Since 1791, on the old harbour
A ship-owner’s house with fourteen rooms, one minute from the water.
The family who run Orvalle bought the house in 1987 and have been restoring it one room at a time ever since. Every room is different. What they share is thick walls, oak floors, good beds and light that changes all day.
Choose a room by its light.
Every key hangs on the board behind the desk. Each one opens a room that gets the sun at a different time of day.
What a day here looks like, hour by hour.
These are the cards you will find in your room. Drag along the day.
07:05
First light
Curtains that keep the dawn out
Every room has sheer linen curtains with a blackout lining behind them. Draw them and the room stays dark for as long as you want to sleep.
Earplugs and an eye mask are in the bedside drawer.
08:35
Breakfast
Breakfast in bed until eleven
Tick what you want on the card by the door before you sleep. It comes up on a tray at the time you choose.
Tray service costs nothing extra.
10:30
Morning
A car to the market
On Tuesdays and Saturdays our driver takes guests up to the hill market and back. Leave from the front door at half past ten.
Two seats left most weeks; ask at breakfast.
12:05
Midday
Keep the room until three
Checkout is at noon, but if nobody is arriving that day you can stay until 3 pm at no charge.
Bags can stay with us after you check out.
15:45
Afternoon
A reading chair by every window
Each room has a chair where the afternoon sun lands. The library downstairs has four hundred books, and you can take any of them upstairs.
Leave them on the bed when you check out.
17:30
Tea
Tea on the roof terrace
From half past five there is tea, lemonade and almond biscuits on the roof. It is the best place in the house to watch the boats come in.
Free for guests, every day from April to October.
19:15
Turndown
Turndown at seven
While you are at dinner we draw the curtains halfway, switch on the lamps, fold back the bed and leave water and tomorrow's forecast by your side.
Hang the card on the door to skip it.
22:40
Night
Someone is at the desk all night
Dial 9 from the room phone for anything: a taxi before dawn, a late sandwich, a spare charger or a quieter room.
The front door code changes every day.
Directions from the desk
Everything is downhill, and the sea is at the bottom.
Boulangerie Ferrand
2 min
The fish market
3 min
Plage des Pêcheurs
6 min
Chez Marthe
5 min
The lighthouse path
40 min round
Hill market
15 min by car
Book with the desk
Book directly and breakfast is on us.
Write or call. A person answers every message the same day, usually within the hour.