Steer clear of La Vieille Fontaine if you have difficulty with steps but, if you’re reasonably agile, prepare to be enchanted by this intimate hotel in a breath-taking location. It appears to be glued to the medieval ramparts of a cliff top village from which the views of the Cèze valley below are nothing short of spectacular.
Stroll through the terraced gardens that lead down to the pool which is still at a high enough level to embrace that panorama. Inside the hotel, everything is just so: antique furniture, Provençal fabrics and an ambience of refined gentility which extends to the comfortable accommodations. There are only a couple of rooms with air-con and a terrace overlooking the valley; the others look towards the village or have balconies above the patio.
Pride of place is reserved for the vaulted restaurant which spills onto a terrace that’s shaded by an awning. And yes, it’s “Aah, that view” again. Soon, however, your attention will be drawn to the delectable cuisine and the list of carefully-chosen Côtes de Rhônes. The signature dish is Moules farcies à la diable but the Papillotes de queues de langoustine au basilic is equally successful, equally irresistible.
In short, here’s an hotel that will restore your faith in French hospitality if you’ve been unlucky in the past. With so few rooms and an unblemished reputation, however, it’s best to book well ahead.