Domaine des Hauts de Loire is one of the best classic French châteaux hotels in a region known for the extravagance of its châteaux, an ivy-covered manor house just outside the village of Onzain, just two hours from Paris. Some of the castles in this region date to the middle ages - this one, though, is relatively recent, having been built as a hunting lodge in 1860. The atmosphere, then, is more luxurious than feudal, more picturesque than protective.

The hotel is surrounded by 180 acres of parkland, complete with tennis courts, pool, wooded paths for exploring, and a pond where swans float by as though posing for postcard photos. Hot air balloon rides and helicopter tours of the château-studded Loire valley can be arranged.

The château rooms are elegant, restrained, with a tasteful sprinkling of antiques and large modern bathrooms — rooms in the carriage house, by contrast, are bigger and more contemporary, if ever so slightly less charming. The restaurant, under the direction of chef Rémy Giraud, serves traditional French country cuisine with a modest international influence (wasabi replacing horseradish, for example), and features a large collection of the region's wines.