Former resort hotel from the 1930s

Hotel Ranc or Hotel du Parc

Built in 1926, the Hotel du Parc experienced its golden age during the 1930s when wealthy families from Cannes, Nice, and Marseille came to enjoy the fresh and healthy air of La Bastide-Puylaurent at an altitude of 1,024 meters. Escaping the summer heat of the French Riviera, they took the direct train "Le Cévenol" to this first mountain station in Lozère. They fished for trout in the Allier River, picked mushrooms in the surrounding woods of the Abbey Notre Dame des Neiges, and strolled through this unique village reminiscent of holiday resorts, family pensions, and chic second homes of prosperous times.

The former Hotel Ranc truly boasts well-designed architecture; the characterful inn is spacious, pleasant, bright, airy, comfortable, and has a garden overlooking the Allier River, which borders Lozère (Occitanie) and Ardèche (Rhône-Alpes). The sources of the Allier are located 14 km away on the summit of Moure de la Gardille near Chasseradès on the watershed line. Since 1991, Philippe Papadimitriou has embarked on the adventure of converting the hotel into a guesthouse equipped with spacious and comfortable rooms. It is an ideal place for a relaxing stay.

The atmosphere at L'Etoile is restful, relaxed, and friendly. A piano tune, a fire in the fireplace, a good Belgian beer, the smell of homemade bread, and some comfortable wicker armchairs for conversation or reading in the large dining room. Unless the good weather draws you to the terrace or into the park under the shade of the linden tree, where you'll hear the Allier flowing. A large veranda dating from that era allows you to enjoy the last rays of the sun before dinner.