Weekly hotels top five of five - the Côte d'Azur

The Côte d'Azur, with its stunning beaches, glamorous visitors and baking summers, is the most visited French region outside of Paris.

Often known as the French Riviera, it attracts 10.3 million tourists a year, who will begin flocking in for the Cannes film festival next week and continue until the beginning of winter, when the region traditionally winds down for a break.

Although Chanel head designer Karl Lagerfeld has chosen Café Senequier in St Tropez to debut the new Chanel Cruise collection this Friday, the region offers much more than just fashion.

There are, says the official tourism body, 300 days of sunshine per year, 115 kilometers of coastline and beaches, 18 golf courses, 14 ski resorts and some 3,000 restaurants.

Nice

Nice is the fifth largest city in France and the most popular destination outside of Paris, making tourism here a competitive business. Of some 190 hotels in the city, the Nice Garden Hotel was the most popular with TripAdvisor users, with guests praising its... nice garden.

1 Nice Garden Hotel
2 Le Palais de la Mediterranee
3 Hotel Villa Les Cygnes
4 Massenet Hotel
5 Suitehotel Nice Aeroport Arenas

Average price of top five $227/€176

St Tropez

The legendary town of St Tropez, famous for its neighboring beaches, is home to some of the most exclusive accommodation establishments in the world, with some prices to match. The boutique Pastis Hotel beat palatial Pavillon de Pampelonne into top spot.

1 Pastis Hotel St Tropez
2 Pavillon de Pampelonne
3 Chateau De La Messardiere
4 Hotel Lou Cagnard
5 Hotel des Lices

Average price of top five $410/€319

Cannes

Cannes will be rammed for the film festival from next week, but the town is packed with tourists for much of the year. The boutique Hotel Le Canberra was top ranked, described as "slick and trendy" by one visitor.

1 Hotel Le Canberra
2 Hotel America
3 Hotel Cybelle
4 Hotel Renoir
5 Suitehotel Cannes Centre

Average price of top five $193/€150

Hyeres

Picturesque Hyeres is situated on the fringe of the Côte d'Azur, and is often a lot quieter than its famous neighbors, which could account for its rates being cheaper overall. Travelers described the Les Medes hotel in first place as calm and friendly.

1 Les Medes Hotel
2 Hotel les Orangers
3 Hotel Casino des Palmiers
4 Hotel Lido Beach
5 Hotel Le Mediterranee

Average price of top five $117/€91

Monte Carlo

High-rolling Monte Carlo isn't in France but it shares the coastline of the Côte d'Azur, hosts the Monaco Grand Prix in May and is a must-see stop for many tourists. As you'd expect, it has some of the priciest hotels in the world and standards to match - guests described the Fairmont Monte Carlo as a "fabulous hotel in every way."

1 Fairmont Monte Carlo
2 Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo
3 Le Meridien Beach Plaza
4 Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort
5 Hotel de Paris

Average price of top five $827/€643