Years spent travelling around Italy and Provence, staying in small boutique hotels and dining in beautiful restaurants have given them a very clear idea of the ingredients that work. Character, authenticity and simplicity combined with extreme comfort, good food and a relaxed ambience are all key elements.
We first call into Le Domaine, unannounced, not long after breakfast, but we're warmly welcomed and
taken on a short tour. On a coffee table in the lounge are the remnants of last night's after-dinner drinks: empty bottles, and wine glasses with tiny pools of ruby at the top of their stems. As she gathers up the dirty glasses, Clotilde explains: “Guests wanted us to try some wine they had brought, so then we wanted them to try some we had...” Her voice trails off and she smiles. “It was a nice night.” It's this easy, relaxed and informal feel to Le Domaine that lifts it from being a standard boutique hotel into the realm of something more personal and intimate – and very special indeed.
Before buying Le Domaine, they were both heads of companies – Arnold in decoration and Clotilde in Law. In 2016, their children having grown and fled the nest, they opted for a simpler life and a move away from the city, and began to work together. They had long been drawn to the authenticity and beauty of this corner of Drôme Provençale, so when the chance came to buy Le Domaine, they left their city lives behind and began to transform it into the home of their dreams. After seven months of hard work, they opened the doors.
“We love to receive our guests, cook them good and beautiful dishes, let them know the region. In short, make them happy!”
Mission accomplished, we think.