Below Mont Ventoux, in a tiny Provençal village perché, this smart hotel is much liked.

Near the Roman theatre, at the foot of St-Eutrope hill is this 17th-century coaching inn, now a pink and green-shuttered two-star B&B with 'welcoming' owner/manager, Alain Bennejean

Between Cannes and Grasse, on the edge of a village in mimosa country, this informal and 'convivial' holiday hotel, long popular with readers, is owned and run by Chantal Cattet and her son.

In a pretty village between Nîmes and Montpellier is this renovated, creeper-covered, old farmhouse, run by Alain Foubert.

In the historic centre, on the traffic-free square in front of the cathedral, this “tastefully decorated” hotel offers “good value”, say Guide readers.

This unusual hotel is located not far from the seafront, behind the mighty Hôtel Negresco. Visitors called it 'a delight'.

'Charming as ever,' says a visitor, returning to this 16th-century stone mas in vineyards and lavender fields in rolling country east of the Rhône valley.

Between woodlands and vineyards on a Burgundy hillside, this holiday hotel stands on a minor road, below an old Neolithic settlement.

In a small, pretty town in the Auvergne is this hotel, in a well-maintained, imposing building reminiscent of old world, rural France.

'A beautiful hotel,' one reader wrote. Built of local pink granite, this 19th-century Breton manor house (Relais & Châteaux) stands on a wooded headland on the edge of this popular resort.

This 18th-century palace is where Marie-Antoinette stayed on her way to meet her husband-to-be, Louis XVI and is now a hotel, “in the best discreet French tradition”.

Returning to Pierre and Gisèle Lafortune's hotel, a former 17th-century convent near St-Sulpice, a visitor wrote: 'Expensive, but worth every euro. The people are charming.'

Liked immensely by many readers ('good, quiet, exceptional value'; 'an excellent hotel in a very good location'), this converted town house is named after the 'great men' entombed in the Panthéon opposite.

Michelin finds Michel and Nelly Bougon's extended 17th-century farmhouse in the Périgord Nord near Sarlat, 'ravishing' and tells of its 'ambiance cosy'.

A hotel since 1799, this elegant 16th-century building has long been a favourite of Guide readers.

In a shady garden on the edge of this Rhône valley town, this famous restaurant-with-rooms (Relais & Châteaux) was founded by Sophie Pic almost a century ago.

A long-time Guide favourite, the Chazal family's 'seriously good' small hotel/restaurant is on the main street of a pleasant market town in the Auvergne.

The lawns of this hotel (with loungers and plenty of space for sunbathing) run down to a private beach on the shore of Lake Annecy.

In the old town, between the Dominican church and the Unterlinden museum, this ornate mansion (1609), newly owned by Marilyn and Eric Girardin, is decorated with 100 sculpted têtes (heads).

This 'beautifully refurbished' old bastide is located within walking distance of the ancient fortified village of Reillanne.

On a pilgrim route, this 'magical village', spectacularly situated on a wooded hillside above a gorge, is one of the most romantic in south-west France.

North-west of Limoges, this gentilhommière (Relais & Châteaux) stands in a large park on the edge of a wood.

In a village amid the “wonderful scenery” of the Morvan national park, this is a restaurant-with-rooms for mushroom enthusiasts.

In a village midway between the town and the Mont Blanc Tunnel entrance, this cheerful chalet-style hotel (Logis de France) is owned and run by Bernard and Martine Farini.

In a pretty riverside town in northern Burgundy, Pascal and Marie-Jeanne Leclerc run a stylish B&B hotel in a white 1850s mansion.

Run 'with panache' by its owners, Anne and Jean Milliau Le Coz, this upmarket beach hotel (Relais & Châteaux) is described by correspondents as 'delightful'.

Behind imposing wrought iron gates, and fronted by a courtyard with a central fountain and lawns, this big, honey-coloured, former 18th-century hunting lodge was liked again by visitors.

Michelin awards three stars to the brilliant cooking of the “warmly welcoming” owner/chef Gilles Goujon in the stylish restaurant-with-rooms which he runs with his wife, Marie-Christine.

Owned by Marie-Christine Menec Lacube, this former coach house is now an auberge (Logis Hotels), with a low brick building and rear bedroom extension, and located by a river, in a village on the edge of the marshlands and forests of the Sologne.

In sumptuous gardens high above the sea, this small luxury hotel has superb views across the Gulf of Valinco.