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| From the outside, the 17-room Hôtel de Toiras (00 33 5 46 35 40 32; www.hotel-de-toiras.com) in St Martin on the Ile de Ré, is more mansion than castle, but its rooms and suites are exquisitely opulent and quintessentially French, with fabric-lined walls, antiques, oil paintings and claw-footed roll-top baths. Each room is named after a historical figure associated with the island, among them Madame de Sévigné, the naval officer-turned-writer and collector Pierre Loti, the military architect Vauban, the naturalist Nicholas Baudin. Three have working fireplaces. There's no restaurant, but in-house chef Thomas Urbanek has worked in Michelin-starred kitchens and will cook you whatever you like; you can even go to the market with him to see what looks good. Winter rates range from 120 euros to 480 euros; and Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) flies from Stansted to La Rochelle from a penny each way plus taxes.
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