At the 11-room Auberge de Chavannes, a welcome addition to eastern France's hilly Jura region, chef-owner Nicolas Pourcheresse has updated the wayside auberge for a new century. The largest nearby town to minuscule Courlans, Lons-le-Saunier (where La Vache Qui Rit cheese is made), may not be Ian Schrager territory, but the auberge's rooms are stylish and comfortable, with dark-stained floors, Moroccan lamps and pillows, flat-screen TVs, and spacious showers with inlaid pebble floors. Reserve a table in the restaurant when you book your room, and order the déclinaison de canardduck prepared four different ways.
When to go: Summer if you want to hike or raft, fall for the vivid foliage.
Which room to book: Second-floor doubles such as Asie and Grande Tzigane are quieter than those near the main road (doubles, $143–$168).