Although Montpellier boasts to be the most fast growing of the French cities, the wonderful things about the city is that it retains a great sense of history, with beautiful old architecture and infrastructure. With its origins in the early middle Ages, the city is steeped in landmarks which exude a sense of rich and timeless heritage. A tour of such sites is a given during your trip, but why not go one step further and arrange to stay in a historical hotel, whichhot allows you to literally live Montpellier history. Many of the oldest building of the city have been converted into tourist accommodation, making such an opportunity possible.
In the centre of the city, sublime comfort can be found at the hotel Le Guilhem; a beautifully restored sixteenth century town house. The hotel is named after Guilhem VIII, who was Lord and ruler of Montpellier in 1181. Spread across two houses, the rooms of the timeless hotel are all individual in size and decor. Breakfast is a treat, with fresh baked patisseries, fresh orange juice and coffee all on offer in abundance, which can be enjoyed sitting out on the pretty terrace overlooking the gardens and St Pierre Cathedral.
A little out of the city centre, you will find the exclusive Chateau Residence de Bionne. Previously called Chateau de Montlouis, the hotel building is a 17th century old castle which belonged to the Intendant of Languedoc between 1685 and 1718. The chateau was then passed through several family dynasties ownerships, including the famous J. Satre, Joseph Bonnier and Audessan family. The chateau was then renovated in the 18th century, to become its present form under the name of Bionne. As well as being as true relic of the region, the castle is located in breathtaking landscape, nestled in green woodland and overlooking the extensive vineyards of Languedoc. The castle provides a variety of accommodation options; suites, apartments and studio apartments, as well as a fantastic restaurant and seminary rooms. The advantage of being in the five acres of parkland is the accessibility to an amazing range of leisure activities during your stay- mountain biking, horse riding, fishing and trekking all easily organisable with the help of the attentive hotel staff.
