5 hotels for incredible views

Lydia Bacrie | 5/24/24, 2:10 PM

Licked by the blue waters of the Mediterranean, tucked away in the heart of Mont Saint-Michel Abbey or set overlooking the ocean... Here are five hotels offering a panorama of breathtaking beauty.

A great show! The refuges we've chosen for you all offer comfort and refinement, but that's not their real strength. It lies in their exceptional location, facing veritable masterpieces of nature and architecture. Magical places that make you want to come back again and again.

Tiara Miramar Beach Hôtel & spa in the Alpes-Maritimes

Below the Esterel massif, the small resort of Théoule-sur-mer has remained miraculously untouched by the flood of tourists. Nestled in the heart of a small cove lapped by the blue waters of the Mediterranean, this five-star refuge, built in the 1930s, has kept its oriental inspiration intact, with moucharabiehs and shimmering fabrics adorning the 60 rooms and suites. Almost all open onto the small private beach below, just a stone's throw from the Sothys spa and MoYa Beach bar. A confidential address, part of the Tiara collection.

Double room from 215 euros
47 avenue de Miramar 06590 Théoulle-sur-mer. Tel: 04 93 75 05 05
miramar-beachspa.tiara-hotels.com

Sébastien Parmentelot © DR

La Co(o)rniche in Gironde

Unquestionably the finest hotel in the Arcachon basin, with spectacular views of the mythical Dune du Pilat and the Banc d'Arguin. Refurbished in 2009 by Philippe Starck, the 1930s neo-Basque building boasts 29 rooms and suites, divided between the main house with its dark wood and period frescoes, and luxurious cabins with 180° ocean views. And the best is yet to come, with the restaurant and bar set on a huge terrace where you can enjoy seafood platters or tapas. A must-try at dusk, when the setting sun plunges into the ocean.

Double room from 510 euros
46 Avenue Louis Gaume 33115 La Teste-de-Buch. Tel: 05 56 22 72 11
www.lacoorniche.com

Matthieu Salvaing © Vincent Bengold

U Capu Biancu in Corsica

Happiness is at the end of the road... To reach this paradise, you must first take a track through the scrubland, then reach a small bay hemmed with golden sand, all hidden between Porto-Vecchio and Bonifacio. This 4-star refuge nestles overlooking the beach, in the heart of gardens overgrown with palms and bougainvillea. The rooms feature the same elegant simplicity - wood, stone and rattan for the furniture, and cameos of turquoise blue or yellow ochre for the walls. All extend onto a terrace overlooking the azure sea, with the infinity pool in the foreground and the restaurant's tables serving freshly-caught grilled fish. Want to get away with your family or friends? U Capu Biancu is also home to five villas just around the corner, surrounded by vineyards and immortelle bushes.

Double room from 350 euros
Domaine de Pozzoniello 20169 Bonifacio. Tel: 04 95 73 05 58
www.ucapubiancu.com

Talloire Abbey in Haute-Savoie

History and nature lovers can't get enough of this thousand-year-old abbey on the shores of Lake Annecy. Now transformed into a hotel, the site boasts 37 rooms, decorated either in a contemporary style or (our favorites) in the period style, with fireplaces and exposed beams, original wall hangings and parquet flooring dating back to... 1681. All offer a view of the lake, the cloister or the abbey gardens, not far from the gourmet restaurant and brasserie (l'Abbaye) with its terrace shaded by lime trees. A special mention must also be made of the beautiful vaulted room housing the bar and the space under the roof where the spa is housed. A must-see before lazing away with your novel on the deckchairs on the pontoon above the blue waters of the lake.

Double room from 160 euros
2 chemin des Moines 74290 Talloires-Montmin. Tel: 04 50 60 77 33
www.abbaye-talloires.com

Fou d'images © Gill Maheu Photography 2016

Les Granges d'en Haut in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

You come here first for the breathtakingly beautiful view of the Mont-Blanc skyline, the Aiguille du Midi and the Chamonix valley. On site, you'll discover the charm of these 14 chalets, which welcome guests in double rooms or apartments for 4 to 8 people, all in a chic cocoon atmosphere with panelled walls, natural fabrics and local wooden furniture. This hotel residence, a member of the Deep Nature Resort network, is also home to a remarkable gourmet restaurant (La Table des Grandes), where guests can enjoy authentic, 100% local cuisine.where you can enjoy authentic, 100% local cuisine, and a spa with swimming pool to recharge your batteries after skiing or hiking in the height of summer. A rare place, a paradise for lovers of pure nature.

Double room from 500 euros for four people
1000 route des Chavants 74310 Les Houches. Tel: 04 85 30 10 17
www.deepnatureresorts.com

And also... La tête noire in Normandy

Set in the very heart of Mont Saint-Michel in a XIVᵉ century house listed as a Historic Monument, this bed and breakfast combines a room and a suite offering an absolutely unique view of the abbey surrounded by its gardens. A rare place that also offers the privilege of enjoying this magical place in the evening, after the departure of the floods of tourists who visit the site every day.

Double room from 300 euros for three people
Grande Rue 50170 Le Mont Saint-Michel. Tel: 06 87 19 94 05

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There are villages that you can only reach by slowing down. Listed, yes, but above all, they've remained intact, clinging to the hillside, curled up in a river bend or set at the end of a path that nobody takes by chance. You often arrive at the end of the day, when the light is catching on the tiles, the shutters are slamming gently and the smell of wet wood is wafting up from the alleyways. And there, behind a wrought-iron gate or a monumental portal, is a hotel. Sometimes it's a three-bedroom attic hotel, sometimes it's a five-star hotel in a lovingly restored former maison de maître. Marble has replaced cob, swimming pools have taken the place of former orchards, but the soul has remained. You'll sleep in the folds of the landscape, between centuries-old stone and precise service, in a rare luxury that doesn't seek to outshine the place. Les Bories & Spa in Gordes Here, ancient bories still dot the fields, as if the shepherds had just left. Some have been discreetly integrated into Les Bories & Spa, without breaking the line of the dry stonework. The farmhouse extends over eight hectares of olive and cypress trees, and under the roof tiles are 34 light-filled rooms, some of them in an old farmhouse. Luxury is discreet: plant-covered terraces, an enveloping spa and a glazed pool overlooking the Luberon. A peaceful address, just a few bends from the ochre silhouettes of Gordes and Roussillon. Price: €342 per night Where? 9 Route de Senanque, 84220 Gordes. Tel. 04 90 72 00 51See Gault&Millau's review of Les Bories & Spa Le Bailliage in Salers at the entrance to Salers, a listed village with gray lava houses and sculpted balconies, Le Bailliage has been perpetuating a sincere art of living for three generations. Since 2020, Antoine and Marion Bancarel, heirs to the house, have taken over the reins with discreet elegance. In this 23-room hotel, everything has been thoughtfully redesigned: intimate spa, homemade cuisine, no-frills welcome. The meat comes from the family's own farm, the rooms overlook the old gardens, and the air, at an altitude of a thousand metres, has that taste of meadows that you never forget. A warm and welcoming address, in the image of the village. Price: €124 per night 31 Rue Notre Dame, 15140 Salers. Tel : 04 71 40 71 95See Gault&Millau's review of Les Baillages La Capitelle in Mirmande Behind the light-colored walls of a house once inhabited by painter André Lhote, La Capitelle watches over the rooftops of this Drôme village with its Provencal palette. Eight sober, peaceful rooms, with views of the Ardèche mountains or the Rhône valley, extend the discreet charm of the sloping streets. Just eleven simple, bright rooms, a restaurant with slates that change according to the season, and the quiet attention of Ludivine and Sylvain Croce, who run the house with constancy. Price: €102 per night 1 rue du Boulanger- 26270, Mirmande. Tel : 04 75 63 02 72See Gault&Millau's review of La Capitelle Coquillade Provence Resort & Spa in Bonnieux Set in the heart of a 30-hectare vineyard, this hamlet unfurls its 63 rooms and suites, with their sober, mineral lines, over the landscapes of the Luberon. The Tata Harper spa, 2,000 m² of calm and light, offers lavender and grape treatments in a plant-based atmosphere. In the kitchen, Pierre Marty, a Ducasse disciple with Monaco and Macao experience, orchestrates the Avelan gastronomic table: five-course menu, raw-marinated sea bream from Grau du Roi, poultry Pithiviers... Patisserie by Aurélien Trousse, medallist at the French Dessert Championships. Here, Provence is expressed with precision, right down to the plate. Price: €497 per night Route du Perrotet, 84400 Gargas. Tel. : 04 90 74 71 71 See Gault&Millau's review of Coquillade Provence Resort & Spa Château de Troplong Mondot in Saint-Émilion Restored in 2019, Troplong Mondot cultivates the art of entertaining as an extension of the land. The main building, with its sober, warm lines, houses a communal lounge where the fire crackles on winter evenings. Here you can read, chat or simply watch the day fall over the rows of vines. In summer, the private terrace of each house opens onto the paths lined with low walls, typical of the local landscape. The rooms, divided between several of the estate's buildings, combine blond wood, deep fabrics and unobstructed views as far as the Saint-Émilion bell tower. In the morning, chef David Charrier serves a generous breakfast of seasonal fruit, homemade jams and warm pastries. Nothing ostentatious, but attention to every gesture, in a place that invites you to retreat. Price: €250 per night Château Troplong, Mondot - 33330 Saint-Laurent-des-Combes. Tel : 05 57 55 32 05See Gault&Millau's review of Château de Troplong Mondot Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey in Sauternes Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey watches over the vines like a peaceful old soul. The estate, a famous premier grand cru classé, is now home to a hotel signed Lalique, thirteen rooms and suites subtly laid out in a 17thᵉ century château. Walls in reds and pinks evoking wine, antique beams and chiseled crystal faucets: every detail is a delicate nuance. Settle into the small lounge to enjoy a drink before joining, under the luminous glass roof, chef Jérôme Schilling's gastronomic table. A rare place of discreet elegance. Price: €504 per night 1707 Route des Gourgues, Lieu-dit Peyraguey- 33210 Bommes. Tel : 05 24 22 80 11See Gault&Millau's review of Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey Les Sources de Cheverny in Cheverny Les Sources de Cheverny is a gentle hamlet designed for sharing, in the wine-growing lands of the Loire Valley. at reception, the lacquered green box recalls the forest rangers' kiosks. The 49 rooms and suites, designed by Alice Tourbier and studio be-pôles, feature antiques, a bohemian atmosphere and lush natural views. The Caudalie spa, with its sober lines and recycled materials, has slipped into the old building, like a contemporary echo of the neighboring château's beams. On the terrace, sip a wine from the estate, the prelude to a Michelin-starred dinner in the Favori dining room. An elegant address, anchored in this Sologne village with its rich Loire heritage. Price: €279 per night 23 route de Fougère- 41700 Cheverny. Tel : 02 54 44 20 20See Gault&Millau's review of Les Sources de Cheverny Royal Champagne Hôtel & Spa in Champillon Behind the walls of a former coaching inn lies another world: a vast 10,000 m² contemporary hotel, designed by architect Giovanni Pace, where champagne flows more often than coffee. The 49 rooms, suspended between vineyards and classified forest, offer the luxury of not rushing into anything. at the table, Christophe Raoux, Meilleur Ouvrier de France, orchestrates gourmet cuisine served on a terrace bordered by rose bushes and a very real kitchen garden. The spa, immense and hushed, is as much for guests as for curious neighbors. And if you listen carefully, you can still hear Dom Pérignon whispering from the bell tower of Hautvillers. Price: €1,041 per night 9 rue de la République- 51160 Champillon. Tel : 03 26 52 87 11See Gault&Millau's review of Royal Champagne Hôtel & Spa

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