The Jay Hotel by HappyCulture, Rue Meyerbeer, Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France

 

Handily placed just a few hundred yards from the Med and within walking distance of the heart of Nice, the Jay Hotel is a comfortable and relaxing place to chill. You can squeeze a party of four into one its suites, which are equipped with a micro-kitchen, a sofa-bed and an en-suite shower and loo. Both the air con and the Wi-Fi do the job, while the decor is elegant without being stuffy. You can eat your Covid-secure buffet breakfast beneath the chandeliers in the ground floor lounge, which hints at La Belle Époque. Although it consists of fairly standard fare, the coffee is okay and the pastries should fill you up. 7/10 

Hotel Ibiza, Les Deux Alpes

A short walk from Les Deux Alpes' main drag and the speedy Diable chairlift, Hotel Ibiza is both eccentrically named and eccentrically decorated with pop paraphernalia, including vinyl-lined walls in the lift and dozens of concert posters on the walls. The spacious bar is draped with fake leopard skin coverings and sumptuous furnishings. Cleverly, various board games, such as scrabble and monopoly, are secured beneath perspex covers on the tables: You can get the counters from reception. There is a large games room downstairs, as well as a decent swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, boot room and a ski hire shop. Although it is south facing, the large terrace is pretty bare with just some pub garden style tables from which to admire the broad views of the mountains.

Terrass Hotel Montmartre by MH, Rue Joseph de Maistre, Paris

Although it occupies an 100-year old building overlooking one of Paris' historic cemeteries, the Terrass Hotel Montmartre is bang up to date inside. It has a cool and contemporary interior in which splashes of red and funky furniture are interspersed with restrained and tasteful decor. The hotel boasts studio lamps, director’s chairs, wooden floors, tiling of the Paris Metro and bathroom light bulbs modelled on the lamps in artists’ “loges”. Besides its location in buzzy Montmartre, the hotel's main draw card is distant views of the Eiffel Tower both from the premium rooms and the seventh floor rooftop terrace and bar. To make the most of this vista, the "studios d'artiste Eiffel" have large glass windows both in the bedroom and the en-suite bathroom, which is equipped with a luxurious roll-top bath and high-end toiletries. The Terrass Hotel Montmartre also offers fast free WiFi, safes, a gym, a spa, a library and games room, as well as Nespresso coffee machines in the premium rooms. All in all, this establishment is a memorable place from which to survey Paris. 8/10 

Mercure Cannes Mandelieu Hotel, Allee des Cormorans, Cannes La Bocca, France

Unless you are visiting the Cannes Mandelieu Space Centre, Mercure Cannes Mandelieu Hotel is in a very poor location. It sits in the middle of a battered industrial park in the shadow of Cannes airport. Although the bus station is nearby, there is very little public transport and taxis are expensive. It is a convoluted walk to the beach and it is about 7km to glitz of Cannes' beating heart. Moreover, some of the rooms are external to the hotel and can be noisy - you reach them via an external walkway overlooking a courtyard. And the furnishings are fairly basic. Still, the Wi-Fi works, the pool is picturesque, the staff are helpful and the hotel sometimes runs a free shuttle bus into Cannes in the mornings and the early evenings. But none of that can compensate for the dreadful location. 5/10

Aparthotel Adagio Access Nice Acropolis, France

A kind of hybrid of a hotel and a block of self-catering apartments, the Aparthotel Adagio Access Nice Acropolis is a cheap and grim place to stay. The rooms are spacious, but they have harsh tiled floors and the extractor fans in the kitchenettes can be noisy and impossible to switch off. There is some basic air conditioning and the Wi-Fi works, but this stark establishment was furnished on a budget and the views from the windows tend to be dispiriting. You can get breakfast, but you'll probably find better value and better food at one of the local cafes or boulangeries. Still, there is a small roof-top pool and you will be staying slap bang next to the Acropolis conference centre if you happen to be in Nice on business. 5/10

Hostellerie de L'Ecu de Bretagne, Beaugency, France

In the heart of the historic town of Beaugency, the Hostellerie de L'Ecu de Bretagne is well placed for exploring this leisurely section of the Loire either on bike or on foot. Although the car park in the central courtyard is a bit unsightly, the bedrooms are both elegant and characterful, mixing ageing timbers and vintage furniture with mod-cons, such as flat-screen televisions, air conditioning and decent Wi-Fi. Tucked away at the back, the lush well-kept garden has a surprisingly large swimming pool, comfortable loungers and a trampoline. Although the in-house breakfast is pricey, there are several good boulangeries and coffee bars nearby. The Hostellerie de L'Ecu de Bretagne is a comfortable and relaxing place to chill for a few days. 7/10

Hotel Les Falaises, Gluges, France

In the shadow of a towering rock face in the crumbling hamlet of Gluges on the banks of the Dordogne, Hotel Les Falaises is a rambling and quirky establishment. Although they are clean and there is a fair bit of space, the eclectically-decorated bedrooms and communal areas feel like they belong in a student house dating from the 1980s. Painted bright orange, some of the walls are plastered with an artex swirl effect! Like the rest of the hotel, breakfast is fairly basic, featuring okay bread, croissants, jam, cereals, orange juice and coffee.  Still some of the bedrooms have pleasant balconies and there is WiFi.  Moreover, the terrace, overlooking a leafy garden, is well equipped with comfortable furniture (a good place to sip a beer from the bar) and there is a large, if rather stark, swimming pool about fifty yards from the main house.  The elderly staff are slightly eccentric, but are helpful enough. An old-school French establishment, Hotel Les Falaises is well placed for both cycling and canoeing in a fine part of France. 6/10

The Relais de Castelnau, Loubressac, the Lot, France

The Relais de Castelnau hasn't made the best of its enviable location. Although all the bedrooms boast captivating views north east across the lush countryside in the La Bave valley, the hotel has the air of a tired mid-market chain that you might find on the outskirts of a big city. Moreover, the swimming pool is cramped, while the tables on the terrace have to be tightly packed to accommodate the scores of guests at breakfast or dinner.  The rooms are also compact and have been furnished on a tight budget, while the WiFi is patchy. Still, you will get a fridge and there is a tennis court.  In the morning, you might have to weave your way though coach loads of pensioners to get to the passable breakfast buffet. Given the commanding view from its location on the edge of a picturesque village, the Relais de Castelnau probably should have gone upmarket, building spacious rooms with balconies, rather than trying to cram in lots of punters. 6/10

Hotel Le Troubadour, Belveyre, near Rocamadour, France

1. Secluded, quiet and boasting extensive grounds overlooking rolling countryside, Hotel Le Troubadour is both comfortable and well-equipped. Next to the original farmhouse, which dates from the 18th-century, is a relatively new, but sympathetic, two-storey block with a tall slate roof. Built in stone and wood in keeping with local architecture, this well-designed block has a large terrace, ideal for watching the sun set, and houses ten en-suite guest rooms. Although they aren't very spacious, these rooms are both tasteful and robust. They have oak floors, solid furniture, WiFi access, good showers and overlook the heated outdoor swimming pool. In the grounds, you'll find a barn converted into apartments and another ancient farm building, now hosting a pool table, alongside its original bread oven. 

La Vieille Auberge, Souillac, The Dordogne, France

Well situated near the heart of the attractive old town of Souillac, La Vieille Auberge is a traditional French hotel with half-a-dozen rooms and a fine restaurant.  Although the rooms have en-suite bathrooms and have recently been refurbished, they are still fairly basic, lack air conditioning and can get very warm. There are ceiling fans, but they are pretty noisy. The bedrooms are reached by a tired old staircase and are flanked by communal toilets and service rooms, including one marked "lingerie". Still, the rooms have small fridges, the WiFi works quite well and there is a garage in which to park your car (seven euros a night) or secure your bike. Moreover, La Vieille Auberge does a decent, albeit continental (read cold), buffet breakfast, featuring respectable coffee, cheeses and meats, plus an appealing fruit salad and excellent pastries. 7/10

Novotel Acropolis, Nice, France

A boxy, but businesslike, hotel well placed for Nice's Acropolis conference centre, this Novotel is a comfortable, convenient place to stay. Although it lacks style and panache, the accommodation works well. The rooms are large, they have easy-to-use safes and the WiFi is free and reasonably fast. And the big TVs have scores of channels in an array of languages. Although there is no iron, the compact bathrooms have piping hot showers that create enough steam to remove the creases from shirts. Moreover, two bottles of water, one fizzy, one still, appear in the fridge every day. The air con is fine, so you shouldn't need to open the window to the occasional music and mirth emanating from the bar in the courtyard below the inner side of the hotel.

Hotel Kyriad Nice Port, Place du Pin, Nice

Housed in an incongruous modern building in a historic Nice neighbourhood, the Hotel Kyriad Nice Port seems to be trying to keep capital costs to a minimum. The small rooms are kitted out with poor quality fixtures and fittings. There is barely enough room in the wardrobe for a few days' clothes, while the small en-suite bathroom, with a circular shower, is tired and functional. There is no iron, but there is a flat screen TV. The free Wi-Fi works well enough, but the PIN-operated safes can be flaky and you might have to ask for a key from reception. In a seventh-floor room, you can open the small window and you might get a view over the rooftops of Nice to the hills beyond. At night, the regular roar of mopeds means you will want to shut the window and turn on the chugging air conditioning.  Still, the  buffet breakfast is okay. It includes a decent fruit salad, sausages, bacon, bread, croissants, yoghurts and you can squeeze your own orange juice. Unfortunately, the machine coffee is lame and the Wi-Fi doesn't seem to work very well in the breakfast room. 5/10

Esprit at Les Deux Domains, Belle Plagne, France

Probably the biggest and the most swish of the Alpine chalet hotels used by British tour operator Esprit, Les Deux Domains is a short walk from the slopes and the small cluster of shops, restaurants and bars in Belle Plagne. Built to last from solid wood and heavy slate, Les Deux Domains is a modern hotel with very large, well-equipped rooms and plenty of amenities, including a decent swimming pool, luxurious spa, sunny terrace and a big, well-organised boot room. Some of the family suites are almost apartments with two large bedrooms, two bathrooms and even a large separate WC, as well as their own balcony. But your kids may have to sleep on a shaky sofa bed. The hotel has about a dozen floors, with the top level best placed for the village, which can be a problem when one of the three interconnecting lift systems isn't working. Moreover, the foyer and bar, with their uncomfortable high stools, cushioned benches, bold carpets and contemporary lighting, feels like it should be in an airport. Still, the large dining room, with big windows overlooking the mountains, is more welcoming and cosy.

Chateau de Cop-Choux, near Mouzeil, Loire Atlantique

Set in fairly flat and innocuous countryside, but within striking distance of La Loire, Nantes and the Breton coast, Chateau de Cop-Choux is well-placed for a few days exploring a fine part of France.  Dating from before the French Revolution, the well-proportioned chateau appears handsome from a distance, but, up close, the stone work is quite plain and the box-hedge, grass and gravel surroundings don't do it justice. Still, the 45 acres of grounds has plenty of features from cordoned-off, crumbling ruins to a couple of large forest pools, reachable via a steep and dilapidated stone staircase. You can stroll through the woodland and circle back to the chateau following the grassy path that runs alongside the paddock. Moreover, the chateau's modern facilities are good - the smart swimming pool is new, well-maintained and warm enough in late August, while the tarmac tennis court is just about playable. There is even a modern conference centre.

Château de la Villatte, near Laval, Pays de la Loire

Majestically situated on a hillside overlooking rolling green countryside near the Mayenne river, the nineteenth century Château de la Villatte has a handful of lovingly-furnished guests rooms and several acres of picturesque grounds. Well cared for, the chateau has a grand, stone hallway with a billiards table and a white marble staircase with a black wrought iron banister. The landing above the stairwell has been turned into a cosy little hideaway with a pleasant window seat. Tastefully decorated in period-style, the guest bedrooms have high ceilings, tall original windows, fine wooden floors and venerable antique furniture.  They have their own bathrooms also boasting large windows and plenty of light and space.  Two of the bedrooms have a small linking corridor and can be booked as a family suite, but you can't lock your doors.

Hostellerie La Croix Blanche, place des Plantagenets, Fontevraud L'Abbaye, Vallee de la Loire

With an enviable position opposite the majestic Abbaye de la Fontevraud, La Croix Blanche is well-placed to lure in tourists to its hotel and trio of eateries. While the facade, with its attractive cobbled archway, is enticing, the modern extensions behind have less character. In one wing, refurbished in 2008, there are ultra-modern and rather sterile white en-suite rooms (100 euros a night) with splashes of colour, small flat-screen televisions, very contemporary fittings and solid pine, featureless furniture. The old battered beams and reclaimed fireplace in the hall aren't sufficient to capture the historical ambiance of the surrounding village. The double rooms are quite tight and a more spacious family suite is available for 130 euros a night, while half-board costs an additional 36.50 euros a day for adults and 19.50 euros for children. The buffet breakfast is set up in the slightly-staid Plantagenet restaurant recently refurbished in matching tones of red and gold. On offer is a selection of good quality cold meats, cheeses, bread, walnuts, croissants, fruit juices, a couple of cereals and plenty of coffee.

Chateau de Villiers, near Essay, Normandy

A small, but perfectly-formed, moated country house dating from the sixteenth century, Chateau de Villiers sits in splendid isolation in a large plot of land overlooking rolling fields. The steeply sloping roof, the shuttered windows, the miniature bridge across the moat and the venerable outbuildings make this chateau, owned by a young and friendly family, a charming place to stay. Inside, the guest and the family rooms still have their original fireplaces, high ceilings and other period features, plus the appropriate furnishings. Two adjoining large rooms at the front, for example, are kitted out in all the flowery and finery of the Haute Epoque style. The emphasis on authenticity and homeliness means the guest rooms (about 100 euros per room per night for bed and breakfast) lack many of the conveniences found in most hotels, such as televisions, phones, kettles, power showers and even external locks. The gardens, complete with hen house, vegetable plot and paddock, also have an old-world feel, and it is surprising to find one of the barns contains a flashy spa. Breakfast is served in an atmospheric dining room with a huge antique radiator, a yellowing bust of a bearded aristocrat on the mantle piece and a vintage gun hanging on one wall. You take your place at one of the handful of round tables set with fine table cloths, posh cutlery and smart napkins. Breakfast consists of orange juice, coffee with warm milk, fresh bread and butter, moist banana cake or madeleines.

Hotel Wilson, Place Wilson, Dijon, France

A three-star hotel has been shoe-horned into this timber-framed seventeenth century post house on the edge of a pretty green square just outside Dijon's historic core. While the foyer area and lounges, which are sprinkled with vintage suitcases and trunks, have character, the decor in many of the bedrooms (doubles from 75 Euros) and bathrooms is dated and unimaginative. Still, some of the rooms retain their original wooden beams and most are a reasonable size, quiet and comfortable. Breakfast for adults and children is a hefty 11 Euros a head and you might prefer to eat in one of the more atmospheric pavement cafes in the middle of Dijon. Similarly, it costs 9 Euros to use the private car park in the interior courtyard, but you can park right outside the main entrance for free. 6/10

L'Auberge des Lavandes, Place General De Gaulle, Villecroze, Provence, France

Although it is run by a middle-aged Norwegian couple, this hotel and restaurant, housed in a 19th century terracotta building with bright blue shutters overlooking a picturesque village square, is dripping with French style and character. The winding stair case leads up to en-suite bedrooms (53 Euros for a double) with high ceilings containing an eclectic mix of aging, distressed furniture and Impressionist prints. Make sure you have dinner in the ground floor restaurant, which has tables in the square. Both the starters, such as fish soup or pate, and the main courses (lamb, trout or fillet of pork in a cream sauce) in the 20 Euro menu use high-quality ingredients prepared and cooked with precision and skill. But the highlight of the meal has to be the sumptuous deserts, such as the moist, light chocolate cake containing an inner reservoir of rich chocolate sauce, a fine creme brulee and a tangy apple tart. Get to bed early, as a deafeningly loud machine is sometimes used to clean the square from 6am in the morning. By the time you eat your simple breakfast (5 Euros for bread, coffee, jam, baby bell cheese and orange juice), your head should have stopped ringing and you will be able to soak up the idealized Provencal ambiance. 8/10

Hotel Mercure St. Georges, re saint Jermone, Toulouse

Mid-range, comfortable, but characterless, modern business hotel well-positioned near the heart of Toulouse. It occupies a utilitarian building containing utilitarian, air-conditioned rooms with large, comfy double beds. The extensive buffet breakfast (14 euros for adults and free for children) includes nicely-cooked scrambled egg and sausages, plus a wide choice of cheeses, cold meats and other standard continental fare. Many of the guests appear to be knackered middle managers in crumpled suits, but four-room apartments with a kitchenette are available for families at 170 Euros a night. The public car park below the hotel costs about 15 Euros a day. Service is businesslike. 6/10