La Guitoune

The neo-Basque façade stayed; almost everything else got rethought by interior designer Bambi Sloan, whose vintage-inspired interiors make the flat-screen TVs feel like polite guests. This family-run seaside hotel sits near the Dune du Pilat, the largest sand dune in Europe, which is either a selling point or a warning depending on how you feel about stairs made of sand. A stylish restaurant and bar round out the picture.