679 Best Hotels in France

Across from the cathedral on a picturesque pedestrian street, this modest little hotel with updated rooms has a welcoming air and a quirky sense of style. Stuffed animal heads and Louis XV–style furniture wow guests in the public areas while the guest rooms' bright fabrics, gilt mirrors, and thronelike armchairs instill a royal flair. The all-tile showers are impeccable, but only the superieur rooms come with tubs.

Born in the Roaring Twenties, this independent hotel has a decor featuring both Belle Époque and Art Deco influences, with renovated rooms done in cheerful lemon-yellow hues inspired by the region’s citrus heritage. You can choose between garden or mountain views. American Francophiles Sara and Gerald Murphy may have popularized the term "sunbathing" in the 1920s, but you can embrace it today while lounging by the small, outdoor pool. Breakfast is available for €18, but the hotel doesn't offer lunch or dinner. Fortunately, numerous dining options await in town or along the beautifully refurbished port.

As one of a handful of upscale hotels in the city, the centrally located Carlton overlooks the Place de la République, adding a much-needed frisson of international style to Lyon's lodging scene. Set in a 19th-century grande dame of a building, with plenty of marble and wrought iron, the red-theme rooms mix a sort of Art Deco style with contemporary touches. Rooms have all the modern amenities, including reliable Wi-Fi, and bathrooms are ample and thoroughly modern. Common areas are cozy and sophisticated, and there's a good in-hotel restaurant as well as a Champagne bar and full-service spa. For lovely city views, ask for a corner Rotunda room on the top floor.

On a relatively quiet side street, this contemporary boutique bed-and-breakfast may be petite, but many thoughtful extras—free Wi-Fi and nonalcoholic minibar beverages, L'Occitane toiletries—make it as accommodating as bigger hotels. Soundproof windows help keep out the noise from the nearby bars and cafés. Expect a cozy experience with easy access to Place des Vosges, Musée Picasso, Bastille, and public transportation.

More a walled château than a medieval fortress, Hôtel Castel Brando sits across from the harbor town of Erbalunga. The central building, surrounded by three outlying ones, is awash with charming old-world knickknacks: Grecian urns, wicker lamps, teapots, and candlesticks. Sumptuous furnishings include Queen Anne chairs and crimson boudoir sofas. Some rooms, cozy with vaulted ceilings and glazed tiled floors, stand along a gravel pathway lined by rosebushes, with balconies overlooking a small swimming pool screened by an orange grove. A larger outdoor swimming with a hot tub sits close to the main building.

When it comes to pampering, no detail escapes this luxury seaside resort set in a cluster of historic buildings in a lovely bay a stone’s throw from Dinard's beach. With three dwellings to choose from (the oldest dating to 1872), more than half of the hotel’s stylish, light-drenched rooms come with splendid sea views and terraces. Everything you’ll need is at your fingertips: a full-service spa and outdoor pool with sea views, a one-Michelin-starred restaurant (the Porquoi Pas) and a chic bar, several delightful outdoor terraces for dining and sunbathing, and even a hotel yacht for marine outings. The hotel’s year-round package deals offer a break on prices.

This luxury hotel located down a quiet street between the Tuileries and Grands Boulevards brings a touch of Italian flair to the French capital. Behind the relatively understated façade sits a plush interior decked out in colorful velvet and satin. Suites and rooms in the Rivoli wing of the hotel are decorated in a French style evoking the 1930s, while in the Opera wing, more contemporary decor allows the views to do much of the talking. The menu of the on-site restaurant, L'Assaggio, is developed in partnership with Michelin-starred chef Ugo Alciati, with an offering of northern Italian specialties to enjoy in the dining room or the beautiful courtyard terrace.

A unique mainstay of the district, the Chopin—set within the atmospheric Passage Jouffroy—recalls its 1846 birth date with a creaky-floored lobby, aged woodwork, and its own homey charm. Basic but comfortable rooms overlook quaint toy shops and bookstores. Top-floor rooms gaze out over the rooftops of Paris, but none face the busy streets. The best rooms end in "7" (No. 407 has a view of the Grévin Wax Museum's ateliers), whereas those ending in "2" tend to be darkest and smallest (but also the cheapest).

Exposed stone walls, wooden beams, and medieval artwork echo the style of the Musée Cluny, two blocks from this charming, family-run hotel. Rooms convey a less elaborate, more streamlined aesthetic than the lobby, and they're relatively quiet owing to the side-street location.

Opened as an inn in 1580 and restored to its former half-timber glory, the \"courtyard of the crow\" retains its Middle Ages facade, but its interiors are another story: luxe design, crystal chandeliers, period furniture, and colorful fabrics are the essence of modern style, sumptuousness, and comfort. Enter the courtyard—especially at night—and it is easy to imagine Frederic the Great (a visitor to the original hotel) and his entourage pulling up in a caravan of coaches.

Managed by artists, this hotel near the Louvre stands out thanks to its eclectic pop-art decor—expect an unusual canvas of local and international guests that's just as colorful. Rooms are quiet havens in a somewhat overwhelming palette of purples, reds, and blue. You'll find walk-in showers, designer toiletries, adjustable beds, flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, and vintage furniture hand-selected at flea markets all over France, but not overly spacious bathrooms or closets. The lobby-lounge has an honor bar and shelves of books to read or exchange.

Like the views from its interconnected hilltop houses, prices at this sumptuous property are elevated—but, in return, you get a rarefied stage-set of medieval luxury. Antiques, bold fabrics, and cozy southern touches inform the book-filled salons and French-country-chic guest rooms, some with terraces looking out onto infinity. Unwind in the heated pool, indulge in the spa, or sample stylish French cuisine in the stone-vaulted dining room. Wine tastings and regional discovery packages encourage longer stays.

At this design-focused hotel in a Vosges sandstone building, cutting-edge style meets 19th-century elegance. Guest rooms have a snappy, understated style with white linens and bold splashes of color (think turquoise and mustard). There's also a small spa and fitness center on the lower level.

Guests at this stylish spot in central Châlons can enjoy well-appointed rooms (think modern furniture, marble bathrooms, and either wood floors or plush carpets) along with outstanding dining options. The rooms in the back are quietest, while those on the upper level have the most atmosphere. In the stellar restaurant (no lunch Saturday), chef Jérôme Feck creates sophisticated dishes with aplomb, drawing inspiration from the finest ingredients such as lobster, scallops, and seasonal game. Cheaper fare is offered in the brasserie, Les Temps Changent.

This classic, vine-covered 16th-century home once hosted Emperor Maximilian (as well as Victor Hugo and Napoléon Bonaparte), and some of its guest rooms are emperor size. Regally discreet, it is notable for its walled, tree-shaded courtyard and an interior filled with Aubusson tapestries, porcelain, and Provençal antiques. Rooms are not state-of-the-art and can seem more than a little grandmotherly, but it's all part of the old-world experience. Two suites have views onto the Papal Palace. The highly acclaimed restaurant, La Vieille Fontaine, is among Avignon's best.

Set back on a quiet side street off the bustling Champs-Élysées, this opulent hotel's glass facade reveals a private garden and extravagant jewel-toned rooms filled with stylish furnishings favoring splashes of leopard. Swanky marble-clad common spaces, a restaurant, and original artwork are the chic finishing touches.

Charmingly set on the pedestrian street that leads to Azay's château gates, this shuttered town house has a delightful courtyard-garden that hides an authentic 19th-century schoolhouse, now converted into lodgings cozily furnished in traditional country style (complete with the stray blackboard and school desk). Guest rooms in the main house have a contemporary decor, punctuated with the occasional 19th-century neoclassic \"Directoire\" touch. The village has quite a few restaurants—if you don't want to stroll around and pick, ask the friendly owner Bruno Stachetti about the best.

Although it's been in business since 1855 and has occasionally played host to some famous guests (Francis Bacon and François Mitterrand among them), the Bordeaux of today has contemporary furnishings and simple, tidy rooms—the best of which look out on the garden courtyard. The owner, Monsieur Manant, is very helpful.

Time-burnished if not time-stained, this old-fashioned hotel was built in 1817 on a site where parts of the abbey once stood. It provides rooms that are, for the most part, spacious and well appointed with eclectic, modern furnishings; some overlook a quiet garden, while others have views of the abbey church.

This centrally located budget hotel offers comfortable rooms equipped with the full range of modern amenities. There's also the adjoining restaurant, George Blanc, which has been glamorously taken over by the great chef of the same name. As expected, it is rising to the top of local gastronomical charts.

This 17th-century stagecoach stop is a convenient base that's frequented by a mixed bag of travelers seeking respectable lodgings at reasonable prices. Any room will do, but for ultimate coziness ask for one of the chambres mansardées (dormered bedrooms) under the eaves overlooking the Valée du Hédas.

Deep in the shuttered Vieille Ville, this quiet, convivial hotel occupies an 18th-century nobleman's mansion with a magnificent stone-floor entry and a delightful walled garden; some guest rooms are furnished with period pieces and charmingly incongruous murals, while others have been redecorated in a sleek contemporary style. This a good choice for bargain-hunting romantics—splurge on a suite for affordable luxury and an extra bed.

A family-run hotel in a foursquare stone building, the Harlay is conveniently situated by the bridge linking the train station and downtown. Guest rooms are soberly decorated—the best overlook the River Oise and are soundproofed with double glazing.

This old private home has, fortunately, fallen into the hands of a loving and very hospitable owner, who has refinished 18th-century double doors and fitted rooms with restored-wood details, white-tiled bathrooms, and antique bedroom sets. Some rooms are more modern than others—ask for one overlooking place du Marché, where you can watch café life from your balcony. A generous breakfast buffet (€11) is served in the dining room.

This small hotel with exposed wooden beams and traditional styling sits on a side street in a 17th-century hôtel particulier (a grand town house) that's just a few minutes from the Centre Pompidou and the numerous bars and cafés of Rue Vieille du Temple. Choose either chambres classiques or chambres de charme; the latter are larger (and pricier), with more elaborate furnishings like Louis XIII–style four-poster canopy beds and marble bathtubs. Overall, the establishment is impeccably kept by a welcoming staff. A classic French breakfast is served in the vaulted cellar.

Located below the cathedral in the heart of historic Metz, this 17th-century hotel was once a coaching inn that welcomed luminaries including celebrated philosopher Madame de Staël. Its stately stairwell and offbeat rooms are decorated with antique bric-a-brac, heightening its old-world charm. Rooms are comfortable if not luxurious. Ask for a cathedral view to admire the stunning nighttime illuminations.

There are enough half-timber walls and beams here to fill a superluxe hotel, but the happy news is that this is a good budget option—even better, this 17th-century building is found on a narrow pedestrian street just behind Rouen's cathedral. The pretty Normand style begins in the lobby, extends to the large dining room—outfitted with grand 17th-century-style chairs and a historic fireplace—and crescendos in the flower-laden patio, a green oasis picturesquely framed with walls of timber and stucco. Guest rooms are petite but neat and comfortable; solo travelers get a small discount for a single room here.

Looking like an illustration out of a book by the Brothers Grimm, this hotel is set in a 16th-century house with a central tower, steep mansard roof, country shutters, and rusticated stone trim; inside, several guest rooms have grand timber beams and folkloric furniture stencils, making this a truly charming base for touring a truly charming town. The place blends so beautifully into the heart of medieval Riquewihr that the only modern note will be your car, which you'll be allowed to drive to the hotel even though the town center is pedestrian-only.