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Hameau de St Médiers, 30700 Montaren & St Mediers, Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon
30700


Clos du Léthé

Languedoc-Roussillon, France [view map]

Style
Dramatic, contemporary mas
Setting
Rolling vineyards and apricot orchards

Clos du Léthé in picturesque Provençal wine land has been transformed from crumbling farmhouse to luxury guesthouse – and filled with contemporary art and globally curated artefacts. It's a simply charming chambre d'hôtes.

Need to know

Languedoc-Roussillon hotels: Clos du Léthé, need to know
Rooms
Five, including one suite.
Rates
€170–€270, including breakfast.
Check-out
Noon (but flexible, depending on arrivals); earliest check-in, 3pm, latest check-in, 8pm.
Facilities
Gym, Jacuzzi, steam room, cookery courses, outdoor swimming pool, library of cookery books. In rooms: flatscreen TVs, iPod Shuffle, coffee machine, Bulgari products and bespoke stone bath tubs for two. Mini-fridges and microwaves in terraced rooms.
Poolside
The tempting infinity pool and outdoor Jacuzzi overlook the apricot orchard, and are surrounded by lavender gardens and super-comfy sun loungers.
Children
Although children over 10 are welcome, each bedroom has a maximum occupancy of two people, so kids will need their own room.
Hotel closed
30 October to 4 April annually (when Pierre and his partner hunt down fine art at fairs around the world).
Also
Non-smoking throughout (although ashtrays are provided at outside tables).

In the know

Our favourite rooms
All rooms except La Quatorze have their own private terrace with an outdoor shower, and each bed is a sprawling 2.4m wide. La Plume is a double-height room with a great terrace; all-white La Blanche has a private garden with a day bed, and a vaulted bedroom; La Suite has a sitting and dining area, as well as a gigantic bathroom with a vaulted ceiling. Pierre's obsessive attention to detail means every bathroom's a winner, too.
Packing tips
Leave your music collection behind: there's a Shuffle-full of tunes on your in-room iPod.
Also
Owner Pierre is a fabulous chef (breakfast is a feast of home-made juices, jams and pastries) and he offers convivial cookery classes and dining in his large kitchen on Wednesdays and Thursdays (5.30pm–9.30pm; €100). One-off lessons may also be arranged.

Food & drink

Languedoc-Roussillon hotels: Clos du Léthé, food and drink
Hotel restaurant
There is no hotel restaurant as such, but a cold meal of tapas, cheese and dessert is on offer if you don't fancy going out. Many rooms have microwaves and minifridges for rustling up snacks – you can buy delicious cheese, salamis, bread and wine in the delis in Uzès, a 10-minute drive away.
Dress code
Linen threads and bare feet.
Top table
On fine days, take your breakfast alfresco on the sunny South terrace; otherwise, cosy up in the communal kitchen cum dining room.
Last orders
A leisurely breakfast is served 9am–11am.
Hotel bar
As Clos du Léthé is run as a chambre d’hôtes, there is no licence for selling alcohol: if you fancy a bottle of champagne or wine in the evening, pick some up at the airport or en route to the hotel.

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Clos du Léthé

Hameau de St Médiers, 30700 Montaren & St Mediers, Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon

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Clos du Léthé

Languedoc-Roussillon, France [view map]

Local restaurants

Spoil yourself with a trip to L'Amphitryon (+33 (0)4 66 37 05 04), a sweet courtyard restaurant on the Place du Vieux Village in postcard-perfect Castillon du Gard, a 25-minute taxi ride away. Traditional-with-a-twist French dishes created with seasonal, local produce, plus fantastic regional wines and cheeses. Work your way through the collection in the wine cellar at L’Authentic on Place de L’Ecole in the nearby mediaeval village Saint Siffret (+33 4 66 22 60 09). Le Tracteur at Sanilac (+33 4 66 37 19 31), a 20-minute drive away, is well worth hunting down: an open kitchen serves a great-value three-course menu that changes daily depending on what the chef finds in the local markets. Two choices for each course include seasonal comfort food such as velouté of squash with cep mushrooms and duck’s liver. Les Trois Salons at 18 Rue du Docteur de Blanchard in Uzès (+33 4 66 37 19 31) has a lovely courtyard for alfresco summer dining, although the menu is not as adventurous as it used to be.

Worth getting out of bed for

If you need a (speedy) taxi anywhere, try local 24-hour taxi company Taxi Lamri (ask for Alain) on +33 (0)6 45 16 21 34. The Pont du Gard visitor centre gives a fascinating insight into the Roman occupation and buildings in the region; follow up with early supper at Anne-Sophie l’Huître et la Vigne (+33 (0)6 08 05 63 57), an absolutely charming tapas and oyster bar in a modest stone building set among the vines a 10-minute drive from the Pont du Gard on the route de St Hilaire. Or for some brocante browsing in Uzès, the streets off Place aux Herbes are crowded with second-hand/antiques shops; there's an excellent (but packed) market on Saturdays – and a quieter, food-only one on Wednesday mornings.

Float around in a wicker basket propelled by fire: go hot-air ballooning. A one-hour flight across the region costs €220 a person with Les Montgolfiers du Sud (+33 4 66 37 28 02; www.sudmontgolfiere.com). Paragliding is available at the nearby village of Seynes (+33 4 66 83 17 07; www.parapentesud.com). If the water’s warm, take a canoe out at Gardon (45 minutes away) – try ABC Euro canoe (+33 4 66 22 45 33) or Kayak Vert (+33 4 66 22 80 76; www.canoe-france.com/gardon). This is a great base for exploring the whole region, so day trips to Nîmes, the Camargue, Avignon or Arles are all options.

For a full list of bars and restaurants in Languedoc-Roussillon, click here



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