Fodor's Expert Review Les Hauts-de-Loire

Turreted and vine covered, this 18th-century hunting lodge on a 200-acre property features an antiques-filled grand salon, a lovely pool, an adorable swan lake, and guest rooms that more often than not are simply beige and elegantly suave; those in the adjacent coach house can be considerably more spectacular—the best have exposed-brick walls and timbered cathedral ceilings. Other amenities include a spa, a helipad, the most blissful air-conditioning in all Touraine, and a restaurant with a Michelin star that is famous for its style and quality—an evening here glows with sumptuous white bouquets, jeweled guests, and dazzling dishes like goose Rossini with mushroom risotto.