Marseille
Part of a funky mini-chain of design-forward hotels, Marseille's Mama Shelter offers 125 Philippe Starck–imagined rooms over five floors. It’s all about…
Must-see hotels in France
Paris
Interior designer Vanessa Scoffier scoured Paris' flea markets to source Platner chairs, 1950s lighting and other unique vintage pieces for the 32 rooms…
The Pyrenees
You’ll feel rather like you’re staying in the Canadian wilderness here, with its timber-framed chalet cabins and forested hillside setting. It’s a…
Le Havre
This terrific and very stylish four-star establishment is all nautical downstairs and has cheerfully painted rooms upstairs arranged with sisal flooring…
Caen
This grand and adorable four-room B&B, overflowing with personality, charm and history (it dates to the 17th century), occupies three floors of an…
La Rochelle
At home in an old rope factory, stylish La Fabrique is a nod to its industrial heritage and contemporary design. Fifty-eight rooms are arranged in a quad,…
Var
Excellent value for such a centrally located, welcoming and comfortable hotel, this charming salmon-pink hostelry justifies its name with sensational…
The Luberon
Hidden behind a wall in the old town, this enormous maison d’hôte occupies a 17th-century former convent. Staying here is as much architectural experience…
Chamonix
Exuding belle époque charm, this buttercup and powder-blue hotel is one of the prettiest buildings in Chamonix. Established in 1840, the hotel's 30 rooms…
St-Germain & Les Invalides
It's hard to believe that such a gem of a budget hotel still exists in this ultrachic part of St-Germain. A family affair for the last five generations,…
Menton
Standing tall on the seafront, the Napoléon is Menton’s most stylish sleeping option. Everything from the pool to the restaurant-bar and the back garden …
Bouches-du-Rhône
'Under The Fig Trees' nicely captures the languid, leisurely, home-away-from-home feel of this charming, country-chic house a five-minute walk from the…
Arcachon
A skip from the waterfront by Arcachon's Big Wheel, Le B can do no wrong. Its 56 spacious rooms have serene turquoise, emerald and cream colour palettes,…
Honfleur
Penny Vincent, an American who moved to France from San Francisco, and her French husband Thierry are the gracious hosts at this elegant home, built in…
Auvergne
Combining historic walls, French soul food and a lost-in-time village, it's hard to imagine a more atmospheric place to stay than Le Clos Saint François…
Avignon
The address to sleep in Avignon en luxe. It's located literally in the shadow of the palace, and stepping inside feels more like entering an aristocrat's…
Lyon
Friendly owners Françoise and Patrick rent these two superbly situated Vieux Lyon apartments with beamed ceilings and kitchen facilities. The smaller 3rd…
Bordeaux
Beautifully located in the chic, shop-laden Triangle d'Or, this enchanting three-star hotel languishes inside an 18th-century hôtel particulier (mansion)…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Run by hip, witty staff, this brilliant hostel is the Belleville hot spot to mingle with locals over Parisian craft beer at the stunning ground-floor bar,…
St-Malo
If you're yearning for an aristocratic overlay to your St-Malo experience then this peaceful 18th-century mansion should do the job nicely. It has 12 high…
Finistère
Looking for something extra special and different? This marvellous and incredibly atmospheric little hideaway in the tiny hamlet of Kerlouantec, 2km…
Bastia
Perched high in the hills, 8km along a tortuous road northwest of Bastia, this veteran family-run hotel makes a brilliant halfway house between city and…
Côte d'Azur
You know that dreamy Provençal getaway you’ve been looking for? The one in the little village, set among gardens filled with lavender and honeysuckle, and…
Nice
A prime seaside location and boutique hotel style put La Pérouse in a league of its own. Built into the rock cliff-face of Colline du Château, it evokes…
Latin Quarter
This elegant, fourth-generation family hotel, run by great-granddaughter Isabelle and her Uncle Thierry today, wins the prize for the most polished,…
Lyon
Lyon's branch of this trendy hotel chain has sleek decor, carpets splashed with calli-graffiti, firm beds, plush pillows, modernist lighting and big…
Arles
It's not often you can say you've stayed somewhere designed from scratch by a world-famous fashion icon – but that's what you get at this luxe address …
Camargue
This 17th-century farmhouse has managed to become an upmarket hotel without jettisoning design elements that nod to its rural roots: solid beams, wooden…
Montmartre & Northern Paris
From the 9th-floor rooftop bar overlooking Sacré-Cœur and the stylish ground-floor cafe-restaurant to the vaulted basement bar-club styled like a Paris…
Paris
A showcase for stunning contemporary decor by Christian Lacroix, the 38-room Antoine's five floors reflect a different aspect of the Bastille – the 1950s,…
Paris
This gem feels like a home away from home, in a very quiet street close to Parc Montsouris. The two suites – one for a couple and one for a family – are…
Atlantic Coast
At home in a former wood factory, this riverside estate is a leafy delight. Pick from one of seven design rooms in the attractive hotel building, an…
Auvergne
This gastronomy-obsessed guesthouse has six spacious lodgings renovated with minimalist flair: ceilings are high, tones are neutral, and there are period…
Bordeaux
Tucked in an 18th-century house on a quiet side street with little passing traffic, this design-driven boutique hotel oozes natural style and peace. Soft,…
Yonne
This lovingly renovated B&B, 1km outside Chablis beside an old mill on the River Serein, offers two spacious, elegantly appointed doubles and a pair of…
Carcassonne
Built in the 19th century in the Gothic Revival style, this is Carcassonne's most magnificent place to stay. Palatial rooms are individually appointed,…
Burgundy
Set in a 5-sq-km private estate 11km south of Bibracte, this delightful 16th- and 18th-century château offers a glimpse of the luxurious life of Burgundy…
Étretat
Run by a former detective with an impressive moustache, this establishment was inspired by Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Each of the 14 charming…
The Jura Mountains
Every imaginable luxury is available at La Mainaz: chic chalet-style rooms with coffee machines, ultramodern anthracite-walled bathrooms, and a high…
St-Malo
La Maison des Armateurs is enthusiastically run by a very helpful French-American couple. Despite the austere granite-fronted setting, the inside of this…
