2 Best Hotels in Tours, The Loire Valley

This was reportedly one of Audrey Hepburn's favorites, and you can immediately see why: the neo-Gothic château, sitting atop a vast, sloping lawn, features a pair of fairy-tale towers, Louis Seize public salons, and soigné guest rooms—some in the turrets, others in the smartly converted stables and servants' quarters. Most beds are so comfy that it would be hard to rise in the morning if it weren't for the beckoning vistas, which include a lovely pool tucked onto a grassy terrace. The stylish rotunda restaurant looks out over the lawn and offers such gourmet delicacies as medallions of line-caught sea bass with leeks in aspic and gribiche sauce.

Far from their original role as monastic cells and even further from the Flintstone-influenced idea of cave dwellings, these luxe-prehistoric lodgings—with their limestone walls, Louis Treize seating, rich fabrics, carved fireplaces, gas lamps, finished marble steps, and riverside setting—exude a quiet luxury amid the soothing elements of stone and water. The 12 cave rooms benefit from large windows and naturally cool temperatures, even in summer. Some guests prefer the three rooms in the regular house—no cave-dwelling drama, but they're comfortable and air-conditioned. The gastonomic restaurant, with an enchanting terrace, offers elegant fare and overlooks the lovely pool. A favored country residence for rich Parisians, Rochecorbon is a treat (once off the main traffic road), thanks to its pretty town center.