Fodor's Expert Review Le Relais du Val d'Orbieu

This pretty spot west of town is a viable solution to Narbonne's scarcity of good hotels—rooms are grouped around a courtyard and most are reached through covered arcades; the better ones are pleasantly simple, with bare tile floors and large French doors leading onto terraces, while the standard ones are slightly smaller and do not have terraces or views. The prix-fixe restaurant (no lunch) lacks intimacy, but is more than serviceable.