Best Luxury Hotels in France

A charming riverside hideaway, Hostellerie De Levernois is a rustic white mansion, surrounded by six hectares of parkland and century-old trees. Ingredients from its vegetable garden are used in the creation of Bistrot du Bord de l’Eau’s dishes, all of which are cooked in the original 18th-century kitchen. Choose wine from a selection of around 1000 bottles, kept in the property’s cellar. Rooms boast period features such as wooden beams and exposed stone walls, complemented by upmarket French country chic decor. The Relais & Château property is just three miles from the station and minutes from the highway, yet feels wonderfully secluded.

Overlooking Beaune’s ramparts, this 40-bedroom hotel places an emphasis on well-being and good food. Its refined Michelin-starred restaurant, Clos du Cèdre, is housed in the adjacent 19th-century wine grower’s mansion with original decor and an outdoor terrace. There’s a lounge bar with an imposing fireplace, games, a piano and library, as well as a cigar cellar beneath ground. And there’s the Nuxe Spa, located in a stunning vaulted stone cellar with a jacuzzi, hammam and chic treatment cabins. Bedrooms are colourful yet serene, with reverse cycle air conditioning and Nuxe bath products.

Indulge in a opulent break at this hilltop boutique hotel set in a village among the vineyards of Champagne, a 20-minute drive from Reims. Each of its 12 individually designed rooms are named after iconic historical figures and take on a Napoleonic style with antiques and chandeliers. Outside, you can take in the views as you dine on the terrace, soak in Norwegian hot tubs, or work up a sweat in the sauna. Inside the glamorous chateau, is the Les Vignes bar and restaurant, with cheese, charcuterie and lighter bites delivered to rooms on request.

Book one of 47 suites at this sleek former coaching inn that’s pet and family-friendly. Here you can swim in an infinity pool overlooking vineyards during the warmer summer months and a 25-metre heated indoor pool with floor-to-ceiling windows year-round. Treatments at the spa incorporate the region’s signature tipple, with rooms for couples’ therapies. Its restaurant, Le Royal, is renowned with bookings required far in advance. Under the leadership of chef Jean-Denis Rieubland it achieved a Michelin star and uses produce from the property’s own garden. There’s also a brasserie, Le Bellevue, and the Abysse bar for bubbles.

Although part of the MGallery group, Hôtel De La Cité is independently owned, housed in a building that’s more than a century old. Guests staying in one of the 59 rooms benefit from perks such as Nespresso machines, free city tours, valet parking and an airport shuttle. Many visit for a meal at La Barbacane, its Michelin-starred restaurant, where diners have the option to eat al fresco overlooking the fortified walls. The boutique hotel’s facilities also include a souvenir shop, a seasonal outdoor pool and a Cinq Mondes spa with a hammam and relaxation room.

Occupying the site of an ancient Carsac oppidum, this 19th-century townhouse is surrounded by three-century-old parkland — a calm and majestic setting to enjoy fine cuisine. And as this is a Relais and Chateaux property, you can be assured of the best food. There are two restaurants; Le restaurant Bernard Rigaudis and Le Bistrot d’Auriac, with the option of dining beside the outdoor pool on a pretty terrace. The hotel kitchen also offers epicurean workshops dedicated to women with breast cancer, utilising the freshest local produce and celebrating the expression of the terroir. Guests can play golf and tennis onsite at the 21-bedroom hotel.

This hotel was actually constructed on the city’s fortified walls in the pretty Little Venice district. Rooms have a grand or cosy style, featuring brocades, wooden beams, classic four-poster beds with drapes and gilt-covered antique furnishings, all very conducive to a flamboyantly romantic getaway. Some bedrooms are more modern in design, with a simpler aesthetic catering to those less keen on the more fussy traditional look — so be sure to request a category that suits your personal fancy. Guests can book a table at the theatrical A l’Echevin restaurant, for gourmet meals. And in summer, there’s a sheltered riverside terrace for alfresco dining.

A 17th-century stately mansion home will be your base, should you choose to stay at La Maison des Têtes (so named, because 106 small stone heads adorn its frontage). The building, a listed historic monument evocative of the German Renaissance, became a Relais and Chateaux hotel in 2015. Its rooms, with wood panelling and beamed ceilings, are in keeping with Alsatian tradition, yet carry a contemporary elegance too. Its Restaurant Girardin received a Michelin Star in 2022, thanks to Eric Girardin’s creative cooking and there’s a brasserie with a cast iron wood stove, as well as original stained-glass windows.

Surrounded by lush greenery, but just a short walk from Petite Venise, this MGallery property is a showcase for modern art and wellness. Its L’Esquisse Spa by Clarins is spread over 500 m² with a 15-metre sunlit pool and jacuzzi, overlooking the solarium patio. Bedrooms have balconies with views of Champ de Mars Park and come with Nespresso machines and Clarins bath products. There are accessible rooms and the huge penthouse suites are perfect for families. Its K Bar is the place for cocktails; the venue is characterised by an enormous hanging copper mask art installation.

In a prime position right on the promenade (Boulevard de la Croisette), the JW Marriott faces onto the beach. Bedrooms pay homage to the city’s Hollywood heritage, with black and white photographs of big screen icons from the golden era of cinema, along with Bvlgari products, spa baths and hi-tech gadgets to ensure you too feel like a star. There’s a grill restaurant, a lobby lounge and a rooftop bar and cafe to take in those views over a snack. You can rent a bicycle from the hotel for a greener way of exploring the locale, swim in the pool and workout in the Marriott fitness centre.

A quarter of an hour’s stroll from the centre of Propriano, the Miramar is found surrounded by lush greenery. Many of its 26 bedrooms have sea views — choose between a penthouse apartment, a villa and a deluxe king room. Families are well looked after with toys, board games, a play area and children’s meals provided in the Deck Lounge restaurant. A member of Small Luxury Hotels, the property has a spa with a pool (heated during the cooler months) on the upper level. Le Deck Rooftop is the place to lounge and socialise, with a bar and eatery sheltered by glass balustrades and providing sweeping views across the coastline.

This hotel is located within the Lavezzi archipelago on the small, privately owned Cavallo Island. Its architecture blends into the beautiful natural surroundings with rustic stone walls and pastel shutters. Suites have terraces suspended over the water and sleep up to four guests (double and single rooms can also be booked). There’s an outdoor pool with a sun terrace, perched beside a marina and an indoor pool within the spa. Dine at the hotel’s waterside Restaurant des Pêcheurs with views of the Straight of Bonifacio, or at the new Antica Pesa Mare with a focus on sustainable seafood.