NAVELLO LIONEL

Very agreeable and nice refuge for at hike in Mercantour. We stayed two nights in the hotel and can warmly recommend both the food , service and the location

We spent 7 days at Relais des Merveilles as a family of four. The room was on cosy; one double one bunk, and finished in wood. Clean, efficient bathroom, separate loo. The view was breathtaking and we slept, soundly, with the window open, serenaded by the sound of the river. (Fresh air and no mosquitoes!)||Breakfast was simple and fresh, taken on the lovely patio. Days were usually spent walking up the trails on the mountains. The views and natural surroundings were wonderful. The walks took four to five hours so by the time we were home and hosed, and beer o'clock arrived, the local ales on tap were both delicious and welcome. (Although the best drink was probably the perfectly clean and fresh stream water available everywhere). ||Dinner was always fresh, delicious and plentiful. ||We spent one day exploring the local villages which were charming and, at times, felt like something from a 1930s film set. ||The staff at Relais des Merveilles were faultless. Most guests seemed to spend just a few days there. But for a family who has not had a walking holiday before, or even been to France, we could not get enough of this place and are planning to go back again next year.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Perfect place to rest after a hike! We didn’t stay overnight, but stopped here to relax after a long mountain hike — and it was a great experience. The people were kind and welcoming, and they even let us sit by the fireplace to warm up our tired legs. The place looks cozy, and the rooms seemed nice too. Surrounded by beautiful mountains, it’s an ideal spot to start or finish your hiking day. Really good memories from this visit! 🌄🔥

My partner and I spent one night here, and it was perfect! Comfortable rooms, respectful patrons, clean bathrooms/showers, and great dinner. We walked to and from the trail-head, but you could also catch the shuttle bus if you wanted to.

My wife and I had the great pleasure of having our marriage here. It was absolutely spectacular. The night sky, the nature, the lakes, the streams, we had our dream celebration. Jean-Paul is very easy to work with, although he works by mountain rules, they are people of honour and if you say you are coming, you are coming and that's it. Which was very strange from my usual understanding with contracts and deposits. Jean-Paul is incredibly honourable and it was very unusual to work in this way for me. The food is unbelievable, I consider myself a foodie, I have been coming to the South of France for the last 15 years and the restaurant is among the top 3 food I have eaten in the area. This was a VERY pleasant surprise. There IS a taxi driver in the area with a mini-bus that you can get to drive you around. That is very necessary if bringing many people because the area is very remote. The accommodations are very very pleasant. We were very pleasantly pleased. The price is very fair and reasonable. We had a superb experience and we would love to go back soon.Thank you team Relais des Merveilles!

We were a large group of Americans and stayed for 3 nights at this lovely cozy gite. There are dorm style rooms and also family rooms with bunks and double beds. All of that was great but the real magic was in the common room and in the food. The common room was available for us to congregate and hang out together and was so comfortable with a fireplace and sofa in addition to the table. The food was divine and I was especially thrilled, as the only vegan in the group, to have a creative and delicious meal every night. It was so wonderful to be treated to that in France. This was close to absolutely magnificent hikes and was perfect for our group!.

After hiking for four days in the beautiful Mercantour National Park and sleeping in mountain huts, we were glad to arrive at Relais des Merveilles. It is located in the Gordolasque, the valley near Belvedere. Though we slept in a dormitory we found it to be more like a hotel, especially when compared to the refuges higher up in the mountains. It is certainly a nice place to stay for hikers, cyclists and bikers: fine beds, good showers, nice atmosphere, and very affordable. The food we found not special but quite ok, certainly not as bad as other reviewers experienced it to be.

Stunning location. Immaculate accommodations. Extraordinary service. Jean-Paul's Relais is everything good I'd read about Alps trekking accommodations. I was there to dovetail some wolf-tracking with Valley of Marvels petroglyph-viewing: found both in one long day-hike, though by mid-May the upper trails were still significantly snow-covered. As my hiking sandals weren't fit for steep snow-traverses, Jean-Paul loaned me a pair of hiking boots (and packed me a lunch of exceptional local cheese, meats and bread) that made the higher passes accessible: barely. Many of the petroglyphs, including the famous sorcerers, remained buried under snow, but that disappointment was tempered by finding wolf sign - just 30 miles from the French Riviera. Sun-burned and exhausted, after a hot shower, I was treated to as fine a four-course meal as any I've ever had in the States. I booked the dormitory sleeping option several weeks in advance, and had the dorm to myself. The entire place is spotless. 2 nights, 3 meals: 75 euros. As marvelous as it gets.