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Brittany: Princely Abode

With its 17th/18th-century manor house set in stunning 80-acre grounds at the end of a tree-lined allée near the seaside resort of Guidel, in southern Brittany, the Domaine de Kerbastic has belonged to the princely Polignac family since the mid-19th century. In the mid-20th, it also became a cradle of artistic activity-the late Comte Jean de Polignac and his wife Marie-Blanche Lanvin di Pietro, daughter of fashion designer Jeanne Lanvin, entertained a coterie of artists, composers and writers including Cocteau, Poulenc, Stravinsky, Colette, the Nabi painter Vuillard and Marcel Proust, who is said to have modeled his fictional Duchesse de Guermantes on his hostess. Princesse Constance de Polignac has now refurbished the legendary château and opened seventeen rooms to the public, each named after family members or illustrious former guests. The walls of the Chambre Cocteau are graced with the artist's line drawings and decorative scribbles dedicated to Marie-Blanche, and the Chambre Comte Jean is handsomely arrayed in blue-and-gray-striped fabric. Guests are free to use the music room and wander the beautiful French-style garden landscaped by Jean-Claude Forestier, a friend of Monet. The Domaine also uses alternative energy sources whenever possible, the lawns are pesticide-free, and in the restaurant head chef Raphaël Dubroeucq focuses on organic cuisine using locally sourced Breton produce. Plans are also afoot to plant an organic kitchen garden, and install a naturally heated and filtered swimming pool. Château de Kerbastic, Guidel, 02.97.65.98.01. www.domaine-de-kerbastic.com

The Cocteau room at the Domaine de Kerbastic

28 à Aix

28 à Aix

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Aix-en-Provence: Jewelbox Baroque

Aix-en-Provence is a stroller's paradise, known for its 17th- and 18th-century mansions, ornate sculpted doorways and dozens of lovely stone fountains. Now one of those exquisite private mansions has been opened to the public as the 28 à Aix-not only an exclusive four-room bed-and-breakfast, but also a mini-art gallery, boutique, tea salon and tree-shaded garden restaurant. Located in the quiet residential Mazarin neighborhood, minutes away from the central tree-lined Cours Mirabeau, the majestic three-story 17th-century hôtel particulier has been completely renovated by owners and interior designers Gil Dez, Charles Montemarco and Daniel Jouve (who also own Aix's top-rated four-star hotel Villa Gallici) with an arresting mix of earth-tone contemporary and baroque furnishings. The ground floor, with gilded mirrors, monumental Murano chandeliers and an eye-catching jumble of antiques, includes a boutique selling fragrant candles and Aesop beauty products. The restaurant serves Mediterranean specialties-try the lobster and mint brique or the stuffed eggplant-and the tea room offers Mariage Frères teas and heaping plates of tempting homemade pastries. Up the monumental staircase, each of the spacious rooms is unique, but all come with fluffy duvets, flat screen TVs, and velvety sofas and chairs. Suite One is decked out with a contemporary canopy bed and sculptural light fixtures; Suite Three boasts a private terrace and Suite Four a striking Philippe Starck-designed bathtub. 28 rue du Quatre Septembre, Aix-en-Provence, 04.42.54.82.01. www.28-a-aix.com

Paris: Eclectic Neo-Modern

The new Crowne Plaza Paris Champs-Elysées, just opened in a quiet residential area not far from the Arc de Triomphe, is a 60-room, four-star luxe hotel (the top French rating, until the new five-star designation gradually kicks in) with a colorful neo-modern and highly eclectic decor by Bruno Borrione, a long-time associate of Philippe Starck. Installed in a completely renovated former office building and the adjacent former stables of the Comte de Breteuil, the hotel is a symphony in light-flooded gleaming white with dozens of sharp colorful accents, including Missoni blankets and Kenzo cushions, harlequin-painted antique dressers and lipstick red or acid green modern designer chairs. Top-floor suites offer views of the Eiffel Tower and the Arc, two rooms have private terraces, and the ground-floor restaurant (breakfast only for the time being) looks out onto a big patio with a hanging-garden wall. Each room has a unique decor, but they all offer the hotel's signature design feature-delightful black-and-white reproductions of Venetian Renaissance painted ceilings. Bathrooms are all different too, but spacious and glistening with white tiles, Corian counters, Zuchetti fixtures and Hermès toiletries. Internet connections, Wi-Fi and iPod stations are standard, and as a fun plus, there are free e-Solex electric bikes for touring the town in eco-style-at least for those guests hardy enough to brave Paris traffic on two wheels. 64 ave Marceau, 8th, 01.44.43.36.36. www.crowneplazaparischampselysees.com

Ville d'Avray: Pastoral Retreat

A lovely, rambling old hotel overlooking a broad pond that was often painted by 19th-century pre-Impressionist Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Les Etangs de Corot was recently taken over and renovated from top to bottom by the owners of the renowned Les Sources de Caudalie hotel and spa in Bordeaux. A pastoral weekend retreat in the countryside near Ville d'Avray, between Paris and Versailles, the 40-room hotel has individually decorated rooms, some with terraces, and three restaurants: Le Corot, with gourmet cuisine by chef Benoît Bordier (see A La Carte, p. 6); the casual bistrot Café des Artistes in the vaulted cellar; and the outdoor thatched-roof garden "guinguette" summer restaurant Les Paillottes, perched on stilts in the big interior courtyard garden. The beautifully appointed Caudalie Vinothérapie Spa is almost a twin of the Bordeaux original, and the products based on grapevines and grapes are the same-the only difference here is that the zen-like cabines have louvered windows looking out over the pond. 53 rue de Versailles, Ville d'Avray, 01.41.15.37.00. www.etangs-corot.com

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