Hotel Richer de Belleval in Montpellier

Hotel Richer de Belleval This is a beautiful 300 year old mansion that has been converted into a boutique hotel and part of Relais & Chateau of which we are members. Unfortunately our experience was not the best and we were quite disappointed. First of all when booking we were advised that the hotel is in a pedestrian only area so we were told we would be given driving access instructions the day before arrival. We never did and getting there was a huge hassle. Our room was OK but we hated the bathroom. The shower is the absolute worst one we‘ve ever had anywhere. I guess it’s designed to be in period but it’s in the tub and has a semi circular rod with a linen shower curtain that confines you in a small space with the plumbing pipes and controls intruding into the small space. As if that isn’t bad enough it’s totally open in the back, plus the soap, shampoo, etc. is on a ledge outside so you have to open the shower curtain to get at them and water goes everywhere. The WiFi log-in is ridiculous and is not only slow but kept losing the connection. The windows don’t open as we found out and when trying to close they catch on the curtains. We also found some of the staff to be quite unfriendly and certainly lacking any semblance of hospitality. Having said all this the location is great and if we were to return to Montpellier we’ve would likely stay here as it’s supposedly the best.