JaneNMichael
Google
I've been twice to Hotel Guilhon—in six months. That's how great this place is. It's a supremely comfortable, luxurious place to stay and the perfect base for exploring the charming countryside of the Gers. The bedrooms are huge and are all recently redone, including the bathrooms. I visited during the off-season, when there were few other guests, so the owner let me see them all. My favorite, the one we always stay in, is the Francis Poulenc suite. It has an enormous bathroom and a view over the lovely pool. I also like that it's one of the bedrooms that does not face the school across the road, which briefly gets noisy when the kids arrive for school. The whole mansion is spotlessly clean and even smells divine. The common rooms, where you can relax with a drink and a book, are tastefully decorated with interesting art and comfortable furniture; the rooms downstairs are nicer than my own home. The pool area in the courtyard is heated through October and is a wonderful place to sit and read or enjoy a glass of wine. But the best thing about this hotel is its friendly, cool owners Thierry and Marc. They speak English perfectly and will help you with dinner reservations or make suggestions for things to do in the area. They always seem to be there when you need them, but also give you lots of space. They're very skilled that way. L'Hotel Particulier Guilhoun is my favorite place to stay in France, and I can't wait to come back with friends. Pro tips: Consider planning your trip between late April and early October. I've visited before Easter and in late October and noticed that some of the restaurants and other businesses in Lectoure were closed in the off-season. Of course, that did make it less touristy and less crowded, which was nice. You absolutely need a car here. I saw no evidence of buses or trains at all in this area.