Saint-Émilion, France

Clos 1906

Price per night from$202.60

Price information

If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (including tax) available in the next 60 days.

Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (EUR187.27), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.

Style

One in Émilion

Setting

Nestled in the vines

An 18th-century manor house with clean and modern interiors, Clos 1906 is a bijou bed and breakfast nestled in the Unesco-protected countryside of Saint-Émilion. You’re perfectly poised here for indulgent days: tastings at some of the world’s most famous vineyards, Michelin-starred meals and exploring the cobblestoned alleyways and mediaeval monasteries in town. Back at the homestead, spend your afternoons diving into the vine-gazing pool, stretching out in the fragrant, fruit tree-filled gardens or pouring yourself a glass of Grand Cru from the honesty bar. Don’t forget to amble through the antique shop before you go – guests get first dibs on the eclectic selection of furniture and fashion, all lovingly handpicked by the owners themselves.

Smith Extra

Get this when you book through us:

A jar of Bordeaux honey or Saint Emilion’s artisanal confiture, and a 10 per cent discount in the boutique

Facilities

Photos Clos 1906 facilities

Need to know

Rooms

Five, including two suites.

Check–Out

Check-in is from 4pm to 7pm; check-out is 11am.

Prices

Double rooms from £176.51 (€206), including tax at 10 per cent. Please note the hotel charges an additional local city tax of €0.83 per person per night on check-out.

More details

Rates don’t generally include the Continental breakfast, which includes home-made yoghurt, croissants, fresh fruit and charcuterie, starting from €16 a person. There's also a city tax of €4.40 a person, each night, to pay.

Also

Clos 1906 was once the private residence of the vineyard known as La Madeleine and lent its name to a grand cru wine: Clos La Madeleine.

At the hotel

Antiques boutique, free parking on-site, free WiFi. In rooms: TV, air-conditioning, free bottled water, tea and coffee, black-out curtains and Caudalie bath products.

Our favourite rooms

Each room is a delightful jumble of original 19th-century features with vintage and contemporary interiors, antiques and artworks from the owner’s collection. We’re partial to the Suite St Émilion, with its built-in wardrobe, decorative fireplace and Napoleon III period cabinet.

Poolside

The saltwater swimming pool is unheated and dotted with sleek sunloungers; it gazes over the surrounding vineyards as well as the nearby Château Fonplegade.

Spa

In-room treatments like aromatherapy massages, facials and reflexology can be arranged on request with advance notice.

Packing tips

Leave your heels at home – the alleys of Saint-Émilion are steep and cobblestoned.

Also

Due to steep steps, the hotel isn’t suitable for wheelchair users.

Children

The four bedrooms inside the Clos are adults only but all ages are welcome in the Apartment La Gaffeliere – the two-bedroom apartment separate from the main house.

Food and Drink

Photos Clos 1906 food and drink

Top Table

In the summer months, take your morning coffee or afternoon aperitif outside on the shaded veranda.

Dress Code

If you happen to be in possession of some estate jewelry, don it – the owners are antiques aficionados, passionate about pieces with a past life.

Hotel restaurant

Though there’s no formal restaurant at Clos 1906, you’ll want to plan your days around the sundowner snacks served from 6pm to 8pm every evening. Guests gather in the garden (or the dining room, if the weather’s being less cooperative) to swap stories over local cheeses, saucisson, foie gras and perhaps a glass of honey-hued sauternes from the honesty bar.

Hotel bar

The honesty bar is open 24 hours and stocked with local grand crus, champagnes, cognac, gin and soft drinks.

Last orders

Breakfast is 8.30–10.30 on weekdays; 9–10.30 on weekends. Snacks are served every day from 6 to 8pm.

Room service

There’s no room service, so stock up on macarons and spicy saucisson at the market in case hunger strikes after dark.

Location

Photos Clos 1906 location
Address
Clos 1906
14 La Gaffelière-Ouest
Saint-Émilion
33330
France

Clos 1906 is nestled in the Unesco-protected vine-striped hills of Saint-Émilion, a 15-minute walk from the mediaeval town center.

Planes

The closest airport is Bordeaux’s Merignac, a 40-minute drive from the hotel; private transfers can be arranged for €110 each way.

Trains

Saint-Émilion’s train station is just a seven minute walk from the hotel ‒ from there, it's only 45 minutes to Bordeaux by SNCF.

Automobiles

A car isn’t a must – you can reach Saint-Emilion on foot from the hotel or rent bikes to visit vineyards, but if you’re venturing further afield (to the Cap Ferret coastline, perhaps) we suggest renting a car at the airport; the hotel has plenty of free parking on-site.

Other

Private jets and helicopters can land at Libourne airport, about 20 minutes away. Private car transfers to the hotel from Libourne are €20 each way.

Worth getting out of bed for

From the hotel, it’s just a fifteen-minute walk to the golden stone village and mediaeval churches of Saint-Émilion. Orient yourself by climbing to the top of the Tour du Roy, a 13th-century tower with camera-worthy views: a sea of rolling vineyards dotted with grand mansions and cypress trees. Then, seek out the Ets Martin wine shop for its exceptional selection and extremely knowledgeable staff who’ll happily pour out glass after glass for you to taste. The Maison du Vin de St Émilion will test your knowledge of the region’s appellations as well as your palate – sign up for blind tastings, talks and classes before buying your newfound favourites in the cellar shop (don’t worry if you’re travelling light – most of the wine shops will ship to your home address, anywhere in the world). Don’t forget to nip into Macarons Nadia Fermingier for a blue-and-white box of the famous almond biscuits. Next, it’s time to view the vines – the ideal way to discover the vineyards is on two wheels: join a group tour or rent bikes from the town’s information center (they’re €15 a day – you may need to reserve ahead in high season) to explore at your own pace. If you prefer to fly solo and explore without a guide, it’s important to book wine tours and tastings in advance here. For extra romance quotient, the hotel can also organise classic car tours or hot air balloon rides in the countryside.

Local restaurants

Book ahead for lunch at La Terrasse Rouge – the famed rooftop restaurant designed by Jean Nouvel at Chateau la Dominique – where you’ll find a sea of dark red glass pebbles, spectacular countryside views and fantastic food and wine, naturellement. Back in town, the place to lunch in the summer months is in the shady garden at the back of L’Envers du Decor. Owner Jean Claude and his wife Jackie will treat you like old friends at La Tertre – ask for a table outside on the street, so you can watch the world go by as you tuck into coq au vin with home-made spaetzle. On your last night, splash out on the haute wine list and Michelin-starred menu at Saint-Émilion’s oldest restaurant, Logis de la Cadene.

Reviews

Photos Clos 1906 reviews

Anonymous review

Every hotel featured is visited personally by members of our team, given the Smith seal of approval, and then anonymously reviewed. As soon as our reviewers have returned from this bijou bed and breakfast in Bordeaux country and unpacked their macarons and grand crus, a full account of their bacchanalian break will be with you. In the meantime, to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick peek inside Clos 1906 in Saint-Émilion…

Surrounded by the Unesco-protected vineyards of Saint-Émilion, Clos 1906 is an 18th-century manor house that’s undergone a modishly modern renovation. This budget boutique bed and breakfast has just five bedrooms, so you’ll feel as though you’ve got the place to yourself: the outdoor pool, the shaded gardens and the all-important evening honesty bar stocked with local grand crus, Cognac and gins. When you’re ready to explore, prime your palate, stoke your appetite and charge your electric bicycle – you’re in pointing distance from the priceless chateaux of Pomerol (Petrus, anyone?), moments from Michelin-starred eateries and the barest of bike rides from Saint-Émilion’s ancient charms…

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Price per night from $202.60