De Toiras

This former 17th Century boat owner's house is located in the island's main town of St. Martin and overlooks the picturesque harbour. A member of Relais & Châteaux, it is classically and elegantly furnished in a Parisien town house style with luxurious fabrics and sumptuous antique furniture.

Its 20 bedrooms all give a wonderful feeling of space. There is a gastronomic restaurant open for dinner, and where dishes are cooked to order at breakfast, overlooking a pretty courtyard garden. Guests are free to use the outdoor swimming pool and gardens of its sister hotel, Villa Clarisse.

An uncut jewel off the west coast of France, joined to the historic fishing town of La Rochelle by a causeway, the Île de Ré is one of our favourite places to recommend for a civilised spring short break. It enjoys mild weather, but the crowds stay away until the summer months, so we particularly recommend a few days here in April or May, when you can enjoy the picturesque villages, white sand dunes and beaches, leisurely cycle paths – and some of the best seafood in France.

You can reach La Rochelle by air from the UK, with direct flights all year (although they are more frequent from April until October) as well as by Eurostar and TGV from St Pancras via Paris – why not ask about including a stopover in Paris for a couple of days on the way out?

Sister property, Villa Clarisse (open from April onwards), is a short walk from the Hotel De Toiras and offers a more relaxed ambience, with nine rooms, a private garden and heated swimming pool (guests of the De Toiras may also use the pool). Both hotels are within easy walking distance of the old town’s boutique shops and the excellent seafood restaurants on the waterfront.