The magnificent white beaches of Île de Ré, offshore from La Rochelle, attract hordes of French holidaymakers in season: advance booking is essential for Anne and Frederic Latour”s charming hotel. Five hundred metres from a prime stretch of sand, in “a pretty, sleepy village”, it has “seaside ambience and rural charm”. “I loved it,” writes one visitor. The public rooms are “attractive in a hip-seaside way”: muted colours, wood panelling, Lloyd Loom chairs, earthenware pots and paintings by local artists. The bar, with its “ocean-liner feel”, is particularly liked. Bedrooms, with curved doors, gingham curtains, beach hut-style wardrobes, have similarly “wonderful decor”, but some might be small and “basic”. Some overlook the garden. Chef Yoann Leraut”s menus centre on fresh fish, simply prepared, and meals are served in the beamed restaurant or on a patio. Breakfast is a buffet. Service is efficient, but one couple complained of a “brusque welcome” and another would have liked help with suitcases up two flights of stone steps. A heated swimming pool is in the garden. The island has miles of salt-marsh, cycle and hiking trails, good birdwatching.