Virginia Travel Blog

We recently had the pleasure of hosting Find Everything Historic’s (Easton, MD) own Meggen and Peter Taylor!

During thier stay in December 2015, The Taylors got to sit down for a fantastic dinner with co-owner and InnKeeper of L’Auberge Provencale, Celeste Borel.

Laughter, stories of history of the inn, and a touch of raspberry spice filled the air from the aroma of a 2013 Pinot Noir, Talley Vineyards, Rincon.

Meggen Taylor described  “[t]he whole L’Auberge experience [as] a family affair, just as it should be at an inn of this caliber”

To read more from our featured article in Southern Living magazine click here!

Forever Memories for Mom

Celebrate the most important woman in your life and enjoy the beautiful Shenandoah Valley at La Table Provencale restaurant for Mother’s Day Dinner. Produce and fresh herbs from our garden and surrounding farms make this farm to table dinner a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon in the wine country of Virginia.  Al fresco dining in season.

To make her day even more joyous, we invite you to book a night in one of our rooms or suites! Upon arrival in her room, Mom will find atop her pillow a single long-stemmed rose and eight delicious chocolate covered strawberries to be enjoyed. Then, we invite you to take an afternoon stroll along 172 acres of 5000 living tress at the nearby Orland E. White Arboretum, also known as the State Arboretum of Virginia, while they host their annual native plant sale, and bring home a memory to grow!

Dinner seating  from 1:00-7:00 PM, Sunday, May 8th, 2016.

Book Your Stay | Book a Table

Weddings can be a lot of work. In the midst of planning you may be wishing you had some extra help. To ease your anxiety and get you inspired for the big day, we want to share something special, a glimpse into some of the breathtaking weddings we have helped coordinate. 

Stephanie Ascari Photography

Stephanie Ascari Photography

Stephanie Ascari Photography

These couples have made special memories that will last a lifetime at our Virginia bed and breakfast. With breathtaking indoor and outdoor space for dancing and being with family and friends, customized menus, and room for 70 guests, the perfect Virginia wedding is easy to create.

For over 30 years we’ve been taking the stress out of weddings by helping to coordinate all facets of your day of matrimony from the rehearsal dinner, to the ceremony, to the reception, and to the last champagne toast. All you have to do is say “I do!”

Here are some photos of the happy couples we’ve been fortunate enough to help over the years. Each one has a unique and beautiful story to share about their wedding and you will too! When planning gets stressful, always remember that this is an effort made out of love for the one you will be standing across from at the altar! Let us take care of the little details so you can relax and enjoy one of the most important days of your life!

Stephanie Ascari Photography

L’Auberge Provencale offers a picture perfect venue and classically beautiful grounds, ideal for taking wedding photos that you will cherish forever. We would be honored to help you plan your special day. From the venue, menu, reception, and photos, we can get you the wedding of your dreams down to every last detail, without the stress.

Mona Botwick Photography

View more Virginia wedding photos or start to plan your wedding today.

Caroline Lima Photography

Construction is a long and slow process here at L’Auberge Provencale. We are looking forward to the opening of our new brasserie style bar and lounge.  Look for news about the grand opening.

Here are some behind the scenes photos as the progress unfolds!

Follow this link to our facebook page to check out our progress – Click Here

Lately, we’ve been getting a lot of questions on exactly what is going on at the Inn. Well, long story short we’re expanding because our guests love our food and service!

That being said, the current state of renovations is focused on the heart of our Inn: the kitchen.

We’ve more than doubled the capacity of our walk-in refrigerator/freezer to hold more of the local produce we know you’ve grown to love and expect from our farm to table restaurant. Then, we’re introducing service stations for our front staff members to use that will enhance your dining experience in the restaurant. If you didn’t realize yet, our chefs need plenty of room! We’re also adding more work stations for our chefs to experiment and create culinary works of art. Most of all, we’re creating a beautiful environment for chefs and guests to collaborate! We want to show you where and how your food is crafted and once the renovation is complete, our doors will be open!

Be on the lookout for updates on our renovation. As we continue through this process, we’ll explain more about the next phase of our addition: the bar and lounge!

L’Auberge Provencale has teamed up with Tesla Motors to provide an increasingly desirable amenity; Tesla Destination Charging.

One of the driving principles behind L’Auberge Provencale is a commitment to the environment. In the 1980s, the Inn introduced several green-initiatives that have carried into the way it operates business today. Many of its sustainability efforts, including the local garden that supplies its restaurant with fresh vegetables and fruit, have attracted eco-conscious guests and contributed to the success of its business. When Select registry approached L’Auberge Provencale with the opportunity of installing Tesla Destination Charging, there was no doubt that it needed to participate. The addition of Tesla Destination Charging is part of several efforts implemented by the Inn to lower its carbon footprint while providing a special convenience to its guests.

L’Auberge Provencale joins a rapidly growing network of resorts in Tesla Destination Charging, including more than 160 other Select Registry properties throughout the U.S. This new program provides hotels, resorts, and restaurants around the world with charging equipment, and gives Tesla drivers the freedom to charge wherever they want to travel by replicating the charging convenience owners are accustomed to at home. (L’Auberge Provencale has one 80A Tesla Wall Connectors; guests charge for free and non-guests can charge for $15.)

“It’s been a little under a month since the charger has been installed and we’ve already seen a difference in customer attitudes. We’ve had several come up to us and ask us about it, and even more let us know that they’ll be back with their Tesla vehicles or other electronic cars to use the station! We’re always looking for ways to improve our guests’ experience here at L’Auberge Provencale. This is our opportunity to enhance our sustainable efforts and provide exceptional offerings to our guests, all while remaining one of the most technologically advanced bed & breakfasts in the area. Plus, I really love Tesla!” said Celeste Borel, Innkeeper of L’Auberge Provencale.

Tesla’s growing Supercharger network (now 400 stations along frequently-traveled highways) has inspired Model S owners to hit the road in increasing numbers. Owners can drive all day, charging for 30-40 minutes at Superchargers and then stop at night to stay at L’Auberge Provencale other quality-assured Select Registry properties, and other locations that have installed Tesla High Power Connectors. Tesla’s High Power Wall Connectors add 58 miles of range per hour, topping off Model S’s full 265 miles of range in just a few hours on a single charge.

Select Registry properties and other Tesla Destination Charging station locations are located on Select Registry’s website, Tesla’s interactive webpage, and will soon be featured in every Tesla vehicles’ 17” touchscreen through the navigation application to easily plan trips and locate the property. Visit www.teslamotors.com/findus for more information.

Photographs of the property and chargers are available upon request.

Friends and guests joined us to celebrate the upcoming birth of Baby Borel on Sunday, May 31.  Christian and his beautiful wife Ashley are expecting their first baby girl the first week in August, and of course, the grandparents are all a twitter in anticipation.  Lots of fun games from “Name the Baby”, to “Baby Price is Right” had everyone laughing on the beautiful May day.  The three hour event was planned by friends of Ashley and the two moms, Celeste and Susan and much participation in decorations from Sylvie and Crystal, friends of Ashley.  The expectant parents were certainly “showered” with wonderful gifts to welcome the new arrival.  We are all looking forward to the miracle of life to be bestowed on us in just a couple of months.

We were reminded that here at the Inn, we can host your baby showers, bridal showers, and bridal luncheon get-together’s  with flare and fun.  It doesn’t have to just be for girls.  Why not ask the men to join you?  That is what we did and all had a good time.  Just make sure to include some “man” food; like fresh Virginia ham biscuits and lots of cupcakes!

Here at L’Auberge Provencale we are constantly trying to enhance our guest experience and be conscious of our environment.  By combining leading edge technology and the forward thinking of Tesla with our commitment to provide outstanding service and offerings, we now have the ability to offer our guests a seamless and convenient charging experience during their stay.  As the only bed and breakfast or hotel in the area to have a charging station, we are offering a unique amenity in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains for our discerning and eco-conscious guests.

Tesla Model S owners are increasingly hitting the road.  Owners can drive all day, charging for 30-40 minutes at Superchargers and then stay the night at L’Auberge Provencale and charge their vehicles.  We have installed a Tesla high power connector charging station as well as a 40A universal station that all Electric Vehicles can use; Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, Toyota Plug-in Hybrid and soon to be released electric vehicles from Audi, BMW, Volvo and others.

Our commitment to our country environment and Christian Borel’s love of cars, certainly “sparked” our decision to install the chargers.  So bring on those electric cars and enjoy the winding roads of our country lanes here in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley.  To see other Select Registry properties that have installed chargers for an electric tour visit www.selectregistry.com.

Construction is finally underway for our new kitchen and lounge renovations here at L’Auberge Provencale.  Our extensive project got underway this week for an addition and complete renovation of our kitchen complete with a new pastry department, new walk-ins, all state of the art stoves, refrigeration and passes.  Our team of chefs under Ryan Ratino are anxiously awaiting their new cooking digs.  The new kitchen will enable them to take our cuisine to new heights of local and seasonal menus.

The new lounge, a little delayed due to zoning, will begin sometime in July and we hope to have it completed this coming fall.  The lounge will feature a great menu of small plates, house cured charcuterie, artisanal cheese plates and items from our larder and gardens.  This will become a place for the locals to be and be seen, and for our inn guests to enjoy the creative cocktails made with our house honey, herbs and spirits.

Phase One of New Kitchen

Not only will we have a new kitchen and lounge, but we are also embarking on a make-over of our dining rooms as well.  Keeping with the French influence we will be making a more modern statement in our decor.  In the backyard will be a new patio open this summer with beautiful vistas overlooking farms and fields of the Shenandoah Valley.

At each stage of the construction we will keep you apprised of our progress.  We hope you come and see our new look and enjoy a great brunch or dinner this spring and summer season here in sunny Virginia at L’Auberge Provencale.

Visit our Facebook Album and see the progress at the inn!

For some people, it appears that life is a series of magical steps:

Meet the man of your dreams ✓
Say “Yes” when he proposes ✓
Plan a spectacular wedding ✓
Get married and live happily ever after ✓

One small catch – this never actually happens. In reality, even the thought of having a wedding can be overwhelming. The devil’s in the details and when it comes to planning a wedding everything has to be right. Fortunately, we at L’Auberge Provencale, have specialized in Country Chic weddings for over 30 years and have put together some ideas that will remedy your inner Bridezilla. Here are 5 Country Chic Wedding examples that you can incorporate into the wedding of your dreams:

1. Horse-Drawn Carriage Ride
   Nothing says, “I’m making a grand entrance,” like arriving by a horse-drawn carriage to your own wedding. It’s part of the countryside wedding experience that every girl has dreamed of and we’ve made it happen on several occasions.

2. Floral Monograms
   Floral monograms are a fun and simple way to customize your big day. Place them at the beginning of the aisle or throughout your reception to enhance an open outdoor setting. Mix and match flowers to add personality and show off your artsy side.

3. Cascading Floral Backdrop
   A cascading floral backdrop can help to set the mood on your wedding day. Grab a fresh flower, tie the end to a ribbon, and let hang from an archway or center of focus to make any space instantly chic! Repeat until you have a series of flowers that will impress your guests and make for some dramatic photos to cherish after the wedding.

4. Bride & Groom Wedding Gifts
   This is a perfect idea for couples having an intimate elopement. This day is about you and your significant other (remember?) so why not keep it personal and exchange some affection before the ceremony? A country-style bouquet topped with a simple message and gift will remind the two of your that you’re in this together.

5. Elegant Wedding Cake Topped With Real Flowers
   Adding real flowers to your wedding cake can take it from blasé to breathtaking. Use flowers of various shapes and colors to bring a little country to the table and dazzle guests. P.S. If done right this can be a big money saver on your wedding day!

Did you recently have a Country Chic wedding? Let us know about it!
We want you to share your wedding story with us.