Best-known for its clutch of villas and residences in affluent destinations from London’s Belgravia to St. Barth’s, so it’s no surprise that – for its first hotel offering – The Collection has pulled out all the stops, landing in Paris’ Golden Triangle, one street over from Avenue Montaigne. With just 11 rooms, suites and apartments, the intimate property occupies a grand three-storey neoclassical pile originally built in 1908 for Maurice Villeroy, the family that founded Villeroy & Boch.

Stylings come courtesy of the Parisian design house of Jean-Michel Wilmotte, also behind more upscale projects including the ultra-bling refurb of the Lutetia and the five-star Mandarin Oriental on Rue Saint-Honoré. Guests can expect the lively bar-restaurants and playful design touches for which the brand is known - plus comfortable beds.

Escape the crowds at Mama Shelter's outpost in the east of Paris, and make a saving while you're at it. You'll find quirky design, a noteworthy breakfast and rooftop bar, in addition to the main bar and restaurant space on the ground floor, which is a lively social spot come nightfall.

Très off. The innovative Elegancia hotel group behind Paris’s first boat hotel has created a floating cocoon where guests can disconnect from urban life. With its beachy lounge bar – fast becoming a hot spot for sundowners among trendy Parisians – and laidback vibe, this is an address where guests kick off their shoes, dip their toes in the water and relax on a shimmering golden Fatboy with ethereal Seine views. The beauty of waking up to a water view is likewise undeniable.

The Piscine Molitor, once a summer destination for stylish Parisians, is now a fashionably retro spa resort. The baths have been faithfully restored to their former 1930s glory, with the uniform yellow and blue design of the summer pool providing a striking centrepiece to the hotel. Rooms are spacious, especially by Paris standards, and kitted out with a good range of amenities.

Maison Souquet was a pleasure house during the belle époque – today it's an extraordinary boutique address with a Jacques Garcia décor as indulgent and spirited as the illustrious courtesans it once housed. The 20 rooms ooze romance, guests can privatise the spa and the clandestine cocktail bar is wickedly pleasurable

Outrageous yet somehow not over-the-top, this bijou hotel takes its design inspiration from the lavish tastes of Empress Joséphine Bonaparte. From the floral wallpaper in the rooms to the leopard print carpet and hot pink curtains in the cocktail bar, Hôtel de JoBo is a riotously fun spot for a romantic weekend.

Designer Vanessa Scoffier has a background in fashion journalism and her taste and keen eye for detail can be seen throughout the hotel. Colour blocked-walls and fresh wooden floors combine with splashes of pattern – think floral feature walls and dainty floor tiles. Hand-picked trinkets, plants and freshly-cut flowers add to the chic and cosy atmosphere. The winter garden has elegant French-style garden furniture, garlands of coloured lightbulbs and artfully mismatched plants.

After the Grand Pigalle in Paris' Pigalle neighbourhood and Covent Garden’s Henrietta Hotel, the unfalteringly successful Experimental Cocktail Group are turning hipster heads in the City of Light with their third hotel – a revisited, urban-cool ode to 18th-century Paris (think Louis XVI, French Revolution). Celebrity French designer Dorothée Meilichzon waves her magic wand over the interiors, drawing on the fads and foibles of excess-loving ‘let them eat cake’ Marie-Antoinette for…

Host Laurent – formerly a communications executive and then product designer – has a personal hand in every aspect of the property (the name is the giveaway) and its running, from doing the cleaning himself down to the fine details of the idiosyncratic furnishings. The characterful abundance of Laurent’s stylish property makes a charming alternative to some of the more made-for-Instagram looks popular on the Parisian hospitality scene.

This boutique hotel has been stylishly transformed by two British interior designers who also worked in the art world. Expect period French furniture and stone-tiled floors mixed up with black-and-white photos and edgy artworks such as the “Never Mind the B******s, here’s the Sex Pistols” poster beside the bar. Up the stairs are a series of classic Campbell soup advertising posters, while elsewhere is an ode to Pastis and its anise-flavoured relatives.

The Villa Plageron B&B is a hidden gem nestled in a seemingly wild area of the French Riviera. It features four large rooms with terraces offering breathtaking seaviews over the opulent Mediterranean and gardens below. A small stone staircase will take you down to a pretty sand and rocks cove.

This boho chic hotel is set in an Arabesque-style villa in verdant gardens directly on - and with amazing views of- the bay of Saint-Tropez, which frentic feels miles away.

Perched on cliffs overlooking the enduringly blue Mediterranean and far removed from the glitz of Saint-Tropez, La Réserve, with its memorable food and impressive spa, is an essay in sleek simplicity designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte with 28 rooms overlooking the long, lovely, jasmine-framed swimming pool.

A sensitive renovation of this iconic hotel, which has just 10 'huts', brings back the vibe and the glitz of the 1960s beach holiday to the equally iconic Pampellone beach, just west of Saint-Tropez.

Just down the coast from Saint-Tropez proper, on the waters of the gulf of the same name, there’s a town — a pair of them, technically — that’s every bit as worthy a destination as its busier neighbor. Rayol-Canadel isn’t a household name, but among the regular guests of Le Bailli de Suffren, it’s something of a shorthand for a place that delivers all the geographic charms common to the Côte d’Azur’s more famous destinations, but at an unhurried, uncrowded pace.

In 1920 local farmer Paul Roux opened a café-bar in the tiny village of Saint Paul and later added three rooms above. During WWII painters and the literati sought refuge on the Riviera. Many rocked up at La Colombe d’Or where they paid for their accommodation with paintings – the beginning of what is today an extraordinary collection of works by Matisse, Picasso, Léger, Braque and Chagall. The casualness with which this art is hung all over the place is even more extraordinary.

Hôtel Windsor is like marmite: you'll either love it or hate it. A loyal following of creatives love this artistic residence where contemporary art meets shabby chic, and a boon for this central-Nice hotel is the lush garden where you can listen to birdsong as you dine.

The former HI Hotel, the avant garde interiors have been completely replaced by a new boho chic, vintage look. What remains is some of the quirk, like a room with an outdoor shower and the rooftop swimming pool. Like its sister hotels in Paris, photos of pin-ups can be found throughout the hotel.

The hotel that describes itself as ‘the best kept secret in Cannes’ is just that: guests enter through a rather anonymous sliding door that leads to stylish room, a lively rooftop bar, pool terrace and a luxurious spa. The colour scheme of cool stone, muted browns and shocking red leather is cooler than La Croisette itself.

A welcoming contemporary addition to the rather staid Cannes hotel market. Every guest gets access to the top-floor Club, a five-star departure lounge where you can sunbathe, catch a movie or pour a free glass of wine. The location, hoovering above the train station, isn't exactly glamorous but convenient. The Croisette is a five minute walk.

Sainte Marie de La Tourette is a Dominican Order priory, located on a hillside near Lyon, designed by Le Corbusier, the architect’s final building. The design of the building begun in May 1953 and was completed in 1961. Though still functioning for a reduced population of friars, La Tourette has become something of a pilgrimage site for students and lovers of architecture. The priory allows overnight stays in unused cells with fees for the room going to the maintenance of the priory.

Anchoring the $20 million transformation of this state-of-the-art production facility is a 80 metre (262-foot) long white stone façade, winding and undulating in an organic rhythm that tips a hat to the surrounding hills. Spilling out to the garden, the renovated centerpiece manor house comprises a restaurant, tasting rooms, and 11 guest bedrooms, all of which feature light wood and stone interiors set against bright accents of red, green, and yellow, courtesy of Parisian designer Julia…

Set in an 18th-century farm house, Les Esplanes offers contemporary rooms, gîtes and even a bubble room. All enjoy the wonderful gardens with seaonal swimming pool.

Ofcourse you come here for the food, as the Troisgros is one of the most famous restaurants in the world. But the hotel, as the restaurant, is very contemporary in nature and as Michelin would put it "three stars - worth a special journey".

A classic stopover in the Rhône Valley for foodies on their way through central France, Maison Pic is the bellwether of the famous Pic gastronomic empire. Owner Anne-Sophie Pic is France’s most famous female chef, so the hotel’s strong suit is undoubtedly the cuisine.

Part of a collection of individual, distributed suites this hospitality concept combines the individuality with the safety and services of a hotel.

One of several French creations by designer Philippe Starck, this Lyon address is young, bold and playful. In keeping with Mama Shelter’s ethos, the spirit is 'lieu de vie' (living space) over hotel, and hi-tech rooms radiate light and functional design. The restaurant promises international fare and party vibes.

Architectural gems strike at every corner from frescoes and gothic fireplaces to cruciform arrow holes. The current owner Jean-Claude Lavorel has overseen a sensitive renovation of this historic monument with the clever use of glass panels for room divisions that preserve the integrity of the original golden-stone architecture while maximizing light. Of particular note is the impressive glazed roof over the inner courtyard. The landscaped gardens overlook Beaujolais wine country.

This beautiful, contemporary decorated b&b is set in a 15th-century house and offers four spacious rooms with individual facilities. It is located in the pretty medieval hilltop town of Montcuq on the Jacob's Way.

This contemporary hotel is located in the heart of the Gorges du Tarn. It even has its own swimming spot directly on the river, or when the water is too cold, enjoy the swimming pool.

Built on a remote hilltop in the Aubrac region, this is a food destination in itself. Sébastien Bras follows in the footsteps of his father, an ambassador to his native terroir. Rooms follows the architecture of the restaurant built over 15 years ago, still cutting edge with its avantgarde architecture. The architecture, austere like the surrounding countryside, reflects its codes and materials - the light, the vegetal and the mineral - interpreting them in a pure, contemporary style.

The chambres d’hôtes owned and run by Phillippe and Adonis since 2000, and has been exquisitely decorated and furnished with a mix of items and pictures from Philippe’s family’s home and things picked up locally and on the couple’s travels – including many from the Greenwich markets in London. There are period features in abundance – exposed beams, wooden shutters and terracotta floor tiles.

Irish owners Sarah and Steve have turned this former fortified farm and hunting lodge into an atmospheric b&b with a touch of luxury. Think vast stone fireplaces, hand-hewn beams, a 15th-century window, elegant antiques, a flourishing potager garden (vegetables, herbs, saffron) and a big tranquil pool. Rooms come with supremely comfy French cane beds topped with gorgeous linen, stone, wood or seagrass floors, and the ensuite bathrooms are impeccable.

A couple of decades ago, Perry and Coline Balfour set about transforming a beautiful part of the Ariège countryside into a themed trailer park. Having built up to an impressive collection of 15 Airstreams, they have, more recently, scaled it back to a more modest collection of three, each painstakingly restored to its former glory, then decked out in 1970s-era fabrics and flea-market paraphernalia. These glistening beauties are the real deal, too, and have come all the way across the…

This is a quaint, higgledy-piggledy property peddling a dream of untouched Provence, even if it’s all carefully curated. Old-fashioned street lamps cast a soft glow over mellow stone while the candlelit spa displays artfully placed bunches of lavender. The restaurant terrace and turquoise pool offer views of rolling hills carpeted in vineyards.

This 19th-century aristocratic mansion exudes an air of exclusivity. Enormous black doors with beribboned knockers open from the narrow street onto a courtyard shaded by 200 year-old plantane trees and dotted with lemon trees, moss-covered statuary and neatly clipped box hedges. The long, limestone bassin (pool) is overlooked by the neo-classical façade with its tall French windows framed by the palest blue shutters.

A unique hotel with a big heart. In the 1950s and 60s this was the place to be seen. Picasso lived here and Hemingway, Cocteau, Fritz Lang and John Houston were regulars, as were the great bullfighters of the 20th century, who came to fight in the amphitheatre and had their own magnificent room (unchanged but for the addition of a picture of a naked Charlotte Rampling posing in front of the room’s madly gilded mirror).

Maja Hoffmann is a Swiss pharmaceutical heiress and art collector who has cultivated Arles into an art destination. Her latest beacon is L'Arlatan, a boutique hotel renovated by artist Jorge Pardo. He reimagined an ancient property into a piece of art: doors and walls embrace panels inspired by Van Gogh’s paintings, floors are lined with a never-repeating sequence of two million mosaic tiles, and every piece of furniture is a signed artwork plus Pardo’s signature light fixtures (all 400 or…

Housed in an historic mansion, Maison d’Aix is a tiny boutique hotel with big-hearted service and deluxe bedrooms. Henriette Reboul, the previous owner, was an arty (and artful) courtesan who numbered Cezanne, Picasso and Coco Chanel among her conquests. Architect Laura Juhen, the current owner, created this playful retreat in her memory.

This wonderful boho chic b&b in the heart of Aix, by the designers of the Villa Galici, offers a boho chic lounge, cocktail bar, 4 welcoming rooms, a garden and terrace and even a small spa with an indoor swimming pool.

Hôtel de Tourrel is a luxury design hotel set in a 17th-century palace in the heart of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. The owners (also the designers) spent extensive time researching historic techniques to restore the original manor. After having accidentally discovered stucco under peels of paint, they hired a professional team of conservators who took 13 weeks to uncover it.

There’s an air of seduction running through Provence Rosé Group’s wine estate and hotel Ultimate Provence, located less than an hour by car from Saint-Tropez in the sundrenched South of France. “The client wanted us to overturn the traditional design codes of a wine estate to incorporate an urban feel,” says Emil Humbert, Humbert & Poyet. “We did so by the use of space and combining raw materials such as concrete with more noble elements of aged oak, marble, brass, and leather.”

Long the biggest name in Megève hotels, the Hôtel Mont-Blanc has done a bit of sprucing up. In the 1950s it made an appearance in the film Les Liaisons Dangereuses, in the 1960s it was sophisticated enough for Jean Cocteau, and in its new incarnation it’ll continue to be a second home for many a skiing Parisian.

Nine wooden chalets and mazots (pasture huts) – all centuries-old – were dismantled and transported to Megève from other parts of Savoie by owners Jocelyne and Jean-Louis Sibuet in the 1980s to create this luxurious five-star retreat in the French Alps. Interiors are Alpine-chic, with ample winter-cosy nooks and crannies to lounge by candlelight, play chess or wooden noughts and crosses, browse antiquarian books or simply relax in front of the roaring fire and lose oneself in the authentic…

The Alpine paradise of your dreams: lavish yet wonderfully cozy. The decor mixes minimalism with rustic chic: think vaulted ceilings made with beams of rough-hewn wood, white linen sofas, stone fireplaces, hand-thrown pottery, the occasional plant.

Forget about the woodsy charm of the classic Alpine lodge: even in its previous incarnation, Terminal Neige Totem was never quite that. The building is a Brutalist concrete structure, and inside, the look is coolly industrial. In the current boutique-hotel style, the ground level is open and informal, featuring a bar, an equipment rental desk, and, of course, an assortment of fit, beautiful people, bundled up, sipping cappuccino and lounging around on bespoke chairs.

The 19-room Terminal Neige Montenvers is a traditional 1880 Alpine hiking hotel, albeit a rather stylish one. Outside, you’ll find postbox red shutters and deckchairs on the terraces, while inside is cosy with wood panelling, wool, dark leather and old climbing memorabilia mixing successfully with contemporary touches like modern pendant lights made from bright climbing ropes.

Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter has built an eco-hotel in a French mountain village, made up of 14 cabins that dot the hillside "like boulders on a slope". 48°Nord is a landscape hotel located in Breitenbach, a hamlet situated between the Vosges and Alsace regions in the northeast of France.

Set in the beautiful medieval winemaking village of Riquewihr, Jean-Lucel Brendel awaits you in his Michelin starred restaurant, informal Alsatian 'stube' and avantgarde rooms fusing the contemporary with history.

Le Pavillon 7 is a design boutique hotel located in the historic Alsatian town of Obernai with the Oberkirch Castle and Kappelturm (clocktower) within walking distance. It offers air-conditioned accommodation with a TV and a private bathroom. Free access to relaxation area with sauna, fitness room and massage room. A number of restaurants can be found nearby.

This design hotels offers an 'all-inclusive' scheme with breakfast, 24/7 free drinks and an evening antipasti buffet in the evenings served in the club room/living room. Sleek rooms and suites complete the picture.

France isn’t exactly facing a shortage of exceedingly picturesque locales, but even by local standards, the village of Brantôme is a spectacular one, with a medieval bridge crossing the Dronne river as the immediate backdrop for the Moulin de l’Abbaye, the region’s longest-serving luxury hotel. It started from rather prosaic beginnings but a few hundred years of patina, a generous coating of ivy, and a thoroughly luxurious renovation have transformed it into a hotel that’s anything but…

This five-star hotel and spa, an early pioneer of wine tourism, is something very special. The exquisitely placid lakeside setting, fabulous food and vinotherapy beauty treatments combine to create a very memorable experience of La Douce France.

This is a place of pure peace; a pocket of beautiful wilderness and isolation where you can step off the spinning merry-go-round of urban life and recharge your weary batteries. Auvergne is a secret pocket of France that few tourists hear about - a green landscape of pine woods and ancient volcanic plateaus. And right in the middle, at the edge of Lac du Pêcher, sits this 300-year-old farmhouse turned ecolodge. No neighbours, just absolute silence and staggering views.

The first hotel of the French design hotel chain Okko, the modern Okko Hotels Nantes Château is designed by Patrick Norguet and features a wellness area with sport machines, a sauna and a souvenir shop with local products. “Le Club”, the hotel’s big communal area, includes a shared kitchen, and a business corner with free computers. A buffet breakfast is served daily and includes organic, fresh food. An aperitif with local cheese, meat and fresh soups is served in the evening.

Design by Jean-Philippe Nuel. The hotel is housed in the 19th-century former Court of Justice building. This attractive, classically designed building was constructed in 1851 and served as the Nantes Law Court until 2000. The hotel's interior design combines traditional elements with contemporary, modern style and maintains many former features of the building, giving guests a glimpse into the building’s past. The restaurant is located in the former court room, and there is a bar, sauna and…

Situated right in the heart of Nantes, Hotel La Pérouse is built in an atypical architectural style and design and has been recognised as eco-friendly by the European Union. Also, as one of France's most cutting-edge hotel designs it was given the honour of becoming part of France’s National Architectural Heritage of the 20th century in 2011.

Set in a 19th-century chapel with stained-glass windows and arched ceilings, Hotel Sozo is located opposite the Botanic Gardens in the centre of Nantes. Unique guest rooms offer an iPod dock, a Nespresso machine, an ultraslim HD TV and a minibar. Breakfast with regional produce is served in-room or buffet style in the breakfast area. The hotel offers 24hours room service and drinks can be enjoyed in the bar, open until 02:00.

The rustic-chic Domaine de Murtoli is located on a beautiful, beach-fringed, private 2,000 hectare estate in the south-west corner of the Mediterranean island. The (private) beach itself is a three kilometres unbroken stretch of biscuit-coloured strand and sheltered, secret creeks. There are 13 properties, ranging from two-person bergeries (shepherd's huts) to a fortress-style maison de maître sleeping 12, with separate accommodation for guests' own staff. Crowd-free Corsica...

This stylish hotel is set in a 17th-century palace and has been decorated by Nathalie Battesti, student of Andrée Putman and Christian Liaigre and boast a large art collection with works by Anish Kapoor, Kim Tschang Yeul and Manuel Mérida. The serene atmosphere invites guests to linger in the spacious modern rooms, the garden of olive and palm trees and the swimming pool.

This charming hotel boasts a unique cliffside location above the Bonifacio harbour. The main building was renovated in a contemporary fashion in 2008 and has a wonderful pool and a restaurant/bar. Three suites are located in an annex down by the waterside.

Once home to a dozen Capuchins monks, Emmanuele, the today's proprietor grandmother's transformed it in the 1970s into the little paradise it is today: an idyllic holiday home and bed and breakfast designed for the amoureux of the "Îe the beauté".

This charming hotel, built of local stone, is located in the pretty medieval village of Lama, in the Corisca interior, but not far from the coast. There is a bar and restaurant, beautiful swimming pool, contemporary decorated rooms and magnificent views.

This remarkable B&B stands on one of the oldest streets in town, its modest exterior giving way to stunning interiors. There’s a lush courtyard, a vaulted sitting room where a fire burns in winter, then a panelled dining room for delicious breakfasts. Rooms come with gilded walls, chequerboard floors, 16th-century wooden ceilings, and ornate marble fireplaces. Enormous beds sport gorgeous linen, there’s fabulous art, cool books and minibars ‘on the house’.

This monument was built at the end of the 19th century in the heart of the Valmy wine-producing estate. It was designed by the Danish architect Viggo Dorph-Petersen whose work was greatly appreciated by the rich families in the Roussillon region. Valmy has now been fully refurbished and has spacious, contemporary rooms enhanced by the park, swimming pool and whirlpool bath ensuring a highly relaxing break for guests.

Tucked away on a medieval hilltop village in the Languedoc, Camellas-Lloret is a charming guest house dating back to the 18th century. They now offer 4 spacious rooms, all with private bathrooms, featuring original architectural details, marble fireplaces, and vintage furnishings mixed with modern design. A beautiful walled garden, terrace, and conservatory invite you to enjoy a quiet moment of relaxation or a gathering at the communal dining table.

Set in a pretty and immaculately-renovated 19th-century townhouse, this upmarket home-from-home style boutique hotel offers an exceptionally warm welcome. Stylish, comfortable rooms and a wealth of original features sit alongside chic, modern design and colourful artworks - there’s also a bijou courtyard with pool.

An hour and change from Paris, and easy enough to reach from London, Normandy is a place that never lost its appeal, or its dramatic natural beauty. Just inland from Honfleur, by the mouth of the Seine, Le Domaine d’Ablon offers a high-end, boutique-sized Norman country escape — an estate whose original buildings have been divided into suites or converted into self-contained cottages.

300 years’ worth of art and artefacts are strewn throughout the 12 bedrooms, which are finished with reverently-restored antiques and hand-painted wallpaper by de Gournay and Pierre Frey. It’s hard to overstate the grandeur: interiors of this calibre are usually roped off and watched over by eagle-eyed attendants, but perhaps the hotel’s greatest triumph is that it inspires joie de vivre at every turn – no mean feat when half your furnishings are worthy of a museum.

Splendidly storied and glamourous at every turn. The chateau was built between 1912 and 1929 for wealthy French nez (‘nose’ or perfumier), François Coty, who ripped down the existent manor house to create a mirror image of 18th-century Château de Champlâteux, north of Paris. Versailles inspired the interior and the chapel in the grounds – a carbon copy of the one at Versailles, albeit a quarter of the size.

The new hotel, purpose-built for Mama Shelter, makes a rather imposing impression on the Lille skyline. You certainly don’t need to worry about getting lost; you can spot the building’s distinctive pointed roof and large Mama Shelter sign from the near the train station. The building does lend itself well to chain’s contemporary urban style, with concrete grey walls, dark carpets, and the brand’s signature black ceiling (brightened up with coloured chalk graffiti) in the public areas.

Housed in a former 18th-century "hôtel particulier", Clarance is a luxury boutique hotel honoring its past by preserving original design features like parquet flooring, chimneys and period mirrors, and lending contemporary touches through wall murals and furnishings. Common spaces feature contemporary works by French and international artists. The hotel is located a few minutes' walk from Lille's historic city centre.

Giving a modern twist to its ancient style thanks to a high-end vintage chic interior design, this house allows you to take the most of French history as well as elegance through its 1970’s inspired design. Coucy le Château is in Northern France, at the crossroads of Paris, Reims and Lille.

The ducal Domaine des Etangs in the rolling Cognac countryside is a fabulous fairy-tale fiefdom of a hotel, with turrets, towers, meadows and mills. There’s a library, a super spa, seven lakes and a private collection of art to complement the estate’s gallery, spread across the sprawling 2,500 acres. The 11th-century chateau has been restored with only local rock, and the longère – a typical French farm building – now houses a Michelin-starred restaurant.