Anthea Gerrie Enjoys A Luxuriously Baroque Sleepover at Residence Demeure Terrisse In The Home Town Of France’s Most Famous Aperitif.
As the tiny town of Marseillan is to Marseilles, its bustling near namesake 200k east along France’s southern coast, so Residence Demeure Terrisse is to a luxury hotel. It’s small but perfectly formed, with designer rooms boasting all the facilities of studio apartments, a hospitality lounge with a chill-out terrace, hot tub and bags and bags of charm.
One of dozens of buildings with mediaeval bones in Marseillan, a small fishing town on the Thau lagoon near Montpellier and Sete famous for its Noilly Prat vermouth, this three storey-house and its neighbouring city-centre annexe have been exquisitely restored by a sister and brother whose day job is running the family pharmacy. They have taken into account the needs of every category of guest from singles to couples and families when furnishing accommodation with a plethora of sleeping lofts tucked away on galleried mezzanines.
Le Loft Baroque must surely have been designed with honeymooners in mind, so seductive are its king-size bed, purple drapes and bedhead dressed with silver candelabra not to mention a wine cabinet stocked with fine Languedoc vintages and elegant glasses in which to enjoy a drop. A sleeping loft on the first floor would accommodate another couple, should an orgy be in mind given the lack of a closing door between the two bedrooms.
A shower-room, separate loo and kitchenette with wet bar, coffee machine, elegant high counter and plentiful supply of glass and china make this an apartment it would be a delight to eat in at, especially as there is also a spacious private terrace overlooking the town hall opposite.
Several other apartments sleep four, while my travelling companion enjoyed the smaller L’Industriel, another good bet for a couple – here the only bed is in the sleeping loft, but there’s a comfortable living-dining room as well as bathroom on the ground floor, and a sexy midnight blue colour scheme. For families, Le Vintage is a good bet, cheerfully retro with its colourful wire armchairs and touches of pop art.
The large, airy room where breakfast is served is a welcoming space throughout the day, with complimentary coffee, tea, clementines and Madeleines on tap when we stayed. It has large-screen television and leads out onto an expansive terrace with chill-out sofas and a hot tub inside a covered space.
Just steps away is the elegant, independently owned formal restaurant La Table d’Emilie, where we enjoyed the local aperitif – a Marseillanaise composed of half white, half red Noilly Prat – before a rich but excellent dinner, and the Noilly distillery itself, to which guided tours are available every weekday, is only a seven-minute walk, perched on the attractive harbour of this delightful little Mediterranean town.
Tell Me More About Residence Demeure Terrisse
Residence Demeure Terrisse 2 rue du general de Gaulle 34340 Marseillan, France
T: + 33 04 67 21 07 02
Room rates from €159.
Marseillan. is reached from the UK via Montpellier Airport, a 50-minute drive away. More information at http://en.archipel-thau.com and http://www.herault-tourisme.com/fr/
