10 hotels in France to enjoy a 3-day weekend

As autumn sets in and the days grow shorter, these three-day getaways become precious interludes. Discover ten addresses in France where you can get some fresh air, warm up or take a cultural break.

Christine Robalo Published today at 10:58 AM

A benevolent calendar is all it takes for a long weekend to transform the cold season into a promise of travel. Just three days, but enough to lose yourself in the alleys of a museum city, taste the iodine of a wind-blown coastline, soak in the spa of a country hotel or rediscover the energy of a vibrant Paris. These short stays are as much breaths of fresh air as they are foretastes of winter, where we come to seek warmth, gourmet delights and discoveries. Ten hotels chosen as refuges, each worth a detour in its own right, to prolong the illusion of a vacation despite the season.

Les Bordes Estate, in Sologne

In Saint-Laurent-Nouan, Sologne, the Domaine des Bordes remains a discreet enclave behind its gates, where the forest stretches over 560 hectares. Once reserved for a privileged few in the international golfing world, the site is gradually opening up, without ever relinquishing its closed club feel. The cottages and villas of the Cour du Baron, designed by Michaelis Boyd, now welcome families and long-weekend travelers alike, with everything you'd expect from five-star hospitality: concierge service, restaurant, ephemeral spa and even a golf course. Here, you can go from lunch in the Clubhouse to a game of paddle or tennis, before venturing into the new equestrian center, designed with Olympic rider Scott Brash. Children find their kingdom at the Kid's Club, or take a walk in nature, which here is treated as an ally: no insecticides, but bat nesting boxes, fine management of ponds and beavers returning to colonize the banks. In November, the colors of the forest turn to ochre, and the silence is sometimes disturbed by the passage of a deer.

from €1,300 per night (minimum 3 nights)
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Le Domaine des Étangs Auberge Collection, in Charente

In the Charente countryside, a château with honey-colored turrets is reflected in a lake as if it had stepped out of a storybook. Once an aristocratic residence, the Domaine des Étangs today unfurls its thousand hectares between forests, meadows and tranquil waters. Behind the medieval walls are just seven rooms, complemented by a farmhouse and six smallholdings restored with as much care as imagination. Art is everywhere: a Matisse or a Picasso dialogues with an antique piano, while contemporary sculptures creep into the park. The pace of life here is that of a novel: picnics on the grass, boating on the lake, a game of tennis or contemplation through the telescope. Even the thermal baths, housed in former wine cellars, continue this singular blend of tradition and invention. And when evening falls, the Dyades restaurant brings Charentais terroir and Bordeaux vintages to the table as if they were an art form in their own right. A timeless place, conceived as a family home, where the simple and rare taste for beauty can be rediscovered.

from €358
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L'Isle de Leos Hôtel & Spa MGallery, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, a waterwheel still turns, a remnant of a 19thᵉ century sawmill transformed into a five-star hotel. L'Isle de Leos, a project by Patrick Bruel and the first establishment of this standing in the "Venice of Comtadine", has set up shop on the riverbank, a stone's throw from the antique dealers. The lobby feels like a village square, punctuated by a monumental work of tile pierced with olive wheels, an oval bar and a Provencal fireplace sourced in Apt. The 49 rooms, including 11 suites, house over 400 works of art and, in some cases, a balcony overlooking the swimming pool, an unexpected luxury in the heart of the town. In the evening, at the restaurant La Roue, chef Yon Masurel offers a five-course menu in which Provence is reinvented. The L'Olivier spa, now open, offers a hammam, snow cave, sensory trail and treatments based on olive oil from Domaine de Leos. A hotel that has already established itself as a meeting place.

from €480
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Cour des Loges, A Radisson Collection Hotel, Lyon

Behind the discreet door on rue du Bœuf, you enter a Renaissance maze that seems to have been frozen for centuries. Spiral staircases, narrow galleries, inner courtyards: it's all there, but reinvented after a 30-month renovation that has restored the Cour des Loges to its former glory. The rooms and suites read like so many chapters in the same story: hand-painted headboards, furniture with a patina finish and a state-of-the-art Italian shower...in the spa, inspired by the Roman thermal baths, the light reflects off the water in the pool and you're drawn into the warmth of the hammam before giving in to the expert hands of the Pure Altitude treatments. Later, under the glass roof, the experience culminates in Anthony Bonnet's cuisine. At the Comptoir, the chef celebrates the conviviality of Lyon, while at the Loges he plays a subtle score that magnifies the terroir. Step out onto the cobblestones of Old Lyon, the traboules and the panorama from Fourvière.

from €365
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cour Des Loges Lyon Radisson Collection

L'Hôtel Présent, in Arles

just five minutes from the city's arena, this hotel by Georges Imbert and Pierre Vago (two students of Auguste Perret) is an ode to 20thᵉ century architecture. We love the rigor of its lines and the uncluttered decor of its 13 rooms, the warmth and cosiness of its lounge-library and the tasty southern cuisine served in the restaurant as well as at the table d'hôtes. And that's not all, as this address also boasts a rooftop offering a unique view over the city's rooftops. It's also a great way to spot, at a glance, all the places that make art lovers happy - the Reattu and Camargue museums, the Van Gogh, Luma and Lee Ufan foundations. And, of course, the mysterious Promenade des Alyscamps, an ancient necropolis now overgrown with vegetation and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

from €102
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Coquillade Provence Resort & Spa, in the Lubéron region

Set on a hill, this former hamlet has been converted into a hotel, with 63 rooms and suites in restored village houses or more contemporary buildings. Everything here is designed for the pleasure, serenity and well-being of guests. You can laze on the terrace admiring the garrigues and vineyards, or try out the estate's three restaurants, all of which offer delicious cuisine (from the gastronomic table to the bistro to the Italian-flavored Ristorante). And above all, discover the multi-award-winning 2,000m2 spa, with its hammam and sauna, sensory shower, yoga area and indoor pool, jacuzzis and outdoor pool, treatment rooms and high-flying massages. Finally, sports enthusiasts won't want to miss the tennis courts and the BMC center, which offers mountain bikes and electric bikes to reach the hilltop villages of the Lubéron.

from €329
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Castel Beau Site, Perros-Guirec

Overlooking one of Brittany's most charming beaches, this family home built in 1928 is now, without question, one of the finest hotels in the Côtes-d'Armor region. Decorated by interior designer Natalia Megret, the 33 rooms and suites are warm and cosy, with light colors and blonde wood floors. All open onto the sea, as does the restaurant where Breton chef Nicolas Le Luyer treats guests to local cuisine (scallops from the Bay of Saint-Brieuc...). From the whirlpool bath on the terrace, you can admire the ballet of boats coming in and out of the port, before setting off on the hiking trails along the coast from Perros-Guirrec. The ideal address for discovering Brittany's most enchanting landscapes.

from €145
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Castel Beau Site © Wanderlust Lab : Paul Bréchu

wanderlust Lab / Paul Bréchu

Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, in the Sauternes region

As soon as you arrive, the tone is set... This medieval château is surrounded by a veritable ocean of vines, which reflect the history and spirit of the place. It has passed through the hands of numerous owners, who have turned it into one of the most renowned estates - consecrated a grand cru classé in the XIXᵉ century - and is now owned by Silvio Denz, who is also responsible for the Lalique house. The only five-star hotel in the Sauternes region, it houses 13 luxurious rooms and suites that have retained their original furniture and framework, all enhanced by precious fabrics and Lalique glassware. The exquisite cuisine of chef Jérôme Schilling is served in a sumptuous dining room extended by an extension, and topped by a glass roof designed by architect Mario Botta. All this before setting off to explore the 18-hectare vineyard, culminating in a remarkable tasting in the château's small salon, also decorated with works by Lalique.

from €310
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Château Lafaurie Peyraguey © AGI Simoes Reto Guntli

L'Hermitage Gantois Autograph Collection, Lille

Unquestionably one of the city's finest hotels, housed in a five-century-old hospice of Gothic architecture. Full of charm, the 90 or so rooms and suites have retained their original floor tiles and fireplaces, and are set around splendid interior gardens. A stone's throw away, the H restaurant and brasserie treat guests to Flemish-inspired cuisine, to be enjoyed after a moment of relaxation in the spa with its indoor pool. just a stone's throw from the belfry, this address is also an excellent starting point for a tour of the city's many second-hand and antique dealers. Our favorites? Emotions on rue Thiers, Le village Saint-André 72 rue du maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny or, a little further afield but not to be missed, Le Septentrion in Marcq en Baroeul.

from €150
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Hôtel Hana, Paris

The latest addition to the Parisian hotel scene (and one of the most successful), this hotel a stone's throw from the Opéra is a skilful blend of boudoir chic and Japanese art of living. Designed by interior architect Laura Gonzalez, the 25 rooms and suites are adorned with sliding partitions and washi paper, lantern-like lamps and beautiful walnut woodwork. Equally elegant, the restaurant invites you to discover Japanese cuisine revisited, while in the basement, the spa houses a swimming pool and treatment rooms offering massages, reishi and kobido. In the heart of Paris, an address that combines refinement and a complete change of scenery, ideal for a stay for two...