Hôtel la Réserve, Saint Jean de Luz, Aquitaine

This cliff-top hotel on the Côte Basque has renovated rooms and a large terrace restaurant for summer days. There's an infinity pool – and golf courses and surfing nearby if you're feeling less lazy.
• +33 5 5951 3200, hotel-lareserve.com, room-only doubles from €95

Hôtel les Templiers, Collioure, Languedoc-Roussillon

Collioure, just north of the French-Catalan border, is a gorgeous little port town with cobbled streets and a small beach that has inspired artists and poets including Matisse, Picasso and Machado. During the Spanish civil war refugees fled north and some of those who stayed at this small hotel paid with paintings, which are still hanging today. The attached restaurant is big on seafood.
• +33 4 6898 3110, hotel-templiers.com, room-only doubles from €50

Résidence et Spa, Houlgate, Normandy

This spot, halfway between Honfleur and Caen, certainly has a vintage look largely thanks to its red timber beams, but in fact was only built last year. There are apartments as well as one- or two-bedroom houses. A bakery is on site or you can have breakfast delivered. There's also a spa and pool and plenty of activities nearby including kite surfing.
• 0870 026 7144, pierreetvacances.co.uk, room-only doubles from €70

Hôtel Ty Mad, Douarnenez, Brittany

In the far west of Brittany this small hotel is over a century old, and clad with ivy that creeps up walls past shuttered windows. Inside it's bang up to date and has a pool, sauna and steam room. It overlooks a lovely sandy beach and if you want to work off breakfast there's a coastal path a stone's throw away.
• +33 2 9874 0053, hoteltymad.com, B&B doubles from €86 a night

Villa Jacaranda, Cannes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

This B&B in Auribeau-sur-Siagne, just a couple of kilometres outside Cannes, has just two rooms, and when you get change from £100 a night on this part of the Côte d'Azur, who's complaining? It has a gorgeous pool with great views.
• +33 4 9260 0137, villa-jacaranda-cote-azur.com, B&B doubles from €90

Villa Sainte Claire, Wimille, Nord-Pas-de-Calais

This lovely B&B near Wimereux is in a great spot for a weekend getaway. The owner will lend you bicycles to explore the area, and Boulogne, with its shops and restaurants, is only 6km away. The coast here is quite rugged, fantastic for long, gusty strolls.
• +33 3 2191 9958, villa-sainte-claire.fr, B&B doubles from €75

Hôtel Napoléon, Ile d'Aix, Poitou-Charentes

Napoleon spent his last days in France on this small island in the mouth of the Charente, near La Rochelle. Cars are banned so transport is by foot, bicycle or horse-drawn carriage. The hotel has 18 contemporary rooms and its restaurant serves superb local oysters.
• +33 5 4684 0077, hotel-ile-aix.com, room-only doubles from €85

Villa Arguibel, Guéthary, near Biarritz, Aquitaine

A classic Basque farmhouse on the outside, this is a chic five-bedroom B&B on the inside, with baggy sofas in which to slump after a hard day doing nothing. It's a 1km stroll to the beach where you can just flop or get a surfing lesson. There are two Michelin-starred restaurants within walking distance.
• +33 5 5941 9046, arguibel.fr, B&B doubles from €130

Camping le Vieux Port, Messanges, Aquitaine

Win over canvas-phobics with these safari-style tents. In May a family of six could stay here for a week for under £4pp a night. The tents stand on decking and have a comfortable living area. The campsite, which is 400m from the wide, sandy beach through forested dunes, has eight pools and several restaurants and bars.
• 01233 629950, venueholidays.co.uk, a week for up to two adults and four children, including midweek Dover-Calais ferry crossing for car and passengers, starts from £158 in May

Chez Charles, Lumio, Corsica

This hotel is on a hillside surrounded by vineyards and gardens and has great views over the Gulf of Calvi. There's a pool or it's about 2km to the sea. Its restaurant is overseen by Michel-starred chef Olivier Lozac'h.
• directcorsica.com, doubles from €120 room-only