaxation at the heart of Nîmes. We are a family of four with a little doggie and initially booked the family room but the charming Victoria who greeted us at reception advised that since we had 2 adult daughters it would be more comfortable to have 2 separate suites. The girls had the chambre mademoiselle and they absolutely adored it. The bedrooms are beautifully decorated with period style furniture which reflected the soul of the old Coach house. The owners have done an amazing job of decorating each piece and public spaces (there are about 5) beautifully curated and styled public spaces including the bar and 14 unique and absolutely stunning gorgeously decorated rooms. It was like being in a fairy tale, the gardens and inner courtyard merited to be called secret garden as it had a stunning pool, with lovely plants and birdsong accompanying one, when you sat outside. I would have like to keep this place a secret as it was indeed a beautiful discovery. My daughters have traveled the world with us, be it in Asia, Africa, Europe and the US, stayed in luxurious accommodations but the Jardins Secrets was one of the best hotels in the world by far. The hotel manager Victoria is a real gem, her warmth and hospitality coupled with her kindness and enthusiasm made our stay memorable and wonderful. Victoria is a real star and asset to this establishment. Breakfast was served in the lovely garden and on a rainy day in the antique kitchen, we even had candlelight for breakfast service indeed a treat. One night on our return from dinner in Nîmes, the whole place was lit with candles and the perfume scented spaces were outer worldly. We were not surprised that a slew of celebrities had stayed here for its serenity and anonymity that a 14 bedroom luxury mansion could only offer in comparison to chain 5 star hotels. Names like Dua Lipa, Sam Smith, Sting, Billy Halliday, Phil Collins were whispered amongst many other guest of great but discerning taste. An exceptional elegant and exquisitely crafted establishment.

I am at a loss to understand how this hotel has acquired 5 stars. We had booked a two night stay to celebrate my birthday. A few days before I called the hotel to ask if I could cancel the second night- some friends had invited us to stay with them in Northern France. My request was refused on the basis that it was ‘high season’- which seemed contradictory as surely if rooms were in demand the cancellation of our second night would not present a problem. I then asked if I could be given a credit note for the second night but that too was refused. Being of the view that we did not wish to pay over €1000 for just one night we stayed for both nights and left early. The total inflexibility does not reflect 5 star status. Nor does the fact that there is no restaurant in the hotel. We were told that a table could be set up in our room or elsewhere in the hotel. As we prefer restaurants with some atmosphere we chose to walk into the Old Town to eat dinner elsewhere. When we saw that a continental breakfast was €28 per person ( and any additional juices charged at €10 each) we walked into town to have breakfast there too. There were no coffee/ tea facilities in our room. A bottle of water was there on our first night but not the second. By that point, rather than search for a member of staff (only 2-3 in evidence during our stay and rarely sat at the reception desk) I simply bought bottles of water from a local shop. Having enjoyed the most pristine clean pool at a villa we had just left in Provence the outdoor pool at the hotel looked decidedly murky and uninviting. I note that a previous reviewer described it as a ‘pond’ Overall, whilst the furnishings could be described as opulent the hotel is very much style over function. For example whilst the bath at first glance appeared large and stylish the chain on the bath plug was so short that I had to place my legs to one side of it to avoid pulling the plug out! Like everything else in this hotel the parking charges are exorbitant. Needless to say that we would not stay at Jardin Secrets again nor recommend it.