6 Best Hotels in Alsace-Lorraine, France

A night in the fine Renaissance-style Château de Montbras—where grand public salons are crammed with antiques and spacious guest rooms are graced with period furniture elegantly offset by modern fabrics—is ideal for anyone indulging in Joan of Arc–related medieval musings. With a history extending back five centuries, the château has an array of historical goodies: four grand stone bastion towers, an elegant wing sculpted with goddesses and ornaments in the style of 16th-century architect Androuet du Cerceau, and some rare Baroque paintings of Indian tribes.

In the heart of this famous Grand Cru wine-producing town is this lovely hotel and spa housed in a former 17th-century trading house. It sits right on the main square and has a pretty view of the town hall. Leather, marble, exposed oak beams, stone walls, and velvet furnishings deck out the guest rooms and public spaces. There is also a reasonably-priced, upmarket restaurant, a wine bar, an airy lounge, and a pool and spa in the vaulted cellars. 

Opened as an inn in 1580 and restored to its former half-timber glory, the "courtyard of the crow" retains its Middle Ages facade, but its interiors are another story: luxe design, crystal chandeliers, period furniture, and colorful fabrics are the essence of modern style, sumptuousness, and comfort. Enter the courtyard—especially at night—and it is easy to imagine Frederic the Great (a visitor to the original hotel) and his entourage pulling up in a caravan of coaches.

With its 19th-century neoclassical façade, this hotel fuses historical architecture with contemporary design. The building housed the city's police station until 2009 and now has smart, spacious guest rooms decked out in mainly neutral beige tones with splashes of ochre and orange, all with gleaming bathrooms. The rooms overlooking the interior courtyard have more verdant views than those on the side and front. Opposite the airy, open-space lobby is a tea room, restaurant, and cocktail bar where the chic Strasbourg crowd likes to hang out.

Located just a seven-minute walk from Petite Venise, this glossy hotel has sleek, modern guest rooms decked out with wood, natural stone, marble, copper, and leather, creating a harmonious design scheme. All the rooms are equipped with balconies, and those at the rear look straight across the leafy Champs de Mars gardens while those at the front have an urban view. There's a swanky bar and lounge, and a gastronomic restaurant presided over by famed local chef Jean-Yves Schillinger. There's a spa and wellness center in the basement, too.

Surrounded by canals in the heart of the quaint La Petite France quarter, this centuries-old former ice factory—replete with noble pediment and mansard roofs—is now a boldly modern luxury hotel, where Philippe Starck–inspired sculptural furnishings contrast sharply with the views of half-timber buildings and the roaring river from nearly every window. The preferred choice of Catherine Deneuve, Jacques Chirac, and Sting (to name a few) welcomes you with a spacious marble vestibule, vivid graffiti art, and Le Pont Tournant: an eye-popping modernistic restaurant done up in white, pinks, and reds (enjoy its summer tables over the torrent).