Chambre d'Hote Le Theron, Fontaine du Terron, 26220 Dieulefit
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Proprietor: Annick NOUGAREDE
Alternative address (easier to find): 2 rue des Boulevards, Dieulefit.

Having been advised by friends that Dieulefit was a very good place for asthma, we decided to stay here for a short time on our way to the French Riviera. We looked for a bed and breakfast which had air conditioning and this seemed to be the only one that fitted the bill. So we chose to stay at the Chambre d'Hote Le Theron.
Dieulefit is a lovely place with great views and a nice breeze that makes the hot weather pleasant. There are lots of interesting places to visit in the surrounding area and the landscapes are magnificent. There are lots of vineyards and wine cellars to visit and you can spend a lot of time wine tasting if you wish. There is a picturesque market on a Friday morning in Dieulefit. There are a few very reasonably priced restaurants, Le Café de la Mairie for sandwiches and salads, Le Quartier for a 3 course dinner at around 12 euros and Le Bureau for salads, main courses and several types of meals (extra charges for every drinks taken served outside). Both Le Café de la Mairie and Le Quartier seem to be family run and the atmosphere is pleasant. There are also more upmarket restaurants which we did not have time to try out.
On arrival at our B&B, we were a little surprised to find it very difficult to park and to find access to the place. Once we found the place, we discovered that our room was up the side of a hill or almost a mountain and about the equivalent of a 4th storey flat (give or take a floor) from the level where the car can be parked (if there is a space available in the public car park). Access to the room is possible by the outside of the house (in fact two old houses linked by a new part) with very dangerous outside stairs (some uneven and unstabilised stones) or after going up about 2/3 levels you can go to your room via the inside stairs (part of which is new and and part of which is quite dangerous in our opinion and certainly not suitable for the disabled). If the owners forget to leave the lights on, it is very dangerous indeed and you need to have a flashlight with you just in case (I fell flat on my face trying to find the switch one evening). As you get up to the top part, the lights come on automatically outside.
The house is a Renaissance house and has many old features. Many people will find this charming but if you are very tall, you will need to bend down or else you will catch your head in the door frames. There are 3 rooms with en suite bathrooms available, 1 double and 1 twin with air conditioning in the top part and 1 double in the same part of the house as the owners with no air conditioning (not so many stairs to climb).
The swimming pool is great and with towels provided by the owner, you can enjoy swimming at least once every day.
Breakfast was served outside with a wonderful view of the mountains. The proprietor served apple juice, bread, butter and home made jam. She had fruit and yoghourt available and offered it to some visitors for free and some guests told us they had to pay extra for these. So make sure you ask in advance. There was a variety of teas available including Darjeeling and Earl Grey but no ordinary English breakfast tea. Unfortunately there was only room for the occupants of one room at the table outside so you either had to wait your turn or eat inside in a charming old but darkish dining room.
We had the double room with air conditioning. The big advantage is of course the air conditioning especially in the afternoon and evening when it can get very hot. The bathroom was also in good condition with a modern shower etc. Unfortunately there was not much space to store one’s toiletries.
The bathrooms and floors were kept very clean. However there was a lot of dust on the tables and also on the chest of drawers. I even washed them and cleaned them when my husband turned his back so that he would not see the quantity of dust and want to leave immediately. The drawers of the small chest of drawers were not usable due to a build up of dust inside the drawers (apparently over a long period of time). The bed was not very stable and as you can see in one of the photos, it was kept level with some pieces of wood and when you moved in the bed it sometimes fell off the prop. We got a fright the first time this happened but we soon got used to it.
In our room there was a window with proper outside shutters and also a door with a very flimsy blind that did not keep out the light at all. If the weather is windy the automatic light keeps coming on all night so it can be very bright in the room.
Overall, would we go back again? Probably not. This bed and breakfast at Dieulefit is only suitable for young fit people who love period features. It is definitely not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties. In order to improve, the owners would need to improve the outside stairs and make them safe for visitors.
Also it is a good idea to consult reputable guides for Chambre d'Hotes (B &Bs) if you want to find a decent place (Clevacances, Gites de France...). There is always a risk if you take a place with only internet pictures and a list from the tourist office. There is a lesson to be learned from every experience!