Travel + Leisure Readers’ 5 Favorite Resorts in France of 2024
These are T+L readers’ favorite French resorts, according to our annual "World’s Best Awards" survey for 2024.
It’s true, Paris is always a good idea. But sometimes, living out your wildest French fantasies requires trading la capitale for, say, a reborn 19th-century coaching inn in Champagne or a glamorous century-old seaside retreat on the French Riviera. Below, Travel + Leisure readers vote on their favorite French resorts from the Alps to the Côte d'Azur.
How Voting Works
Every year for our World's Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Over 186,000 T+L readers completed the 2024 survey. A total of more than 700,000 votes were cast across over 8,700 properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.).
Hotels were classified as either resort hotel, city hotel, inn, or safari lodge based on their location and amenities, and they were specifically rated on the criteria below:
Rooms/facilities
Location
Service
Food
Value
For each characteristic, respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. The final scores are averages of these responses.
Courtesy of Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa
What Readers Loved
In last year’s survey, the majority of the winning properties were located in France’s Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. In this year’s survey, there was greater geographical diversity: take the No. 3 winner, Airelles Courchevel, set in the ritzy ski resort of Courchevel. The grand property, the first in Courchevel to gain palace status, wowed guests with its classic luxury interiors and over-the-top amenities like a La Mer spa and a horse-drawn carriage with Hermès leather interiors for scooting around town. “It’s like being in a fairytale,” gushed one respondent. No less luxurious is our runner-up, Domaine des Etangs, Auberge Resorts Collection, which reopened under new management last spring. Situated in the picturesque Charente region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the 13th-century chateau has already gained a loyal following. “My dream castle,” raved one reader. “This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience!” Another added, “I wouldn’t stay anywhere else.” Which property secured the No. 1 spot on this list? Let’s travel to Champagne to find out.
The Winner
Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa: Champillon
Courtesy of Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa
After coming in third place on last year’s list, Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa has been crowned the No. 1 resort in France in our 2024 survey. It’s a major feat for any hotel, but when you consider that this property is family-owned and operated, it makes the accolade even more impressive. A former coaching inn reborn as one of the region’s most architecturally daring stays, the 47-room hotel is wine country at its most sophisticated, with vineyard views, a 16,000-square-foot spa with Biologique Recherche treatments, and a wine cellar with more than 400 different Champagnes and 1,000 wines. “I can’t recommend this property, or its location, enough,” said one reader. “It’s truly a hidden gem in the Champagne countryside.” Echoed another traveler: “This is the best hotel in the world!”
The Full List
1. Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa: Champillon
Reader Score: 98.67
2. Domaine des Etangs, Auberge Resorts Collection: Massignac
Reader Score: 97.80
3. Airelles Courchevel: Courchevel
Reader Score: 96.94
4. Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, a Four Seasons Hotel: Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Reader Score: 96.89
5. Hotel du Cap-Eden Roc, Oetker Collection: Cap d'Antibes
Reader Score: 96.00
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