3 Best Hotels in Bordeaux and the Wine Country, France

Though the clean-lined, contemporary interior of this 17th-century, stone-faced, wine-producing mansion may not speak to everyone, the vines growing right up to the property, the luxury rooms, the sommelier's dream of a wine cellar (with more than 200 different Champagnes alone), and the celebrated restaurant are definite inducements. The restaurant's talented young chef, Julien Lefebvre, easily makes up for any inconsistencies in what some might call a blandly modern atmosphere, and the château's own cru bourgeois is a wine worth getting to know.

Festooned in luxury fabrics and 18th-century furnishings, this posh extravaganza, designed by France's überchic Jacque Garcia, put Bordeaux back on the world scene with its veritable army of restaurants and bars, along with a swanky Roman bath–inspired spa—all just steps from the city's Golden Triangle shopping district. If anyone can redefine and resurrect Bordelais style it is Garcia: for this complex of buildings, anchored by a historic palais, he took inspiration from the gilded Opéra National de Bordeaux, just across the square. Go all out and get a room high up with a theater view.

Northwest of the city center, the street-front door of this inconspicuous boutique hotel opens onto a quiet courtyard that once served as a relay stable for carriages and today provides a welcome respite for modern travelers seeking urban tranquility. Inside the 18th-century building, antique tiles and well-worn parquet floors contrast nicely with the ultramodern style of the lounge and dining room; in the guest rooms, however, the minimalist modern theme feels a tad too minimal.