8 Best Hotels in Brittany, France

Retired chef Olivier Roellinger and his wife, Jane, still preside over their family's luxurious hotel empire, which includes the beautiful, castellated, 1920s waterfront Château Richeux. The rooms are sumptuously appointed, large, and airy, with a voluptuous mix of the modern and the antique. Readers rave about Le Coquillage, the hotel's Michelin-starred bistro, which specializes in local oysters and seafood platters served up in a relaxed, cozy atmosphere—the weekday lunch menu is good value for money. The Richeux is built on the ruins of the Du Guesclin family's 11th-century château, 5 km (3 miles) south of Cancale, and is surrounded by a "Celtic garden." Request one of the rooms with large bay windows, which have stunning views of Mont-St-Michel. Several miles away are two more private adjuncts to the Château, also overseen by the Roellingers: Les Rimains, with four guest rooms set in a very handsome Breton stone house, perched over Cancale's harbor; and Gîtes Marins, with two airy, almost Cape Cod–style seaside vacation houses fit for several people.

Perched on a cliff overlooking the surf and the narrow Anse de Goulphar Bay, this 1970s-era hotel was François Mitterrand's address when he vacationed on Belle-Île and it still retains presidential glamour, with its renowned spa, saltwater pool, and spectacular views. In the bright, airy restaurant, chef Franck Moisan specializes in seafood, caught just offshore. The herb-crusted turbot and the line-caught sea bass are simple but delicious. Castel Clara's expansive wooden-deck terrace is the perfect lounging spot for cocktails at sundown.

Nineteenth-century writers Alfred de Musset, Honoré de Balzac, and Victor Hugo were all once guests at this quintessential Normand château, famed for sophisticated gardens that feature witty sculptures, leafy groves, impressive columns of yew, a fernery, a labyrinth, and a Temple of Diana. Dating from 1620, La Ballue has a rather severe and forbidding exterior. Inside, however, the dynamic English-speaking owners Alain and Marie-Françoise Mathiot-Mathon offer a warm welcome. Gleaming wood paneling and period antiques adorn the main floor, from which a huge granite staircase leads up to the lovely guest rooms—four large, beautifully decorated, fabric-swathed salons (each with a four-poster bed) and a luxury suite.

At the tip of the magical Pen Lan Peninsula, this luxurious collection of 15th- and 16th-century Breton stone buildings resembles a tiny village—albeit one surrounded by terraced gardens that promise grand vistas of the Baie de Vilaine (Vilaine Bay). Once you step through the 13th-century "Portail de la Verité" entryway, the public areas entice with Baroque ex-votos, Louis Treize chairs, rock-face fireplaces, and plate-glass windows; guest rooms sparkle with checked fabrics, veneered woods, and modern furnishings. Chef Maxime Nouail rules the restaurant, which has a straightforward, classical menu. For a different type of indulgence, head to the spectacular Aqua Phénicia, which has a full spectrum of seawater hydrotherapy facilities and a gigantic indoor pool.

Nestled in a cove on a quiet strip of sandy beach on the Bay of Douarnenez, this mansion, with its sturdy round tower, is a remote retreat perfect for long, restorative walks; some of the comfortably furnished guest rooms face the water, as does the glass-front restaurant, where reservations are essential. After a seafood starter (sea bream tartare, oysters), try the grilled lobster "Sainte Anne," the turbot with marrow, or the fillet of beef "Rossini."

Besides having one of the town's better restaurants, this alluring stone mansion and its four half-timbered villas' proximity to the famous beach and La Baule's landmark sights make it a top choice for a fun-filled stay. There's old-fashioned charm to spare, but also plenty of contemporary chic in nicely decorated rooms (some with cathedral or ocean views) with spacious bathrooms. Be sure to investigate the hotel's demi-pension offers, with breakfast and dinner included at reasonable rates.

One of the fine-white-sand beaches that distinguish the Morbihan coast serves as the perfect backdrop for this spare, modern hotel, which calls to mind a cruise ship. All accommodations have a terrace or balcony facing the sea, where guests can indulge in an ample Breton breakfast or simply enjoy a bracing breeze. One bright suite has enormous windows and a wraparound terrace that seems to jut out over the water; smaller digs, decorated in earth tones, have sleek bathrooms and every modern convenience. Another plus is the on-site restaurant with—what else—plenty of fresh seafood offered either in the handsome dining room or, weather permitting, on a large sea-view terrace.

The beauty of the coastline is embraced by this Relais & Châteaux hotel, where guest rooms are far more than just comfortable; long and cruise-liner-low, the renovated 19th-century Breton manor house has been outfitted with dramatic windows—plate-glass, round, panoramic—so as to frame stirring vistas of the endless sea and the cliffs of the Côte de Granit Rose (all rooms have sea views and some have terraces). The excellent restaurant, with a wood-beam ceiling inspired by a hull, has a delightful model of the St-Yves ship suspended from its ceiling; it mostly serves seafood, but the squab is also good.