The agency

Our quality charter

OUR QUALITY CRITERIA

The fundamental ideas that have guided PLAISIRS ET MAISONS DE PROVENCE (English "Joy of Provence") are: Quality, Authenticity and Terroir (Land)

A painstaking selection of lodgings and excursions has been made.

All of these selections have been evaluated thanks to a rigorous grid system. 

This grid is organized around 10 themes: the welcome of the guests, hygiene, décor, the authenticity of the place, the quality/price ratio, how well-kept the establishment is, how involved the managers are in working toward sustainable tourism...

A score is given to each of the establishments out of a total ranging from  0 to 250 points.

Only those establishments obtaining a score of between 180 and 250 were selected.

For lodgings

A classification by number of Butterflies was set up in order to differentiate the level of standing of the various offerings: 2 Butterflies; 3 Butterflies; 4 Butterflies; 5 Butterflies. 
Many classifications are already being used in the tourism sector (stars, wheat heads, etc.) some of which are recognized by international travelers. 
The objective is not to add an extra label but to improve on the current classification. 
The idea of this concept came to me while I was doing research at all the regional natural parks. 
I was faced with establishments in the same category, but with levels of quality, cleanliness, and styles of décor which were truly unequal.
 
Therefore, I wished to classify these lodgings in the following manner:
  • 2 Butterflies : Clean and well-kept lodging with a simple décor or rustic interior from the 1980s.
  • 3 Butterflies : Lodging with modern or traditional furnishings and décor, offering classic, carefully appointed and comfortable lodging.
  • 4 Butterflies : Charming lodging with high quality furnishings, situated in an exceptional setting, in the countryside or town center.
  • 5 Butterflies : Charming lodgings, typical of the region, a Provencal farmhouse, former sheepfold, silkworm house or luxury estate with luxurious furnishings, usually designed  by an interior decorator and with landscaped gardens.

For restaurants

The restaurateurs chosen are strongly committed to their profession. They prepare their menus depending on the local market and thus with seasonal products. 

They only use regional or local products. They work with ‘fresh’ products using their own methods. 

Their menus are inventive and innovative.

Service providers : excursions and visits

The service providers offered on this site were tested and selected for:

- Their expertise
- Their quality services
- The typical nature of their offering
- Their love of their profession
- Their involvement in protecting the environment
- Their outlook (respecting people, the land, ancestral know-how, the repetition of traditions transmitted from generation to generation)
- Their commitment to welcoming their guests as friends.

 In order to assure excellent quality and to verify the good execution of the services offered by the agency and the suppliers, a questionnaire is given to the clients at the end of their stay.

This questionnaire is carefully reviewed. For each positive or negative comment on a product purchased or on the services of the agency, a communication is addressed to the service supplier to assure corrective action.

A physical verification is also made by a representative of the agency to assure the good execution of the improvement process.