Le Guilhaume d’Orange

Le Guilhaume d’Orange is a simple, but charming hotel situated on the edge of Saint Guilhem le Désert, a picture-perfect village near Lodève in France’s Languedoc-Roussillon. A warm and friendly welcome greets guests from the onset of their stay, in spite of any language barriers – although a little French here is undoubtedly advantageous. With the village’s popularity with both day-trippers and pilgrims – it sits en route to Santiago de Compostela – the hotel allows its guests to see the village in a different light; in peace once the crowds have dispersed. Its bedrooms – of which there are ten, all tastefully decorated in a pale, refined palette – look out over the spectacular Hérault River gorge or the village, with many offering views of the amber-coloured Romanesque chapel. The restaurant is a typically-French affair, with local food and wines aplenty and a terrific set menu. Meals are enjoyed either in the dining room or out on the shady terrace, overlooking the gorge. And, if you want something different to do, the hotel organises truffle-themed weekends, which involve looking for truffles (with the help of a dog), learning about their habitat and, of course, tasting them.