The stunning creation of a Parisian architect, this 22-room boutique hotel on the church square in Ars-en-Ré languishes luxuriantly in several traditional old-stone maisons de village and exudes panache and good taste. Scrubbed wooden floorboards, exposed stone walls, designer bathrooms and beautiful fabrics dress each room. Breakfast is served in a flowery courtyard, and there's a pocket-sized heated pool.
Le Sénéchal also has two houses for four or five people, a vast villa and a beautiful 17th-century mill to rent – all fashioned in the same seaside-chic style as the hotel and with hotel service if desired.