“It keeps on improving” according to a visitor returning to the Larain family”s glamorous hotel (Relais & Châteaux), on the banks of the Yonne. “Difficult to criticise,” was another comment, though a third reporter found the atmosphere “a little impersonal”. Manager/chef Jean-Michel Lorain has two Michelin stars for inventive dishes like rosette of lobster and fresh palm nut salad; farm pigeon with blackcurrant pepper, caramelized eggplant, rosemary emulsion. The wine cellar has over 25,000 bottles. Ten “traditional” bedrooms are in the main building; the best ones are reached by a tunnel, decorated with Roman remains. N6. “Ours, overlooking the river, had a balcony with table and two chairs, a bed large enough for a family of four.” There is a summer lounge with terrace, a winter lounge with fireplace and library. The large indoor swimming pool opens on to the garden and there's a spa with a hammam, sauna, massages and treatments. Children have their own menu, Initiation à la Gourmandise, and babysitters can be arranged. Breakfast is “wonderfully imaginative”. There is a boat for river trips.