In the Cher valley, near Chenonceaux and Blois, this 'idyllic' medieval château stands on a hillside. Owned by Philippe Savry, and part of the small Savray group, it is 'a perfect example of traditional local architecture', according to its nominators.

In this upmarket little town near the Spanish border, Roger Larralde and Richard Pérodeau”s white, late 19th-century mansion (Relais & Châteaux) stands quietly near the broad sandy beach and pedestrianised shopping streets.

'Outstanding value, nearly perfect in its class.' Ever popular, this quirky little hotel is off the beaten track, in an 'amazingly quiet' square near the Porte d'Orléans.

“A delightful hotel in an exquisite building,” says a visitor. “With its thick, honey-coloured stone walls, it looks every inch a medieval manor house,” says our inspector.

'Such a wonderful building; good value,' says a visitor about Françoise and Gérard Nicolas's 18th-century house, elegantly renovated in period style.

'Wonderfully located' in the Marais, this inexpensive, newly renovated hotel overlooks the lively Place du Marché-Ste-Catherine.

“Family-run and it shows,” say visitors to this chalet-style building (“like a 1930s English cottage with a touch of Gallic flair”).

Philippe Bidal's modest hotel (a listed historic monument) stands at the end of a glass-roofed 19th-century arcade with shops, near the junction of boulevards Haussmann, Montmartre and des Italiens.

“A haven of rural peace and quiet”, this 15th-century red brick château has been owned by the de Ponsay family since 1644 and is currently run by Aurelia and Laurent Ponsay; the “family feel” was enjoyed by visitors.

In the Morvan nature reserve in southern Burgundy, this 16th/18th-century château has been run for seven years

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

By the rocky shore, the Delion family”s pink, Florentine-style villa was a favourite of prewar Riviera society: Garbo and Scott Fitzgerald were among its habitués.

On the edge of this historic town stands new owner Justin Giustianini's substantial half-timbered inn. It is on a dull main road, but bedrooms (in Louis XVI to Louis-Philippe style) face a quiet rear garden which has a dining terrace.

The Jouanny family's handsome, white 19th-century mansion (Relais de Silence). stands in a large flowery garden (where meals are served under parasols and cypress trees).

In an unexceptional southern suburb of Boulogne-sur-Mer, this smart and “hospitable” restaurant-with-rooms stands by the little River Liane.

“We very much enjoyed our stay,” say visitors to this half-timbered post house in a small town at the end of the Route des Vins west of Strasbourg.

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

Visitors returning to the Morin family's hilltop hotel found it 'delightful as ever'.

Convenient for visiting the Loire châteaux, this 'cool and pleasant' inn (Logis de France) is in a peaceful village south of Blois.

“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.

In the village of Neuville-St-Amand in Picardy is Claude and Sébastien Meiresonne”s 1900s handsome white manor house (Logis de France), owned by their family since 1970 and set in three hectares of grounds.

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

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.

For one family, this hotel/restaurant was “the highlight of our holiday: the accommodation was excellent, the wine list better, the food better still”.

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

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.

'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'.

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.

'Well located, a few miles away from the busy A6', this restaurant-with-rooms (Logis de France) run by Cyrille Joubery and his wife, is recommended by a visitor for 'peaceful nights and fabulous meals, all at reasonable prices'.