680 Best Hotels in France

With an admiring wink at the nearby Villa Kerylos, this former residence hôtelière for British aristocrats invites you on an intimate voyage into neo-Hellenic style that features elegant 1950s-retro furnishings and wallpaper and fabrics that provide splashes of turquoise, lemon, aniseed, and red currant. Rooms in the main building (16 rooms are in L'Orangerie private villa) have views of the sea, garden, or mountains. Tropical vegetation surrounds the vast swimming pool and garden. 

On the edge of Ribeauvillé's old quarter, this gracious, 18th-century, half-timber inn offers a warm welcome: a crackling fire greets you downstairs, while exposed timbers, sumptuous fabrics, and slick bathrooms await upstairs. The two \"Maries\"—who have owned the inn for more than two decades—bring an unpretentious, sisterly vibe to this intimate address. There's no on-site restaurant, but being able to enjoy a gentle hearthside conversation, wine glass in hand, is ample compensation.

Ranging from superluxe to just barely affordable, Disneyland Paris has 5,000 rooms throughout several hotels, but your best bet on all counts may be the Sequoia Lodge—a grand re-creation of an American mountain lodge, just a few minutes' walk from the theme park. Past towering evergreens, you enter a charming lobby, replete with an open fire crackling on a giant stone hearth in the Redwood Bar. Guest rooms have natural wood furniture that's meant to evoke log cabins; book yours in the main Montana building (overlooking Lake Disney) rather than one of the smaller annex "lodges." For youngsters there's a children's corner, outdoor play area, and video-game room. For food, the choice is between the family-oriented, buffet-service Hunter's Grill and the more upscale Beaver Creek Tavern. As at all Disneyland Paris hotels, free transportation to the park is available. Note that room prices can fluctuate widely depending on season and school vacation periods—keep hunting to find lower-priced days.

The crowd of chic locals and bank of fog rolling out over the bar are the first clues that you've stepped into one of the Marais's trendiest addresses. Designed around a make-believe theme of a naughty Knights Templar (denizens of the neighborhood in the 12th and 13th centuries) abbey, Sinner's friendly, provocative fun extends from the liveried doormen to the erotic prints in the guest rooms. The spacious art-filled lounge, sunken restaurant, lively bar, and cozy spa complete with a "Roman bath" hide dusky hidden nooks and corridors for stolen moments. In a welcome contrast to the shadowy hallways, the chic rooms are bright, colorful, and full of evocative details and vintage touches—vinyl records and players, fluffy mohair throws, mood lighting, heated Japanese toilets, giant showers—all inviting playful indulgence.

Located just 15 minutes from Ajaccio airport, the Sofitel Golfe d'Ajaccio Thalassa Sea & Spa has a French Riviera theme and the sea is the highlight of a stay here—leave your door ajar, and the rhythmic ebb and flow of the sea over rocks outside your bedroom provides a perfect accompaniment to sleep. The white color scheme of the rooms is complemented by beige carpeting and chrome-and-silver lamp fixtures. Another highlight is the well-equipped spa. Other activity options include an outdoor swimming pool and a lawn with leisure seating.

One block from the beach and two from Place Masséna, this tiny budget hotel has small but bright rooms worthy of a more upscale establishment. The fifth-floor rooms have terraces, which are worth the extra cost; some of them look onto the lively pedestrian street below. Don't be put off by the unappealing ground-floor entrance and apparently rickety elevator, which is common in French buildings.

A stay at one of this property's intimate cabanons—traditional fisherman's cottages—gets you the full Mediterranean experience of endless sea and sun just outside your door. Tucked away in Les Goudes, a tiny fishing village in a seaside calanque (inlets along the coast between Marseille and Cassis in the rugged Calanques National Park) on the outskirts of Marseille, you'll feel a world away, and yet you'll still have everything you need at hand—the Tuba club, a chic seafood restaurant, the lively beachfront Bikini bar, and private terraces to soak in the sea and sun at your leisure.

This landmark hotel—frequented by artists and writers such as Picasso and Breton native Max Jacob in the 1920s—has been completely refitted with cool, light, modern furnishings that blend perfectly with its cove and beach setting. Guest rooms are not large, but 11 of them have great sea views. A garden now adorns the property, and a separate house has been outfitted with three independent apartments with terraces for larger groups and longer stays. Though on the small side, they are private and ideal for families. Didier Lecuisinier's menu, served in the glass-enclosed restaurant, focuses on fresh organic produce sourced from neighboring farms and fishing boats.

Not only does this vast estate 23 km (14 miles) north of Aix have ultracontemporary, pristine-white guest villas—with touches of wood, concrete, marble, and glass for maximum luminosity—but it also has a luxurious spa and pool; a winery; and a sculpture garden with more than 30 installations by the likes of Richard Serra, Louise Bourgeois, and Andy Goldsworthy. There's also an on-site gallery, three restaurants (the gastronomic dining room is headed by three-star chef Hélène Darroze), a chapel, and other buildings designed by five of the world's top architects. Oh, and there's a helicopter pad, too, because that's how guests arrive. But you don't have to be a guest to wander the grounds, which are well worth a look.

With its circa-1930s feel, exposed beams, chic acid-hued walls, and jewel-tone upholstery, this Italian-villa-cum-hotel amid a 7-acre pine forest is impressive. Relax, relax, relax—in the spa, in the garden, by the heated pool, or over a meal in the modern Mediterranean restaurant. It's very peaceful, although some might find the seclusion a little much.

Spacious, romantic rooms and Provençal styling are among the things that make this surprisingly peaceful, town center hotel so popular that guests often rebook immediately for next year's trip. A heated indoor pool, a private garden (ideal for lingering over breakfast), and free-parking close are other perks.

Not only is this Belle Époque hotel (circa 1890) in the chic Quartier des Musiciens and just a couple of blocks up from the beach, but it has very reasonable rates. Most rooms are on the smallish side, but all have been renovated, and free coffee and tea facilities are provided. Some rooms also have a small balcony.

A quick walk up from Old Vence, this 100-year-old house has charming regional details—mix-and-match old furniture, fine local tiles and fabrics, homemade bath salts and jams—plus there's a giant magnolia outside that spreads its venerable branches over the terrace. Wi-Fi is free, and all the rooms have air-conditioning and coffee and tea fixings. There's a lounge by the pool, which opens when weather permits, and a nearby spa accommodates hotel guests. 

Five 18th-century country cottages house this elegant hotel's unusually spacious guests rooms, where the decor mixes Empire-style wallpapers, Asian carpets, gilt moldings, marble-top desks, and heavy drapery with contemporary velvet chaises longues and modern bathrooms. The quiet, stately grounds transport you to another era and place, as though tucked away in the countryside rather than the heart of Aix. A beautiful gourmet restaurant, lounge, sprawling outdoor terrace and bar area, and a luxurious swimming pool heated year-round make this a true standout and Aix's most stunning hotel.

You'll feel right at home amid the vineyards at this restored winemaker's villa on one of Gigondas's most prominent estates, a 10-minute walk from the village. Guest rooms are tastefully decorated, pleasantly lit, and offer every amenity. Breakfast is served in the dining room or on the patio next to a small pool and sauna, and you're welcome to use the kitchen for snacks or wine—something families will appreciate.

This pleasant lodging in the heart of Porquerolles's main village, a five-minute walk from the ferry landing, offers clean, basic rooms with all the amenities. Located next to the village church and behind a large pétanque square, the spacious terrace is a pleasant spot for breakfast or a drink. The hotel also has three self-service apartments that are great for families. But the best thing about it is the restaurant, which serves a small but excellent dinner menu accompanied by wines from Porquerolles's three vineyards.

Like a modern-day Versailles, this deluxe turn-of-the-20th-century hotel is a creamy white creation of imposing size, filled with soaring rooms (including the historic Salle Clemenceau, site of the 1919 Versailles Peace Conference). Part of the Waldorf-Astoria brand since 2014, it's a destination unto itself, with a health club (the pool is poised beneath a glass pyramid), a Guerlain spa, and a lobby glammed up with Murano chandeliers and high-back leather armchairs. The hotel headlines menus designed by superstar chef Gordon Ramsey and carries a Michelin star, though the chef himself is not in the kitchen. Soaring La Veranda bistro is a lively local favorite for its reliably good food, lovely vistas of the gardens, and wide terrace that's open in summer. As for the guest rooms, try to avoid the newer annex (the Pavillon Trianon), and insist on the full treatment in the main building, where rooms are spacious, many with balconies and lovely views of Versailles' gardens, though the decor is a bit somber and could do with refurbishment. A great advantage of the hotel is its setting two steps from Versailles's garden entrance and a pleasant 15-minute walk to the Grand and Petit Trianon, where you can buy your entrance tickets, thus avoiding the crowds at the main entrance.

Built in the 1920s, close to the casino and overlooking the Grand Plage, this hotel has crisp, contemporary accommodations with light walls and linens offset by bright splashes of color. Rooms with sea views cost about twice as much as the larger ones facing the inner courtyard and street. The restaurant, Chez Eugénie, serves fine food (try the terrine de foie gras with Armagnac or the crab-stuffed ravioli) and delivers panoramic views of the beach.

Located on the edge of Val Thorens, this five-story hotel uses fur and other eye-catching materials in its design, including wooden walls with horizontal planks for a rough-hewn look, cream-color stone lining the bathroom's separate showers and soaking tubs, and furnishings upholstered in rich leather and suede. For modern conveniences, every room has a flat-screen TV with satellite programming, a streamlined desk where you can access speedy Wi-Fi, and in-room electronic safes. You might overlook all of this and head straight for the step-out balcony, where you're treated to views of the surrounding mountains. The ski room, accessed directly from the slopes, is done up in gleaming white. After a day on the slopes, head to the state-of-the-art exercise room, the pair of indoor pools, the sauna, or the steam room.