Burgundy (Bourgogne) - The wine country of Burgundy is an easy 3 hour drive from Paris and a wonderful place to begin our virtual tour.  Beaune is at the heart of this region and is an excellent base for a visit.  There are several hotels and bed & breakfast-type lodgings in and around Beaune; we chose Hotel Le Cep for its central location, charm, and romantic atmosphere.  We loved the old-world elegance of the common areas and the rooms, and spent a glorious afternoon in the lovely courtyard sipping wine with friends.  You can walk from Le Cep to all the great restaurants, wine shops and Les Hospices de Beaune.  It's also the perfect base for a driving tour of the charming wine villages in the area like Chassagne Montrachet, Pommard, Meursault, Pouilly... every name is familiar as you amble through the gorgeous rolling hills filled with vineyards.  When you stop to taste wine it will most likely be the owner who greets you and takes you down to his cellar to show you his handiwork.  It is more than helpful, probably essential, to have a few words of French at your disposal for these impromptu visits in the countryside, although everyone in Beaune seemed to speak English.

Hotel Le Cep has a valet parking and a secure parking lot for guests (not complimentary but definitely an asset in this parking-starved town), a restaurant (with an excellent reputation but we weren't able to dine there), and a variety of room types, from small/cozy to brand new/deluxe. If sleek and edgy decor is your thing, you won't find it at Le Cep; this is definitely Old World.  Try to get a room with a terrace overlooking the courtyard, as we did. It was very quiet, although it seems that even the rooms facing the street don't have a noise problem at night due to the hotel's location off the main square. Service was attentive and friendly.  One day, after a sampling an excessive amount of wine at Les Hospices and meeting up with some fellow Americans, we returned to Le Cep to sit in their courtyard and chat.  The bartender saw our inebriated state and came out bearing complimentary snacks, offered with some wisdom:  only drink alcohol when you are eating food!  A lesson we have taken to heart ever since.

Hotel Le Cep

www.hotel-cep-beaune.com/