NUMBER OF ROOMS: 23 rooms
CLOSED ANNUALLY: Open all year round

THE STORY: After a few high-profile brasseries (Brasserie Barbès, Chez Jeannette, Le Floréal) and a very classy Hôtel Providence, the Auvergnat of Paris, Pierre Moussié, has opened a small hotel in his hometown of Aurillac with help from his two brothers and his father. In addition to an English-style cocktail bar, a brasserie with a fireplace and a big patio, the Hôtel des Carmes has original bedrooms (graphic tiling, exposed wooden beams, antique furniture from the surrounding area), including a few interconnecting rooms for families, at very fair prices: double rooms starting at €49 a night.

TOILETRIES: Durance shower gel, shampoo and mandarin orange-ginger scented soap.
INTERNET: Wifi (free).
BREAKFAST: €11 for the buffet with hot drinks, bread, viennoiseries, homemade financiers and puddings, cereal, muesli, dried fruits, sliced pineapple, freshly made fruit juices, fruits, charcuterie, cheese. Brunch on Sundays (€20). MINI-BAR: No, but there’s a bottle of mineral water provided in the rooms.
LITTLE LUXURY: Room service is available 24/7!