NUMBER OF ROOMS: 5 rooms
CLOSED ANNUALLY: Open all year round

THE STORY: Esther and Alexandre, a Dutch couple from Rotterdam, had been dreaming about moving to France for years. In 2015, they were finally ready for the big adventure (he was a firefighter, she worked in international strategy), so they bought a big house with blue shutters in western Dordogne, deep in the Périgord region. Surrounded by orchards, their renovated house now boasts five graceful and luminous bedrooms: country bouquets, bucolic wallpaper, a wicker armchair and an original fireplace in the Botanique room; a Moroccan daybed, bright blue walls, a sisal rug and an ottoman in the Orientale room, etc. Double rooms starting at €65 a night.

TOILETRIES: Bring your own.
INTERNET: Wifi (free).
BREAKFAST: Included, with coffee or tea, multiple types of bread, jams, croissants, cereals, fromage blanc, French and Dutch cheeses, charcuterie, homemade fruit juice, and boiled or fried eggs.
LITTLE LUXURY: The house also runs a table d’hôte restaurant (€22.50 per person, wine included) and swears by fresh, local and organic ingredients when available.