An austere looking XIX century building with a superb location, just north of the Popes Palace and Rocher des Doms once was the infamous Saint Anne jail. Locals remember the time when the neighbourhood was resounding of the shouts of prisonners over the wall chatting with their visiting families in the streets. Nowadays the city jail has been moved to Le Pontet, a suburb in the north of Avignon ; and after years of hesitation, the former jail building has been awarded by the municipality tho the Marriot Group of hotels. It will probably be a five-star hotel - quite a new notion in France, for the hotels in this country noted for its palaces had, until now, only four-star ratings (despite the addenda of a ' quatre etoiles plus' category). This was an obvious understatement, considering hotels in other countries are awarding themselves six or even seven-star ratings ! It will soon be a thing of the past. And a night stay in Avignon in a ' five star' will hopefully be an option for the tourists of California or the Gulf, who admittedly find the French four- or three-stars hotels a bit risqué. Ironically, these hard to please travellers might end up sleeping in the revamped cells of ex-convicts !We suggest you book a studio or a room with us, in the meantime.