Savoie
This central hotel offers belle époque glamour at bargain rates. Original features date to the hotel's beginnings in 1868, like wooden floors and a…
Must-see hotels in France
Biarritz
Wow, it's like stepping into Saturday Night Fever at this '70s retro palace, where everything looks like it's been picked up from the glory days of disco …
Auberge de Jeunesse HI Le Mont-Dore
Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne
Usually jammed with skiers and hikers, this excellent hostel is right below the Puy de Sancy cable car, 3.5km south of town. Facilities include squeaky…
Sète
With its hilltop setting, secluded garden and timber-decked swimming pool lined by sunloungers, this B&B is the kind of place you won’t want to leave. The…
Auvergne
Travel photography and zany murals, from Cola bottles and New York City's Chrysler building to Donald Duck, liven up this modern hotel. Situated five…
Montmartre & Northern Paris
A twinset of potted yucca plants herald the entrance to this good-value, three-star hotel in Batignolles. Its 46 rooms come in colour palettes of mellow…
Alsace
In the heart of town, this rustic gîte harbours simple, bright, wood-floored apartments with kitchenettes. The restaurant (menus €20 to €26) receives high…
Normandy
You keep expecting Hercule Poirot to pop his mustachioed face around the corner of this charmingly old-world hotel. The simply finished rooms are…
Paris
A 1970s-built former postal sorting centre was stunningly converted to a hotel by Philippe Starck in 2019. Raw wood, polished concrete, marble, metal,…
Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne
Just 10 minutes' walk east of Lac Chambon's indigo waters is this efficiently run campground, with a choice of verdant tent sites and wooden chalets. Mini…
La Rochelle
Even if you don't usually go for a chain hotel, you might make an exception for this: the 79 bright modern rooms of this contemporary hotel lounge behind…
St-Émilion
If you've dreamed of staying in a romantic countryside château but your budget – or lack thereof – was a rude awakening, you'll be delighted by this…
Paris
Service is outstanding at this superbly located five-star property within easy reach of the Champs-Élysées, which offers both streamlined rooms and self…
Dauphiné
An excellent bet if you're on a tight budget. The 20 spacious rooms, some in a building from 1890, are plain but perfectly clean. There's an old-timey…
Bayeux
Occupying a very stately 18th-century residence with a lush little garden, this graceful and serene hotel has 28 comfortable rooms with exposed beams,…
Paris
Heart-warmingly good value, this 45-room well-tended address has been in the hotel biz since the 1900s and is much loved by a loyal clientele of all ages…
Montmartre & Northern Paris
Splashed with bright colours and murals, this well-kept hostel is just downhill from place Pigalle on a quiet street. Both twin rooms and dorms (sleeping…
Gorges du Verdon
This rural, vine-covered farmhouse is a real bargain, with five pleasant rooms and a lovely location deep in the countryside, 5km west of Moustiers on the…
Lyon & the Rhône Valley
To appreciate Pérouges’ charm, you could do worse than booking a room at this historic hotel, which also operates a respected restaurant. Its 28 rooms…
Golfe du Morbihan
This vine-clad former farmhouse has eight rooms – with low ceilings, fabric-covered walls and traditional timber furnishings – is in a quiet street south…
Bouches-du-Rhône
Arty owners have made this edge-of-town farmhouse a supremely elegant, relaxing and quietly luxurious retreat, with wonderful gardens and a brace of pools…
Atlantic Coast
A flowery courtyard out back and stylish family rooms are highlights of the unpretentious 27-room White Horse, run by Parisian couple Mylène and Frédéric…
Limousin
About 10km northwest of Brive-la-Gaillarde, this grand château was immortalised by French writer Colette who wrote Le Blé en Herbe and Chéri here. Topped…
French Basque Country
This impressive hotel has a stunning riverside location and spacious rooms with old-style furnishings. To reach the pool, you stroll past the orange trees…
Auvergne
More practical than pretty, likeable Hotel Chris'tel ticks all the boxes: spacious, wooden-floored rooms are kept sparkling clean, the bed sheets are good…
Grenoble
With more than two centuries of history behind it, dead-central Hôtel de l’Europe lays claim to being Grenoble’s oldest hotel. Though venerable, its 39…
Parc National du Mercantour
This B&B is quirky through and through: its lodges and rooms are decorated with elements inspired by nature – bathtubs made from river rocks, furniture…
French Basque Country
This beautiful Basque farmhouse is situated in the middle of wildflower meadows. With views over green mountains, it is a bucolic place to rest up. The…
Bordeaux
At home in an attractive 18th-century hôtel particulier, this three-star family-friendly hotel (also called Hôtel Royal St-Jean) is the top choice to…
Tarn
In the heart of the old town, this fine B&B is hard to beat for style, atmosphere and location. The two attractive rooms occupy a tastefully renovated…
Dauphiné
With a snug bar for après-ski and marvellous views of the Écrins national park, this spick-and-span chalet is excellent value. Lodgings vary by size and…
Amboise
Spartan but efficient, this 114-bed hostel – totally renovated in 2017 and 2018 – is 600m northwest of the entrance to the château, at the downriver tip…
Paris
An elegant lobby-salon, with ancient fireplace, wood panelling, antique furnishings and traditional board games to borrow, welcomes guests at the lovely…
Auvergne
This central hotel boasts a charming lounge room and a mini-library to relax in, when you aren't snoozing in one of its 23 contemporary, pastel-drenched…
Côte d’Opale
Boulogne's plushest hotel offers old-world character, professional service and amenities such as a hammam, a dry sauna and a tiny jacuzzi pool. The 35…
Paris
Monochrome black-on-white or white-on-black stripes (think bar codes) rule at this sharp, contemporary hotel, broken up by splashes of colour. It's…
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
For peace and tranquillity, you can't really quibble with this cosy, ivy-covered farmhouse, surrounded by lovely gardens and a cracking pool. The rooms…
Lyon & the Rhône Valley
Run by traditional caravan-maker Pascal and his wife Pascaline, this unique place has a trio of romantically furnished 1920s to 1950s gypsy caravans amid…
Paris
A few blocks inside the bd Périphérique ring road and footsteps from the Porte Dorée metro station, this country-manor-style hotel is as family friendly…
Paris
There's no sign outside and no reception, but these nine stylishly-furnished apartments sleep two to six people. Housed in a beautiful Haussmannian…
