Villa du Moulleau

The villa lends boats to guests for day trips across the Bassin d'Arcachon, which tells you something about how this small hotel thinks. It sits two blocks from the beach in Le Moulleau, in an old Arcachon-style villa that's been renovated into something chic without erasing the bones. Some rooms open onto the garden with their own loggias; the mezzanine rooms work well for families. There's also an outdoor pool for anyone not ready to commit to the bay.

One honor, in evidence: