france hotel reviews

Auberge La Régalido

An idyllic garden and Jean-Pierre Michel’s incomparable Provençal meals are two reasons to stay at this converted old mill. Friendly staff, individually decorated bedrooms with lots of extras, and an atmosphere of well-being complete the picture. Rue Frédéric-Mistral, 13990 Fontvieille, Bouches-du-Rhône.

Château de Roumégouse

This castle hotel is a rarity: a flawless Relais et Châteaux establishment with prices that are not sky-high. The style changes from one bedroom to another, but fresh flowers appear in each, as well as in the airy reception rooms. In summer, meals are taken on the panoramic terrace. Rignac, 46500 Gramat, Lot.

Relais de la Magdeleine

This gem of a hotel, occupying a handsome 18th-century bastide (country house), has been run with warmth by the same family since 1932. All the bedrooms, even the cheapest, are prettily decorated, with fine furniture and paintings; bathrooms are spruce. You might come across a donkey in the garden. 13420 Gémenos, Bouches-du-Rhône.

Le Coteau Fleuri

You don’t have to meet the cheerful owner to feel positive about this hotel. It happens the moment you enter the spacious interior with its polished tile floors and white walls, and smell the fragrance of fresh flowers. Rooms and superb food have a Provençal flavour. Place des Penitents, 83360 Grimaud, Var.

Château de la Chèvre d’Or

Smart hotel perched on a clifftop, where every bedroom has a view. Rue du Barri, 06360 Eze-Village, Alpes-Maritimes.

Château du Viguier du Roy

Central, but with a peaceful cloister and interior garden. Warm sophistication in a setting of 12th-century origins. Nrue Droite, 46100 Figeac, Lot.

Château Eza

Tapestries on stone walls and utter luxury, 400m (1,300ft) above the sea. Rue de la Pise, 06360 Eze-Village, Alpes- Maritimes.

Château de Floure

Former Romanesque abbey with extensive grounds, a maze and a pool. Pleasing rooms and fine food add to its appeal. 1 allée Gaston Bonheur, 11800 Floure, Aude.

Le Verger

A low, pink house with white shutters, typical of the region, the Verger is decorated plainly but agreeably with country-style fabrics and furniture. A wisteria-covered terrace makes a perfect venue for summer dining. In the garden of lawns and hydrangeas, there are plenty of shady spots in which to escape the midday sun. Route de Collobrières, 83360 Grimaud, Var.

Château de la

Treyne The origins of this nearperfect fortified manor date back to the 14th century. It is set in parkland, clinging to a cliff above the Dordogne river. Guests today find a harmonious blend of ornate and comfortable furniture in intimate rooms. Additional rooms have been added at another small chateau nearby. Lacave, 46200 Souillac, Lot.

Demeure de Flore

Shielded from the road by a wooded garden, the 19th-century house may not be anything to write home about architecturally, but it certainly is once you look inside. Many of the bright rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows, and painstaking care has gone into their furnishing. Snack lunches by the pool are bliss. 106 Route Nationale, 81240 Lacabarède, Tarn.

Hôtel du Pont de l’Ouysse

Tranquillity is guaranteed as the road leading to the hotel is a cul-de-sac. In warm weather, dining on the beautiful terrace that overlooks the river, sitting under a canopy of leafy trees and surrounded by shrubs, is magical. The seasonal menu features local produce. Lacave, 46200 Souillac, Lot.

Les Florêts

A tempting menu is accompanied by wine from the owner’s vineyards in this familyrun restaurant. Terrific terrace; plain rooms. Route des Dentelles, 84190 Gigondas, Vaucluse.

Le Cagnard

A restored medieval house with a panoramic position by the town ramparts. Rue sous Barri, Haut-de-Cagnes, 06800 Cagnes-sur-Mer, Alpes-Maritimes.

Le Château

Perched above the river, this mini chateau with a crop of turrets has comfy new rooms, a snug salon and established restaurant. 1 rue de la Tour, 24150 Lalinde, Dordogne.

L’Atalaya

This rough-stone inn blends so well with the environment that it’s hard to say where the craggy landscape stops and its walls begin. It has the double bonus of skiing on the doorstep in winter and hiking in summer. The rustic interior has polished wood and stone walls in the dining room; bedrooms are cosy. Llo, 66800 Saillagouse, Pyrénées-Orientales.

La Domaine du Colombier

A watering place for pilgrims to Santiago de Compestela, this imaginatively converted stone house near the autoroute is an ideal stopover – indeed, so ideal that travellers may not want to leave. Now under the management of Anne and Thierry Chochois. Route de Donzère, 26780 Malataverne, Drôme.

Château de Madières

Spectacularly situated, teetering on the edge of a cliff above the Vis gorge, is this 14th-century fortress. Its rugged exterior masks a comfortable hotel, lovingly restored by the Brucys. It has an alluring galleried salon, and bedrooms where white walls are offset by strongly coloured furnishings. Madières, 34190 Ganges, Hérault

Manoir de Montesquiou

More like a castle than a manor and dating from the 15th century, this family-run establishment has a lurid history and a dramatic site between sheer rocks in the Gorges du Tarn. Inside, dark wood furniture and rich fabrics complete the picture. Some bedrooms are in the turrets, some have four-posters. 48210 La Malène, Lozère.

La Métairie Hotel

Amid meadows and pine woods, is this tastefully done-up, creeper-clad farmhouse. Seductive pool and terrace; kind staff. Millac, 24150 Mauzac, Dordogne.

A Pasturella Hotel

Village life centres around the bar of this simple charming hostelry, where you will find delightful bedrooms and hearty food. Monticello, 20220 l’Ile-Rousse, Haute-Corse.

Château de Puy Robert

Plush furnishings and fine food at a neo-Renaissance Relais et Châteaux. Route de Valojoulx, 24290 Montignac-Lascaux, Dordogne.

Hostellerie le Vert

A side door leads into this 17th-century former farmhouse, now a compelling small hotel with exposed beams and stone walls. The bedrooms are attractive to return to at the end of a day out. The Philippes, a charming couple, work hard to ensure that guests have a perfect stay. Mauroux, 46700 Puy-l’Evêque, Lot.

Au Bon Coin du Lac

The ever-cheerful and efficient Madame Caule warmly greets guests at her little stone-and-wood lakeside hotel. Monsieur Caule has gained a Michelin star and widespread renown for his gastronomic cooking. His speciality is seafood; it is served with due deference in the pretty, light dining room. 34 avenue du Lac, 40200 Mimizan, Landes.

Château d’Ayres

Peace reigns in this handsome chateau set within the Cevennes national park. A splendid garden of mature cedars, oaks and sequoias is just one of its attributes. Others are wood-panelled rooms with superb antiques and paintings, and a menu of mouthwatering Languedoc specialities. Route d’Ayres, 48150 Meyrueis, Lozère.

Les Muscadins

The American owner has filled this appealing whitewashed hotel with antiques from the houses of Muscadins (18th-century fops) – hence the name. With a provençal garden and terrace with spectacular views, it is hard to resist. Bedrooms are sophisticated, and the Mediterranean cuisine is highly regarded. 18 blvd Courteline, 06250 Mougins, Alpes-Maritimes.

Auberge Fleurie

At the core of this unpretentious inn are its two cheerful dining rooms, with red gingham tablecloths and gleaming wood dressers. Place du Barry, 15120 Montsalvy, Cantal.

Manoir de l’Etang

This discreet and elegant 19th-century manor house offers a retreat from the bustle of fashionable Mougins – at a price. Nallée du Manoir, 06250 Mougins, Alpes-Maritimes.

Le Pré Bossu

This thatched stone cottage is set in fields and full of old-fashioned rural charm: wood floors, dressers, lace. Serious gourmet food. 43150 Moudeyres, Haute-Loire.

L’Oustal del Barry

A neat inn on the main square of a stunning village; a welcoming place which takes its cooking and wine very seriously. Place du Bourg, 12270 Najac, Aveyron

La Bastide de Moustiers

White-clad chefs collecting fresh vegetables and herbs from the garden are a common sight at Alain Ducasse’s beautifully converted 17th-century bastide. With its exemplary cooking and its subtle decoration, the place is a celebration of Provence. Chemin de Quinson, 04360 Moustiers-Ste-Marie, Alpes de Haute-Provence.

Auberge de Noves

Not an auberge but a sumptuously fitted-out Provençal manor, owned and loved by three generations of the Lalleman family, and showing an inherited eye for detail. In a tranquil garden of olive, cypress and plane trees. Devotees can’t stay away. route de Châteaurenard, 13550 Noves, Bouches-du- Rhône.

Hôtel Longcol

A remote wooded valley of the Aveyron gorges shelters this ancient fortified farm. Owner Fabienne Luyckx is an accomplished hotelier, with a passion for Asian art, which is reflected in the bronzes, carvings and studded doors that fill the house. Prior booking essential. 12270 La Fouillade, Najac, Aveyron.

Domaine de Rieumégé

This is a hotel to suit every pocket, with accommodation ranging from simple, antique-filled bedrooms, to a luxury room and suite sharing a private pool. The stone house is set in the Haut Languedoc national park. The old barn makes a lovely dining room, and a fire warms the cosy salon. Route de St-Pons, 34390 Olargues, Hérault.

Domaine de Châteauneuf

Provençal-style 18thcentury country house with lavish decoration. Au Logis de Nans, 83860 Nans-les-Pins, Var.

Relais du Val d’Orbieu

The former mill has a large garden, pool and enviable wine cellar. Most of the airy bedrooms are in modern extensions. 11200 Ornaisons, Aude.

La Métairie Neuve

The charming former farmhouse retains some of its original features: rafters, tiled floors and stone walls. Bout Pont-de-L’Arn, 81660 Mazamet, Tarn.

Auberge de l’Orangerie

Entrance to the lively, distinctively decorated village inn is through an overgrown courtyard. 4 rue de l’Ormeau, 84420 Piolenc, Vaucluse.

Château Cordeillan-Bages

Lovers of wine flock to this graceful bordelais château with its own vineyard; the wine list is extensive, of course, but it also hosts Ecole du Bordeaux wine courses. Public rooms have an English country house feel, while the bedrooms are the ultimate in designer chic. Route des Châteaux, 33250 Pauillac, Gironde.

Mas des Brugassières

Just 8km (5 miles) north of the resort of Ste-Maxime and set among vineyards, this comfortable mas has a friendly feel. Although it was built in the 1970s, the roof and floor tiles and the solid, wooden furniture are all traditional. The best bedrooms are those that have doors on to the garden. Plan-de-la-Tour, 83120 Ste Maxime, Var.

Auberge de la Madone

A twisting mountain road leads up to this appealing logis, where the Millo family welcome their guests with warmth and courtesy. Set just outside the village walls, the hotel offers a dining terrace, an organic Provençal restaurant and pleasant rooms (those in the annexe are cheapest). 06440 Peillon-Village, Alpes-Maritimes.

Les Hospitaliers

Owner Bernard Morin used to be an art dealer, which explains the many original pieces adorning this former stronghold. Spectacular views can be had from various vantage points; the best are the terrace, pool and top-floor salon. Service in the restaurant is superb. 26160 Le Poët-Laval, Drôme.

Auberge des Glycines

This informal hotel in the port is brightly painted both inside and out, and set around a tree-filled courtyard. Place d’Armes, 83400 Ile de Porquerolles, Var

Le Manoir

Bedrooms in this handsome 19th-century manor have antiques and vistas over the fertile island. Good seafood. Ile de Port-Cros, 83400 Hyères, Var.

Grand Hôtel de Cala Rossa

Glamorous modern hotel by the beach. Bedrooms are airy. Cala Rossa, 20137 Porto-Vecchio, Corse-du-Sud.

Hôtel Belvédère

Contemporary luxury, including a pool, private beach and rooms in the grounds. Route de la Plage de Palombaggia, 20137 Porto- Vecchio, Corse-du-Sud.