4 Best Hotels in Toulouse, Toulouse and the Languedoc

Although it's in a slightly sketchy neighborhood, this picturesque former stagecoach relay station—built in 1867—still retains a certain 19th-century charm and is home to a good restaurant. Four floors of wooden balustrades overhung with plants look down over a central patio. Guest rooms are basic and small but recently renovated.

Little wonder the likes of Deneuve, Pavarotti, and Aznavour favored this downtown doyen: its keynote grandeur is obvious the moment you step into the lobby, complete with soaring columns, Second Empire bergères, and sofas of blue tasseled velvet. Happily, this former 17th-century convent has an old-world feel but comes with 21st-century amenities. Guest rooms—the best of which overlook the grand square outside—are plush, with rich fabrics, painted headboards, and the most chaleureuse (cozy and warm) colors. Even though you're on busy Place du Capitole, this hotel is a tranquil oasis.

The building may seem undistinguished, but its bright and cheerful guest rooms are spacious (especially the older ones with giant fireplaces), and the location is central to everything; it's the personable owner, however, who really sets this hotel apart. Look for two new pop-up shops flanking the hotel and offering Toulousian artisanal products.

You can dream in the clouds with Toulouse's famous aviators in this 1930s hotel tucked into a corner of Place du Capitole—popular with pioneering pilots back in the glory days, it's been playfully retrofitted with a smart design that pays homage to Toulouse's high-flying heritage. Black-and-white portraits and archival footage of the brave early airmen ornament the walls, telling the tale of pilots like Antoine de St-Exupéry who holed up here. Aside from St-Exupéry’s original suite (which has been decorated to reflect his era), the sleek grayscale rooms have an edgy minimalist decor, industrial-style lighting, plus mod-cons like Wi-Fi and large flat-screen TVs.