Les Glycines

Subtlety and seclusion are the bywords at Hôtel Les Glycines, a former coaching inn by the side of the Vézère River deep in the Périgord Noir region of the Dordogne countryside. Any decent country hotel immerses its guests in nature, but it would be find a place more spectacularly lush and green than Les Glycines, whose seemingly endless gardens are backed by views of the forest beyond.

While the buildings themselves date to the middle of the 19th century, the interiors are a handsome marriage of the contemporary and the historical. The rooms and suites in the main house are a modern interpretation of classic country-house style, with focused, contemporary color palettes and the full complement of modern luxury-hotel comforts. And the eco-lodges, set apart from the hotel’s main building, are a touch more contemporary, in a rustic-minimalist style.

An impressive spa by Sothys cements Les Glycines’s status as a haven of relaxation. And they take the culinary arts just as seriously, sourcing much of their produce from the on-site vegetable gardens: Pascal Lombard’s fine-dining restaurant, Le 1862, is complemented by the more casual Bistro des Glycines, while the bar is justifiably proud of its selection of Champagne, Scotch, and rum, as well as its afternoon tea service.