Sea view or garden view: 7 new spots to check out in France

About 70 kilometers (43 miles) from Paris, between Anet and Giverny, you'll find a brand new hotel that would have inspired more than one impressionist painter. Water, the promise of infinite variations around reflections, is the essence of its decor! A moat surrounds this 18th century château, which has been transformed into a five-star hotel with 39 rooms and suites. Canals wind their way through the remarkable gardens designed by landscape architect Jacques Wirtz, and the Eure River borders this 40-hectare (99 acre) estate, which reinterprets the bucolic spirit of the past. Between a gastronomic meal styled by Eric Fréchon, a three Michelin starred chef, and a lunch on the lawns, an open-air bar invites you to take a break by the river. Tempted to sketch?

Domaine de Pimard (External link)

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Its emblem is the tuberose flower, whose fragrance has famously enveloped the countryside of Saint-Paul-de Vence for generations. After 18 months of renovation, the Domaine du Mas de Pierre– a Relais & Châteaux property, has been transformed into a perfumed oasis in the heart of the Côte d'Azur. In the large eight-hectare (20 acres) Mediterranean garden, planted with olive trees and roses, two new bastides with green roofs, a lagoon with a (real) sandy beach and a children's area and a 2,000 sq. meter (21527 sq. feet) sensory spa will bloom this spring. With herbal saunas, immersive experiences in the 10°C (50 ° F) “ice-cave" or massages, you can recharge your batteries thanks to the treatments designed by Sothys, Tata Harper and Sonia Godet, the fourth generation of perfumers in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, who have mixed 55 essences, including tuberose, as the in-house signature perfume!

Domaine du Mas de Pierre (External link)

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How about setting sail for the Indian Ocean... in the heart of the Gers? In Seissan, the Domaine des Lacs de Gascogne has been transformed into the Whaka Lodge, an eco-resort for those who enjoy glamping. Your accommodation choices include a Zanzibar hut on stilts for a getaway for two or a Safari Lodge to play explorer with the family. A total of 42 unusual accommodations and 45 camping pitches are dotted between the forest, lakes and a sandy beach on the 12 hectare (30 acres) estate. Swimming, canoeing, cycling and fishing, experience life in the great outdoors, with a touch of the faraway. Come evening and the time is just right to savor local cuisine at the Food and Wine Bar, that showcases artisanal cold meats from the Gers accompanied by organic wines or beers from the region.

Whaka Lodge (External link)

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This was a much-awaited reopening: after a colossal renovation project, the Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz unveiled its new avatar in March 2021, which was more imperial than ever. Replete with period furniture and furnishings, trompe l'oeil and bee motifs; the decor of the 86 rooms and 56 suites, the lounges and the restaurants has been refurbished while preserving their historical significance. It is the only Palace to have its own team dedicated to maintaining its heritage! Here you'll recognise the style of the Second Empire, from the time when Empress Eugenie reigned over the style of sea bathing in the legendary Rotonde dining room with its gold leaf gilding and 360° panoramic view, or the Napoleon III bar with its bronzine-painted mouldings, where you can discover traditional Basque drinks and vintage champagnes.

Hôtel du Palais (External link)

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After Nantes, the Maisons du Mondes moves its furniture to Marseille! In January, this furniture brand inaugurated its second hotel under its aegis in the Vieux Port (Old Port). Choose from “Saint-Rémy” decorated with natural materials and sandy shades evocative of the sun, “Gordes” which effortlessly mixes Art Deco and landscaped wallpapers or “Lourmarin” with its classic lines. All its 62 rooms and suites offer five styles in the colors of Provence and the Mediterranean, with the added bonus of a view of the Old Port for the Deluxe rooms and suites. On the ground floor, a lounge with its bookshelves, large tables and soft sofas invites you to relax. The motto of the hotel is "here it's like home but even better"!

Maisons du Monde Hotel & Suites (External link)

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Rymska is the name of a new Relais & Châteaux member hotel, a suite, and also of a thoroughbred filly! In this large, hilly 80-hectare estate (197 acres), 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Beaune in Burgundy, the breeding farm and the stud farm steal the spotlight and each of the five luxurious rooms and suites is named after a prize-winning animal. You’ll be surrounded by nature between ponds, meadows, woods: you'll even find it on your plate. The gastronomic cuisine, designed by Jérémie Müller, gives pride of place to the products of the estate, vegetables from the kitchen garden, fruit from the orchard, aromatic herbs, farm poultry and pigs and Wagyu or Charolais beef...

Domaine de Rymska (External link)

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Seventy hectares (173 feet)? That's the surface area of the 18-hole golf course in Seignosse, where this new address in the Les Domaines de Fontenille collection is nestled. The Atlantic Ocean is within walking distance of the club. Completely renovated, the ex-hotel du Golf has kept its wooden structure matching the forest of pines and cork oaks which towers over the 33 rooms and suites offering splendid views of nature. Colorful and cheerful, the decor plays on the characteristics of local sports. It is the first Relais & Châteaux set in the heart of a golfing estate. Golf or skiing, no need to choose!

Hotel 70 hectaires et L'océan (External link)