Ty Mad, Douarnenez
The characterful Ty Mad hotel, whose name means “good home”, is set in a stately manor house with 15 airy bedrooms. Neutral decor makes the most of the natural stone walls, wooden roof beams and double-aspect windows, and top floor rooms look over the sea. There’s a small indoor pool, hammam and sauna, and on sunny days breakfast can be taken in the courtyard garden. The seaside town of Douarnenez offers coastal walks, enticing shops and bakeries selling the butter-laden kouign-amann pastry, which was invented here.
• Doubles from €92 room-only, hoteltymad.com
Mon Escale en Morbihan, Nr Vannes
The welcome doesn’t get warmer than that of Regis and Catherine, whose B&B has three en suite rooms with bright, modern decor. A gourmet breakfast awaits each morning, with homemade galettes and eggs laid by their own chickens, along with local apple juice and jams. The house is close to the village of Crac’h and it makes a great base for island-hopping in the Gulf of Morbihan or exploring the Quiberon peninsula. The hosts are a fount of knowledge about where to find hidden stone circles and other local attractions.
• Double rooms from €75-€95 B&B, monescaleenmorbihan.fr
Chez Janie, Roscoff
The enchanting town of Roscoff is best known for its history of onion sellers, and Chez Janie, on the harbourside, was once the watering hole where “Onion Johnnies” knocked back their last cider before crossing the Channel to sell their produce. Now a pleasant three-star hotel, its 15 rooms are small but light and airy, with a seaside vibe and Breton sayings stencilled on the walls. The bar is still one of the best in town and the restaurant serves a great selection of seafood; sit on the terrace and watch the fishing boats come into the harbour.
• Doubles from €66 room-only, chezjanie.fr
Bot-Conan Lodge, Beg-Meil, south of Quimper
Tucked behind two white sandy coves on Brittany’s south coast, this glamping site has 21 bell and safari lodge tents decorated with vintage fabrics, and one cabin in a remote headland east of Bénodet. Sleep peacefully on futon beds in the tents and wake up for a morning paddle on the beach before eating breakfast on the deck. Nearby are more fantastic beaches, including the heavenly Plage du Cap Coz.
• Bell tent for up to four from £69 a night; a safari tent for five from £124 a night; cabin for up to four from £163 a night, canopyandstars.co.uk
Hotel de la Mer, Brignogan-Plages
For a seaside holiday, you can’t get much closer than at the Hotel de la Mer. Set right on the beach on the temperate north-west coast of Finistère, the eco-friendly hotel celebrates all things marine. Its 18 modern rooms enjoy sea views (some with balconies) and are decorated in gentle neutral and maritime tones with sea-themed murals. The coastline here has a huge variety of seaweeds, and the hotel offers workshops and foraging coastal walks to collect them and understand how to cook and use them. Many are used in the restaurant and in spa treatments.
• Doubles from €90 room-only, hoteldelamer.bzh
Hotel Manoir de Rigourdaine, Near Dinan
Medieval Dinan is one of Brittany’s most attractive towns, thanks partly to its place on the Rance estuary. Close by, the Hotel Manoir de Rigourdaine is high on a hill overlooking the river. Its buildings are set around a former farmhouse and its central courtyard, with 19 bedrooms in the annexes. Many of the rooms offer a mezzanine level with further beds, so it’s ideal for families. Friendly owner Patrick Van Valenberg is happy to recommend days out and local restaurants.
• Doubles from from €97 room-only, sawdays.co.uk
Hostellerie de la Pointe Saint-Mathieu, Finistère
Set on the coast, this friendly hotel looks out towards a ruined abbey and the Pointe Saint-Mathieu lighthouse, which guides ships past the treacherous rocks on this stretch of Finistère. The hotel has a yachty vibe, with its decor themed around sailing. There is a bar and lively bistro, popular with locals, and a small indoor pool and spa. The coastal road attracts touring cyclists, and it’s a good base for visiting the nearby beaches at Plougonvelin.
• Doubles from €95, room-only, pointe-saint-mathieu.com
Hotel Saint-Barbe, Le Conquet
In the far western coastal town of Le Conquet, the Saint-Barbe is a new incarnation of a legendary hotel, offering incredible sea views from a clifftop. Some of the 34 rooms even give the feeling of being on a ship, with the waves just underneath the balcony. The site lay abandoned from 2006, but the new hotel – opened in May this year – has truly brought it back to life, with a rooftop bar, restaurant and spa. It’s a couple of minutes from the harbour, from where the dinky ferries leave for the islands of Ushant and Molène.
• Doubles from €150, room only, hotelsaintebarbe.com
Résidence Cap Marine, Le Guilvinec
Overlooking the beach and rockpools on the edge of the sleepy harbour town of Le Guilvinec, these holiday apartments comprise a basic kitchenette, comfortable lounge area and bedroom, plus a balcony with fantastic views across the garden to the beach. There’s a heated outdoor swimming pool, a children’s play corner and, as it is part of the Pierre et Vacances group of holiday residences, there are activities such as horse riding and watersports on offer. • Seven-night stay from €346 for two adults sharing a one-bedroom apartment, pierreetvacances.com
Hotel Les Charmettes, St Malo
Set across two belle époque villas east of the harbour, this 16-room hotel is a stylish but laid-back spot with a terrace restaurant loved by locals who come for the seafood platters served metres from the sea. The hotel’s back gate opens directly onto the promenade (watch out for joggers!), which runs alongside the huge expanse of Plage de la Hoguette, a hive of activity, including the curious sight of the longe côte (sea walking), where groups of people in wetsuits wade through the waves for exercise. Anyone arriving at or leaving Saint Malo by ferry should make time for a night or two here.
• Doubles from €72 B&B, sawdays.co.uk
