Chateau de Montcaud

A 19th-century chateau in the Gard that had the good sense to renovate without pretending the 21st century hadn't happened, so antique stone archways now frame very modern furniture. This Michelin two-key luxury boutique hotel has two restaurants, a pool, a grass tennis court, and, if you're feeling baronial, helicopter tours over the countryside. Even the standard rooms are generously sized, which is one of the genuine advantages of staying somewhere built before room rates were invented.