This year, my family decided to spend our summer vacation together. With many family members traveling from all over, we chose Montelimar in the southern French Département called ‘Drôme’. Where to stay in Montelimar ? Plenty of online research answered that question for us. The beautiful pictures and great reviews led us to “Résidence des Adhémar”.
Dream Summer Home…found
As soon as we arrived at the property it was clear that this was the house of my dreams. The owner Nicolas took great care to get all important details right. He used high quality materials and the distribution of each area is in perfect harmony. I instantly felt home. We stayed there for a week, here’s our review:
Location
There are 3 houses located on the uphill of Montelimar in an area of 4.000 sqm (about an acre) a few meters away from the Château des Adhémar. The area is very quiet and green allowing you to decompress and take in the amazing views over the Vallée du Rhône and Ardèche. The sunset is priceless and makes for stunning pictures.
There are several supermarkets in the neighborhood, one very close to the house (open on Sundays for half a day) and several stores as you enter the town. On Saturdays there is also the colorful and vibrant local farmer’s market in the city center, where you can find local products, from figs to lavender.
We visited several interesting places including medieval cities that are close and worth discovering: Grignan; Vaison-la-Romaine; Avignon; Vallon Pont d’Arc
For more tips on what to do in the area, check out this guide: Drôme Provençale.
Accommodation
Each house is air conditioned and has a private swimming pool. The maximum occupancy is 14 people and there are plenty of bathrooms to comfortably accommodate everyone. The rooms at our villa (“Mas des Adhemar”) were clean, spacious, and with a minimalist decoration. I wanted to avoid a house with too many provençale colors which you’ll find a lot when you’re looking for where to stay in Montelimar.
The owner explained that the decoration of the “Mas de Adhemar” was inspired by the “Camargue”, another region in the South of France. He used a palette of colors combining white, sand and light grey and with wood and metal furniture. The beds are very comfortable and the bathrooms very modern, most have a walk-in shower with luxury towels and one bathroom featured a bath.
The Food
There are several affordable restaurants in the city center. Please be sure to make reservations during summer holidays and avoid coming after 10pm as the kitchen may be closed. I can recommend these restaurants: Café de la Bourse located downtown and Restaurant Domaine de la Valdaine located at a beautiful golf course with a great view from their terrace.
However, the best restaurant we tried was in the city of Grignan at Le Clair de la Plume which is listed in the Michelin Guide. We had a lunch menu at a very reasonable price (24,50 Euros) you get 2 options of 2 or 3 plates. The presentation, ingredients, combination, service, was fabulous. An amazing, romantic restaurant in a lovely town. Booking in advance is recommended.
Wine Tasting
The owner, Nicolas, can provide you with plenty of addresses of local vineyards and thanks to his advice, we visited a fantastic vineyard at only a 15 minutes’ drive; Domaine de Grangeneuve. There, we had a private session (in Spanish, our native language) with one of the family members, Nathalie Bour. A unique experience that you should certainly try.
The Verdict: Where to stay in Montelimar
Where to stay in Montelimar? I found my dream summer home at Résidence des Adhémar. Great atmosphere, superb location, and comfortable vacation home for the whole family. If you’re looking for an authentic French experience, this is it!
Résidence des Adhémar, 9 Rue du Tour de Ville, 26200 Montélimar, France Website
