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

'Lovely looking and efficiently run,' say visitors. At the château gates, this l8th century post house (Relais du Silence) has been owned by the Jeudi family since 1902.

On a rocky spur of the south Brittany coast, this luxurious hotel (Relais & Châteaux) is owned by Bertrand Jaquet.

'Excellently located', in the Marais, this 'very friendly' hotel has for three generations been owned and run by Didier Fossiez's family ('he and his wife, Pamela, are delightful').

Although somewhat dated and in need of renovations, this 'attractive, comfortable' hotel still offers lots of charm, and 'helpful staff. Good value in an expensive area.'

In a village in rolling Burgundy country between Avallon and Vézelay, Claire and Régis Tatraux”s small white-fronted restaurant-with-rooms (Logis de France) “offers good value in a pleasant environment”, says a visitor.

Run by Anne-Sophie Heitzler with a “helpful staff”, this modern hotel is a conversion of three half-timbered Renaissance buildings in Colmar”s beautiful Petite Venise area.

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

'Splendidly located' on the quayside and facing south over the Vieux Port is this modern seven-storey B&B hotel.

The location of this boutique four-star B&B couldn't be better: at the entrance to the Place de la Concorde, near the Tuileries gardens, and just steps from the Louvre.

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.

“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.

Opposite the dramatic gorges of Pennafort, in wooded country near Draguignan, this former relais de poste is now a luxurious hotel/restaurant managed by chef Philippe Da Silva and his wife, Martine.

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

'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'.

In a picturesque village amid the 'great countryside' of the Massif Central, this 'delightful small hotel' stands on a quiet square behind a lovely abbey (fine Flemish tapestries).

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.

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

The largest, and most easily accessible, of the three Îles d”Hyères, the island of Porquerolles (the name means “lavender port”) is a car-free national park, with wooded cliffs and sandy beaches.

Near Beaune, this former residence of the Knights of Malta, turreted and creeper-covered, dates in part from the 12th century, but the château itself is 19th-century.

In a large park with statues, benches, and lily pond with fountain, this 18th-century manor house, former home of the Marquis de Germigney, is now a luxury hotel (Relais & Châteaux).

The curious name of this Minervois wine village, between Narbonne and Carcassonne, comes from a Gallo-Roman villa called Ulmos (elms).

Michelin awards a star to owner/chef Alain Gardillou, admiring also the 'magic' setting of his 17th-century oil mill on the Dronne: Guide readers, too, call it a 'wonderful, bucolic spot'.

“We thought it excellent value, and a very French experience, so close to the UK,” says a report.

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

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.

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.

Built in the 1970s, this large white villa, with its sloping red-tiled roof, looks more Basque than Breton. Previously known as Le Domaine d'Orvault, but still managed by Nathalie and Sylvain Lejeune, it is in a north-west suburb of Nantes: 'So much nicer than going to the city centre,' says a visitor.

“Does one endorse Paradise?” asks a visitor to this handsome, white 18th-century manor house.

'Pretty close to perfection' was one couple's verdict on this charming hotel in a busy market village near the south Brittany coast.