Hôtel Richer de Belleval in Montpellier: Where History and Luxury Meet Imagination

The early afternoon sunshine is streaming through my wide-open window. There’s a gentle breeze carrying with it the chitter-chatter from the terrace down below. I’m curled up on my sun-kissed armchair, a book in one hand, and a glass of chilled rosé in the other. No children demanding snacks, my to-do list firmly cast to the back of my mind. This moment is my definition of perfection.

In fact, you’d be hard pushed to find anything but perfection at Hôtel Richer de Belleval. As we flip-flopped our way under the vast vaulted ceiling towards the warm smiles and cool drinks that awaited us at reception, we couldn’t help but feel that we were somewhere very special. 

These walls have witnessed so much history. Built in the late 17th century, it was considered to be one of Montpellier’s most important aristocratic residencies, expanded by the wealthy noble Belleval family in the 18th century, and later becoming Montpellier’s town hall until 1975. Indeed, the hotel's hidden gem of a bar has celebrated many 'I do' moments - once serving as the town hall’s wedding chamber. In 2021, Hôtel Richer de Belleval opened its doors  – the building’s former glory fully restored, its charm spilling out of every stone. 

As we walked through the welcome cool corridors towards our room, I noticed a plaque inscribed with the words of Victor Hugo: 

“Il y a deux choses dans un edifice, son usage et sa beauté. Son usage appartient au propriétaire, sa beauté à tout le monde.” 

This translates as: “There are two things in a building, its use and its beauty. Its use belongs to the owner, its beauty to everyone."

For three luxurious days, this beauty belonged to us. 

Our delightfully spacious top-floor bedroom, and grand, marble en-suite, overlooked the picture-perfect Place de la Canourgue, and Montpellier’s roof-tops and hill-tops beyond. This is one of my favourite cities in France, and one that can be explored to your heart’s content. But maybe just put the exploring on hold for a while. Maybe just run that late afternoon bath you were dreaming of as you rushed between meetings back home. Maybe order that ice-cold champagne to be sipped as you soak. Maybe just lap up every delicious moment in your own tranquil slice of Montpellier, and let the world drift by your window. I don’t think you’ll regret it.

What you may regret, however, is leaving without experiencing the exquisite skill of chef twins Jacques and Laurent Pourcel. They’re the duo behind the huge success of the hotel’s Michelin star restaurant, ‘Le Jardin des Sens’ (‘The Garden of the Senses’). Engaging your every sense is their aim – and I can assure you, they succeed. Beneath spectacular seventeenth-century frescoes, we relished every mouthful of grey mullet with smoked potato, calamansi sorbet and caviar. There were caramel-glazed baby tomatoes with green tomato sorbet, blue lobster with citrus tacos and Galician turbot fillet stuffed with basil. I’m not joking when I say I could write an entire article about the asparagus alone. 

It’s not the kind of restaurant where everything and everyone is so silent you barely dare cough. The staff were chatty, attentive and incredibly knowledgeable. I adored hearing how the chefs’ cuisine is inspired by the flavours of their home region – herbs and citrus from southern France, Mediterranean fish, exquisite Languedoc wines, while always being attentive to the season's suggestions. The Gariguette strawberries and Laguiole crisp with fig, thyme and Muscat de Lunel sorbet was like eating summer itself. 

‘Le Jardin des Sens’, and it’s ‘bistronomie’-style sibling, ‘La Canourgue’, both honour Pierre Richer de Belleval. Considered by many to be the father of French botany, he was the physician to King Henri IV of France, and the hotel was once his residence. His passion for plants, nature and discovery is celebrated on the plates of every guest fortunate enough to dine here.

And if you fancy continuing your glass-clinking, the hotel’s bar, ‘L’Élytre’ awaits. Drawing inspiration from insects and botanicals, it feels as though you’re stepping into a collector’s study, with intimate private members’ club vibes. Here you can sip signature cocktail creations beneath the spectacular green-blue shimmer of artwork on the ceiling, created using thousands of real beetle wing cases (elytra, hence the name of the bar). This is just one of five unmissable contemporary pieces of art made for the hotel, and its guests, by international artists. 

This coming together of past and present, of modern imaginations unleashed on a canvas of history, reflects the spirit of Hôtel Richer de Belleval. It is a fusion of old and new, where creativity and imagination are as alive in the kitchen as they are on the centuries-old sweeping staircases.

Pulling apart my freshly-baked morning croissant in the hotel’s sunlit inner courtyard, my crumb-covered book in one hand, a frothy cappuccino in the other, a slow day of meandering ahead of me… This is another close contender for my definition of perfection. 

I wonder what your perfect is? Whatever it may be, I’m almost certain you’ll find it here. 

For more information, or to book a room, visit: Hôtel Richer de Belleval