Residence de France

La Rochelle's only five-star hotel is tucked elegantly beneath centuries-old stone arches on a busy shopping street. Its 56 rooms are arguably fancy, with many overlooking a beautiful pool-clad garden awash with flowering laurels, potted palms and exotic trees. If you prefer a room in the original 18th-century manor rather than the rather soulless, modern building, specify so when booking. Breakfast €17.