“Still one of our favourites.” Set among vineyards near this old village, the Arnold family”s hotel (Logis de France) is typically Alsacien, with its yellow-painted half-timbered walls and flower-covered balconies.

'A lovely discovery', by a regular Guide correspondent. Just outside this medieval village perché north of Orange, above the Rhône, it is only a kilometre from the A7, 'but it could be a world away'.

'Still the best all-around value for money in Paris'.

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

South-west of Pau, in a tiny village on the edge of the Pays Basque, this old inn has been turned into a restaurant-with-rooms by owner/chef Pierre Chilo and his wife Martine.

Near the Spanish border, in the remote Aldudes valley, this village is a key Basque folklore centre. Here, Pascal and Christine Arcé”s “beautiful country hotel”, by a trout river, is much admired.

At the entrance of this old walled town, this 'beautiful and special' hotel is run by François Roux with his wife, Daniele.

On the edge of this village, famous for the discovery of the cave of Cro-Magnon man nearby, and very touristy in summer, this 'first-rate' hotel (Relais & Châteaux) stands by the winding River Vézère.

In a medieval village between Avignon and Nîmes, this group of ancient stone houses has been turned, 'with charm and imagination' into a luxurious hotel, now part of the small H8 Collection hotels group.

In a quiet, attractive village on the Route du Vin north of Colmar, this vine-clad Relais du Silence, run by the Munsch-Meyer family, was liked by readers.

Tastefully converted by its owners Sandra and André Berger, this group of 18th-century stone farm buildings is now an inexpensive B&B hotel.

'Magical.' 'Delightful.' This former 10th-century fortress, near the awesome Gorges du Verdon, is owned by the family of Guillaume Thomas.

The imaginatively detailed interior of this hotel sets it apart: the 18th century French chinoiserie style includes fabric toile du Jouy wallpaper, oriental carpets and custom-made furniture with Oriental marquetry.

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

'Romantically set' in the Marais, on one of Paris's loveliest squares, this handsome 17th-century building, with creeper-draped facade and pretty front courtyard, is an elegant hotel.

A 12th-century turreted former priory has been sympathetically restored, and is now a B&B hotel located two minutes' walk from Amboise centre.

In the painter Jean-Baptiste Greuze”s birthplace, and overlooked by the bell tower of the Romanesque abbey of St-Philibert, is this Renaissance “Bressane” building restored as an elegant, luxurious hotel.

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.

On the shore of Lake Geneva, in a “delightful” medieval village, Jeannine and Jean-François Kung”s chalet-style restaurant-with-rooms, with its flowery facade, was thought “charming”, and “welcoming” by visitors.

This traditional country inn (Logis de France) is set on a rocky outcrop in a beautiful part of the Jura. It's run by Nelly Euvrard-Geissler, who is also the chef.

On the west bank of the Rhône, this historic little town above Avignon has a splendid charterhouse and other noble buildings, including this 14th-century priory, now a luxurious hotel (Relais & Châteaux).

Thierry Claudon's B&B hotel is fairly inexpensive despite its grand name, and is housed in an elegant old building in a quiet, pleasant street near Assemblée Nationale, Invalides and Musée Rodin.

Between Nice and Monte Carlo, this 'impeccable hotel', owned by Gérard Galbois, stands opposite the fishermen's chapel decorated by Cocteau.

Set 800m from Château de Cheverny, and on the village square, this old inn has been owned by the Bricault family since 1865 and is now a member of the Chateau and Hotels Collection.

Owned since 1903 by the Carrier family, this luxury hotel (Relais & Châteaux) is named after the Belgian king who loved this ski resort.

Near the superb ruins of a Gothic abbey, in a lovely valley south-east of Coutances, this grey stone restaurant-with-rooms (Logis de France) is always admired: “Welcoming, efficient, very comfortable”; “Amazing value”.

'Full of character, delightfully decorated and a haven of peace': this 18th-century mansion is in a side street off Boulevard St-Germain.

'Bang in the middle of decent-sized, pleasant town', behind the Hôtel de Ville, is this converted 17th century Ursuline convent, now a B&B hotel.

Set in a 17th-century former townhouse on a side street in the Marais, the rooms at Hotel de la Bretonnerie offer an equal mix of history and romance: although on the small side (typical for Paris), they all retain period features, such as exposed wooden beams, fabric wallcoverings and/or four-poster beds.