
Little pleasures - in every suite
Why are so many showers so miserable? Too small to move about in, you keep bumping up against glass or sticking to a cold shower curtain - while a trickle of luke-warm water tries valiantly to get the soap out of your hair.
We've said no to the miserly shower by equipping each of our gay guest house suites with roomy, curtain-free shower cubicles that each feature a huge 24cm Hansgrohe 'Raindance' shower head. Each suite also has its own separate hot water supply, so you'll enjoy a torrent of hot water cascading over you.
We think that when you're on holiday, it's nice to treat yourself to a few little luxuries. So we've avoided the standard linen found in most hotels - and have instead put 'Pima Cotton' sheets and towels in every suite.
Denser than even Egyptian Cotton, 'Pima Cotton' boasts a thread count of 430 threads per inch, making towels far more absorbent and fluffy, and sheets softer and silkier. Combine that with duck-feather pillows, and top-quality mattresses, and you're guaranteed to sleep like a baby.
We also provide beach / pool towels - to help you minimise your luggage.
Languedoc summers can be pretty hot. And its winters unexpectedly cold. So to keep you from sweating or shivering, we've installed an ultra-efficient (heat-exchanger) air-conditioning and heating system in each suite.
For those of you who like to be very 'green' - all windows also have shutters, which are the traditional way of keeping the heat at bay.
Coffee can be glorious - or pretty nasty. We've all had that watery, grey liquid that some cafés try to pass off as coffee. And because most holiday rentals are equipped with rudimentary coffee-making facilities, the coffee we experience on holiday is often not much better.
So to ensure you get a decent cup each morning, we've equipped each of our suite's kitchens with a Nespresso espresso-making machine. And some capsules to get you started. They produce wonderfully aromatic, frothy espresso (or americano, cappuccino or latte) with a minimum of fuss and mess.
What better place to escape the rush and stress of city life than Languedoc - with its wild expanses and sleepy villages. But you might find that, after a day or two of unwinding, you may just appreciate the ability to check your email or surf the web.
Which is why we've installed (free) broadband Wi-Fi in all our suites, giving you access to the net at speeds of between 2 and 8 MBs. You'll even be able to gain access in the garden - so you can surf while you sunbathe.
After a day spent biking along the Canal du Midi or clambering over some Cathar castle, you might feel like an evening relaxing with a good film. To that end, we've put a wide-screen television with built-in DVD player in each suite. And we give you access* to our library of over 300 DVDs - films, documentaries and TV shows.
(* We do charge a nominal fee of €2 which is used to purchase the latest titles.)
We stock each suite with a free bottle of local rosé wine, mineral water, Nespresso capsules and tea bags.
However, we also offer a 'Welcome Hamper' service, whereby we purchase a range of essentials for you - so that you can have a light meal upon arrival without having to do any shopping.
The Welcome Hamper costs only €40, and includes fresh bread, a bottle of milk, butter, Tropicana orange juice, a selection of jams, a tin of olives, a bowl of fruit, nuts & crisps, a selection of 'charcuterie', and (most important of all) a box of chocolates.
Lugging iPod speakers around can be a chore - especially if you're flying. So you'll find a Philips iPod radio by your bed. Just pop your iPod or iPhone on to the docking cradle, and press play. You can also listen to local French radio stations, and set your iPod to wake you up each morning.