Le Lodge Kerisper, La Trinité-sur-Mer, Brittany
This breezy boutique hotel is the perfect base for a seaside holiday, just a stone's throw from the beautiful beaches of Brittany's south coast. The style throughout is beach-hut chic with lots of pale wood and linen, but it's incredibly family-friendly, too: there's a small heated outdoor pool and garden, books and board-games to borrow, mountain-bikes for hire and a baby-sitting service. There are 20 rooms including several family suites, some of which have private, shady terraces, and inter-connecting rooms which can cater for family groups of all sizes. There's no restaurant but the yachting town of La Trinité-sur-Mer with its crêperies and seafood restaurants is just 100m away.
• From €150 for a junior suite sleeping two, plus €25 per extra bed. Buffet breakfast €14 per adult, and €9 per child. lodge-kerisper.com
Chateau Ribagnac, Limousin
The Bergot family became unwitting TV stars when they featured in the Channel 4 series No Going Back, which followed their move from London to France in 2003 and their struggles to renovate a dilapidated chateau deep in the Limousin countryside. Ten years on, and there's no sign of the toil that went into creating this relaxed country house retreat. Patrick and Colette have three young children so they know exactly what's needed to make a family holiday work. Just let them know what you need in advance – from nappies to cots – and it will be waiting for you in your suite when you arrive. All five guest rooms are spacious and kitted out with a mix of French antiques and contemporary furnishings. Outside, there are 86 acres of grounds to roam with lakes, nature trails and outdoor games. Evening meals (on offer five nights a week) are a relaxed and sociable affair, with a 6pm sitting for children and an adults-only sitting at 8.30pm (baby monitors provided).
• From €130 per night for a suite sleeping two adults and two children (plus cot), on a B&B basis. chateauribagnac.com
Villa Nais, Bormes Les Mimosas, Côte d'Azur
This friendly family-run guesthouse tucked away in the hills between St Tropez and Hyères offers a peaceful respite from the heat and crowds of the Côte d'Azur. There are just nine air-conditioned rooms, most of which overlook the small (fenced) swimming pool and a terrace with views of the valley, but what really makes this place ideal for families is the communal barbecue and kitchen area with fridge, freezer, microwave, sink and dishwasher – perfect if you don't want to eat out every night. There's a tennis court and table tennis, and Wi-Fi in all rooms. The charming little town of Bormes-Les-Mimosas and the beach at Le Lavandou are a short drive away.
• From €100 for a triple room with breakfast, and from €119 for a family room sleeping four in a separate annexe, with breakfast included. villanais.com
Novotel Thalassa Oleron Saint Trojan, Ile d'Oleron, Poitou-Charentes
They might not win any prizes for design flair or local flavour but there are times when nothing quite hits the mark like a Novotel. What the Novotel Thalassa Oleron Saint Trojan lacks in bijou charm, it makes up for with a fab location right on the beach, great-value family rooms with terraces or balconies, and decent facilities. The hotel is on the Île d'Oléron, a more affordable and less crowded alternative to the chi-chi Île de Ré a bit further up the coast, and linked to the mainland by a bridge. It's connected to the island's thalassotherapy centre so parents can indulge in some restorative treatments while children are taken care of in the kids club (French school holidays only). There are tennis courts, bikes to hire, table tennis, free Wi-Fi, play areas and the sandy expanse of Plage de Gatseau on your doorstep for sandcastle building.
• Two children under-16 can stay free in their parents' room (or you can book a second room with 50% off). From €70 for a room sleeping four. novotel.com
Hotel Alpina, Morzine, Rhone-Alps
Morzine might be known as a winter sports destination but it has plenty to keep active families happy in summer, from hiking and mountain-biking to horseriding and white-water rafting in the Haute-Savoie. The Hotel Alpina is a cosy, no-frills chalet-style hotel with a small pool on the sunny side of the Morzine valley, a short walk from the town centre and the Super Morzine Bubble lift. Simple rooms are kitted out in Alpine style with lots of exposed wood, and most have balconies. In summer the hotel is part of the Multipass scheme which gives access to all the operating lifts of the Portes du Soleil area (pedestrian-only), Morzine's swimming pool complex, indoor ice rink, tennis courts and local bus service, for €2 a day (free for under-fives).
• From €80 for a family room in summer sleeping up to four. Breakfast €9.50. alpinahotel.com
Hotel de l'Océan, Biarritz, Aquitaine
The Hotel de l'Océan makes the perfect base for a car-free holiday. Located right in the centre of buzzing Biarritz, a traditional seaside resort which is well connected by bus to the Basque resorts of St Jean de Luz, Guéthary and, across the Spanish border, San Sebastián. The 26 air-conditioned rooms in this three-star hotel have been decorated in a crisp, nautical style: it's worth paying extra for a room with balcony for the pleasure of watching the surfers do battle with the Atlantic breakers on the Grande Plage or for people-watching in the Place Sainte Eugénie below. There's a good choice of doubles, triples and family rooms.
• From €124 for a family room sleeping four. Breakfast from €7.70 per person. biarritz-hotel-ocean.com
La Louviere, nr Saint-Denis-sur-Sarthon, Normandy
This 18th-century farmhouse in the gentle hills of southern Normandy has been transformed with great flair into a five-bedroom guesthouse which oozes tastefulness and elegance. But don't let that put you off! The welcoming owners Alain and Isabelle go out of their way to make families feel at home here. Children will enjoy splashing about in the heated outdoor pool, playing tennis, befriending the ducks on the pond, or playing hide and seek in the heavenly gardens. Some of the rooms are big enough for an additional child's bed or you can opt for two inter-connecting rooms for more space and privacy. Alain is happy to make reservations at local restaurants but once you've tasted Isabelle's cooking you might be tempted to stay put for dinner.
• €180 for a family suite of two connecting rooms. i-escape.com/la-louviere
La Maison Olea, Le Bugue, Dordogne
It's hard to think of a more welcoming base from which to explore the Dordogne than this friendly guesthouse in the hills above the village of Le Bugue. All the attractions of the Périgord Noir region are within easy striking distance including the medieval town of Sarlat, the prehistoric rock dwellings and cave paintings at Les Eyzies and Lascaux and the Dordogne river. After a day's sightseeing or canoeing, children can cool off in the delightful saltwater pool with its dreamy views of the Vezere valley or let off steam on the trampoline. There are five rooms, including two family suites which can sleep up to four people, plus two gîtes in the grounds which can each sleep up to five for those who prefer to self-cater. The owners occasionally offer table d'hôte meals which make good use of Périgordine specialities such as duck and truffles, and wines from nearby Bergerac.
• From €130 for a family suite sleeping four, including breakfast. sawdays.co.uk
La Gaucherie, Langon, Loire Valley
This relaxed farmhouse B&B makes a great alternative to the grand chateau hotels of the Loire Valley for families. Surrounded by the conifer forests of the Sologne, it has lots of space for running around, ponies to pet, eggs to collect, an orchard, a lake with boat and a heated pool (fenced off). Rooms are tastefully fitted out with neutrals, rustic wooden furniture and seagrass or terracotta floors. The stable conversion has a cosy sitting room with wood-burning stove and red sofas: a perfect spot for reading or board-games. Aurelia, the English-speaking host, is a great cook and can prepare evening meals on request. Lots of people use La Gaucherie as a stopover en route to the south: most end up wishing they'd booked to stay longer.
• From €85 a night for a double room, plus €15 per extra person. lagaucherie.com
Orion B&B & Treehouses, nr St-Paul de Vence, Alpes-Maritimes
The South of France is not generally known for its choice of quirky accommodation, which makes this collection of four delightful treehouses near the medieval fortified village of St Paul de Vence even more of a find. When the kids have finished playing Tarzan and Jane in the treetops, there's a natural swimming pond, perfect for cooling off after a hot day on the beach. The treehouses may look rustic but the owners haven't skimped on modern luxuries such as showers, heated towel rails, hairdryers and Wi-Fi connection (in the shared summer kitchen).
• From €400 for a two-night stay, in a treehouse sleeping two adults and two children, including breakfast. orionbb.com
