Alchimy: a boutique hotel in Albi with the right chemistry

The medieval city of Albi in south-west France has gained a new boutique hotel that blends modern styles with its ancient surroundings

No croissants for me; today I’m eating smoked salmon and charcuterie for my breakfast outside Alchimy, a boutique hotel and brasserie that would sit comfortably in any fashionable Parisian street.

But this isn’t Paris; it’s the tiny medieval city of Albi, around 85km north-east of Toulouse, in the Tarn départment. It’s an ancient place of gothic cloisters and half-timbered houses, the latter built from pretty red brick, earning it the name la ville rouge.