The Hôtel du Sénéchal in Ars-en-Ré, on Ré Island on the Atlantic coast, must be one of the world’s most expensive 2-star hotels.
This is not completely due to the island’s inflated real estate prices, which have made potato farmers paper millionaires, but more to the architect-owners’ less-is-more philosophy. The rooms have no TV, but should one wish to have one, they’re available for the princely sum of 1 Euro per day. The Sénéchal is a cozy sheep in a lean wolf's clothing.
There is no advertising for pay-as-you-go internet access cluttering the rooms, but rather free WiFi, as well as a big white eMac in one of the hotel’s drawing rooms. Indeed, when they renovated the hotel, the owners appear to have placed an emphasis on having many sublimely peaceful common areas. The bedrooms are not much bigger than the admittedly spacious bathrooms, discouraging recluses from staying confined.
Bedrooms are for sleeping.
