St-Germain & Les Invalides
Built in 1910 by the founders of neighbouring department store Le Bon Marché to accommodate their customers, the landmark Lutetia received a magnificent…
Must-see hotels in France
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La Rochelle
This 36-room themed hotel, squirrelled away in a centuries-old bourgeois mansion, is a secret museum of street art and rock memorabilia. Monumental…
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Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Painted ceiling beams, period terracotta and a mesmerising collection of art, books and curiosities only adds to the exceeding charm of this five-star…
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St-Germain & Les Invalides
In a quiet quayside street, this 20-room establishment is the stuff of romance, Parisian myths and urban legends. Rock- and film-star patrons fight to…
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Lyon & the Rhône Valley
By far the most unusual sleeping option in the Gorges de l'Ardèche, this good find offers eight luxury safari tents (called 'lodges') and four modern,…
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Corte
Set in a powder-blue house on Corte’s northern edge, this peach of a B&B is run by a charming couple, Marina and Antoine. The three rooms and two suites…
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Lyon
Four 14th- to 17th-century houses wrapped around a traboule (secret passage) with preserved features such as Italianate loggias make this an exquisite…
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Southern Corsica
Run by two brothers, this boutique farmhouse near Cucuruzzu hillfort is pure class. Its 16 rooms and two stilt-perched, family-friendly treehouse cabins…
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Reims
Such class! If you've ever wanted to stay in a palace, this romantic château on the fringes of Reims is the real McCoy. Manicured lawns sweep to the…
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Ajaccio
Nestled right at the water’s edge, 1.5km west of the old town, this colonnaded, peach-coloured 19th-century mansion is a dream. Views of the bay from its…
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Colmar
This graceful late-19th-century villa manages the careful balancing act of combining original art-nouveau features with modern comforts such as in-room…
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Southern Corsica
This delightful family-run B&B hides in a pretty village house in tiny San Gavinu di Carbini, between Levie and Zonza. The rooms are exquisite, blending…
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Lyon & the Rhône Valley
Just 300m away from the Pont d'Arc, the aptly named Belvédère (Lookout) has 30 rooms that have been sleekly refitted. Half of the rooms have views of the…
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Strasbourg
A 16th-century inn lovingly converted into a boutique hotel, Cour du Corbeau wins you over with its half-timbered charm and its location, just steps from…
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Lyon & the Rhône Valley
Beaujolais’ iconic, much-beloved inn occupies a village house restyled into an urban-chic, design-led boutique hotel. Oh, and there’s the fantastic…
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Brittany
If you ever dreamt of staying in a 15th-century half-timbered house, look no further than this sumptuous B&B in the heart of Dinan. The building's…
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Lille
Behind a fretted glass-and-steel facade in the former Polish Consulate's post-Soviet building, the 2016-opened Hôtel L'Arbre Voyageur has 48 stylised…
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Paris
Line drawings by French artist Julie Gauthron bedeck walls and doors at this creative hotel. Le crayon (the pencil) is the theme, with 26 rooms sporting a…
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The Luberon
If you're looking for somewhere to spend a once-in-a-lifetime Provençal holiday, then this glorious hotel really should be near the top of your list…
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Montmartre & Northern Paris
This luxurious hideaway in a 19th-century townhouse in the trendy 10e is exquisite. Its 18 bohemian-chic rooms have rich House of Hackney velvet wallpaper…
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Île de Ré
The stunning creation of a Parisian architect, this 22-room boutique hotel on the church square in Ars-en-Ré languishes luxuriantly in several traditional…
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Gorges du Verdon
If you enjoy architectural grand designs, you'll adore this wonderful B&B. Inside the handsome brick shell (a former factory) are gorgeous, clean-lined,…
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Montmartre & Northern Paris
During the Belle Époque, this mansion sheltered a discreet brothel run by Madame Souquet, which provided the inspiration for its conversion by French…
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Camargue
This isolated farmstead, 400m down an unpaved track off the D85A just north of Stes-Maries-de-la-Mer, perfectly balances modern-day comforts with rural…
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Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Opened in 1885 as thermal baths (frequented by Marcel Proust, among others), in 1978 this iconic address morphed into the Bains-Douches nightclub, made…
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Lyon
A stellar new addition to Lyon, the Mob Hotel is a magnet for designers and the creative set. Metal lacework encases the avant-garde building overlooking…
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Montmartre & Northern Paris
Hidden down a stone-paved alley, this mansion is a magical address. Its five sweeping designer suites are decorated with retro flea-market finds, but it's…
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Èze
If you’re looking for a place to propose, well, there can be few more memorable settings than this wonderful clifftop hotel, perched dramatically above…
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Clermont-Ferrand
Punching well above its midrange price tag, Le Lion has a royal-blue colour scheme and offers royal treatment to match. Staff bend over backwards to make…
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Yonne
Situated on shady, extensive grounds 6km north of Avallon, this château houses two fantastic family apartments and three luxuriously appointed rooms, each…
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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…
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Paris
Interior designer Vanessa Scoffier scoured Paris' flea markets to source Platner chairs, 1950s lighting and other unique vintage pieces for the 32 rooms…
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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…
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Le Havre
This terrific and very stylish four-star establishment is all nautical downstairs and has cheerfully painted rooms upstairs arranged with sisal flooring…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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 …
