La Mare aux Oiseaux

Stilted bungalows rise just above the marshes of the Brière, one of France's largest wetlands, connected to the main building by wooden footbridges that pass through bamboo groves. This boutique hotel leans into its island setting with rooms that mix four-poster beds and private decks with Balinese-style tubs, all of them facing the kind of birdlife the name promises. Bring binoculars and low expectations for phone signal.