Best Luxury Hotels in France

Take a five-star spa holiday at Les Sources De Caudalie. Set beside a peaceful lake, you’ll feel like you’ve arrived in the countryside, yet it’s just a 20-minute taxi hop back to the city centre. The hotel’s menu of ‘vinotherapy’ treatments has been inspired by the region’s produce and there are both indoor and outdoor pools. Additional alfresco amenities include a tennis court, a 3-hole pitch and putt golf course and free bike hire to explore the surrounding Château Smith Haut Lafitte vineyards. The building is grand, but it was crafted using reclaimed materials from local farms. And, combined with its own kitchen garden, Les Sources De Caudalie boasts an excellent carbon footprint.

Featuring one of the best restaurants, not only in the region but the world, Flocons de Sel has been awarded a rare three Michelin stars for its cuisine. Chef Emmanuel Renaut – himself indigenous to the Haute-Savoie area – is at the helm and invites guests to join him on nearby forest walks, to experience foraging for mushrooms and medicinal plants, while learning more about sustainability. Initially designed to be a family home, this 5-star Relais & Châteaux property is set high up overlooking the village. The hotel incorporates a spa and three restaurants. Bedrooms and suites are spacious, all with either terraces or balconies, some with open fires or wood-burning stoves.

With just 12 suites and a three-bedroom private cottage set across three chalets, Zannier Hotels Le Chalet creates an intimate environment for its residents. Each residence has its own balcony or terrace and suits longer stays – the hotel can be booked in its entirety for extra exclusivity. And with fewer guests, there’s ample opportunity to enjoy a little solitude in the sleek spa, or indulge in a quiet meal. It has ski-in and ski-out access and a dedicated ski concierge, with Patisserie Buffets, served every morning to set guests up for a day on the slopes. Apres-ski, those staying at the hotel can feast on French-style tapas, Alpine gastronomic creations and attend ‘Bistronomique’ evenings.

If you’re travelling with a larger group, take a look at Alpaga. Its three-storey chalets can sleep up to 20, with apartments catering for 6, as well as rooms for singles, couples and families. The restaurant, La Table de l’Alpaga, has been recognised with two Michelin stars and specialises in fine plant-based cuisine and there’s a bistro, L’Onyx, as well as lighter food served in the lobby-side bar. Spa de l’Alpaga offers a little hydro adventure, with an in-pool bubble couch and massage jets, all moodily lit and clad in dark grey stone for atmosphere. Alpaga may be a high-end hotel, but it suits those who prefer a relaxed approach to finery.

The hotel is made up of three large Savoyard‑style chalets, each with its own personality. They’re named Ève, Noémie and Alice in homage to the Rothschild family, who collaborated with Four Seasons on both this property and Hotel Megève. Many of the Rothschild’s own antiquities have been included in the design and buildings, which encompass a total of 41 rooms. The hotel runs a shuttle to the slopes and village, there’s a dog walking service for those visiting with pets and in the winter holidays, Chalet des Enfants provides activities for younger guests. Guests can enjoy a super dining service at the recently opened restaurant, called ‘La table de Noémie’, either on the terrace, or as room service with dishes crafted from locally sourced mountain‑grown ingredients.

Enjoy all the cosiness of an Alpine chalet in full contemporary style at M de Megève. The design here is deeply sophisticated, befitting a sleek boutique establishment. A new wing was added in 2019, housing some of the hotel’s 42 bedrooms, and there’s a spa (with a counter-current pool) beneath the ground floor. Nothing says romance quite like a horse-drawn carriage rides around a snow-covered French chocolate box town – and this is something the hotel offers completely free of charge (although it must be pre-booked). It’s a perfect setting for a proposal or a memorable anniversary, followed by an exquisite French meal at Le M Restaurant.

Found at Rond Point, this is an uber-stylish five-star boutique property with direct ski-in/ski-out access. Family-owned (it’s part of a small chain) a Parisian architect, Pierre Yovanovavich, was brought in to create a mid-century feel, that stands apart from the region’s Alpine themed hotels. 54 forms of accommodation make use of a retro palette, such as mustard yellows, salmon pinks, moss greens and burnt terracottas. Elsewhere, it has a boot room, a Tata Harper spa, gym, yoga studio, indoor-outdoor pool, kids’ club and the Beef Bar diner with Mediterranean-inspired dishes, as well as lots of succulent red meat.

Get the perfect night’s sleep in one of 18 fully soundproof suites at the centrally located Hôtel L’hêlios. Most offer double bedded facilities, however, The Duplex Suites and the Helios Suite have an added twin bedroom making them ideal for families. The decor is modern chalet style, taking cues from the local Alpine design and French vintage vibes. This hotel has its own private cinema, a Pro Shop by Lacroix, The Spa by Carita, a dining room and a terrace (the hotel’s refined Savoyarde cuisine can be enjoyed inside or out, with mountain views).

Perched on the Sillon beach, many of the 76 rooms at this four-star hotel have sea view balconies. Wellness is a central theme at Oceania Saint-Malo. Here you can try Longe Tonic (a type of aqua aerobics), swim in the outdoor stainless steel pool (or the indoor pool), relax in a hot tub on the leafy patio, book a massage and ease aching muscles in the hammam. A hot and cold breakfast buffet is served either indoors or on the bay-fronted terrace, the in-house bar mixes delicious cocktails into the night and lunch/dinner can be ordered as room service – be sure to pre-order the epic seafood platter.

A seaside Grande Dame, this 52 bedroom, seven-storey hotel was built in 1909 in the Belle Epoque style and lies in the city’s old quarter. Glamorous, suites with accents of colour come with blackout curtains, a stocked minibar, premium bedding and bay or town views. The Thalasso Spa opens directly onto the beachfront, with a heated saltwater pool, a mud bath, balneotherapy, a relaxation area and yoga classes among its amenities. Also looking onto the ocean is the Grand Hôtel’s restaurant. Children have their own play area, pets are welcome and there’s an outdoor pool.

It’s just five minutes from the airport and the staff at Beaumanoir will send a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce, escorting you to your suite in this neo-baroque mansion surrounded by lime trees. You’ll be tempted, almost immediately, to refresh your thirst post-journey at the boutique hotel’s Dom Pérignon bar. You can also order a bite to eat in the venue, whose menu features Basque Country favourites. The building is nearly a century and a half old, and housing just four bedrooms, two suites and two apartments, a stay here feels personal and intimate. Two outdoor seating areas and a pool with contemporary loungers provide ample opportunity to catch some rays.

Swim in a saltwater pool overlooking the sea that’s heated 12 months of the year, when you stay at this Sofitel hotel. The spa has a second pool with an endless current, a solarium, sauna, jacuzzi and treatments using Organic Research and Thalassa sea and skin products. Bistronomy-style cuisine is served at Le Restaurant, including the Equilibre menu specialising in well-balanced dishes, as well as salt-free, gluten-free and children’s menus. Guests can also dine in a poolside eatery and drink in the bar. 126 bedrooms at Le Miramar have a calming ambience, decorated with botanical motifs.