The vibrant, youthful energy of downtown Montpellier contrasts sharply with the sedate appeal of Hotel le Guilhem. The bedrooms here have been crafted from five adjacent 16th and 17th century houses. Some accommodations have been renovated recently and enlarged so inevitably there is considerable variety in size. Although the smaller doubles could never be classed as poor value or pokey, it still pays to choose the best that you can afford.
The great thing about the Guilhem is that, when at last you have located it, you can dump your car in a public car park (the hotel has concessionary rates) and walk everywhere. And yet, despite being reasonably close to the centre, the quiet side-street location virtually guarantees an undisturbed night’s sleep even for guests allocated rooms at the front. Most, however, overlook the St Pierre cathedral and the hotel’s own back garden. True, you could save a few euros by taking breakfast elsewhere, but this little green oasis provides a calm, relaxing backdrop for coffee and croissants on the hotel’s raised terrace.
There are restaurants within 100m or so and the friendly staff are always ready to make recommendations and reservations. Of course it is not difficult to find modern hotels nearer to the Comédie at the heart of the city; but, for charm, character and tranquillity , the Guilhem scores highly despite a few rough edges.