The upper-middle-range BEST WESTERN Hotel Champlain France Angleterre is a 36-room hotel with historic charm and a boutique vibe, just a 10-minute walk from La Rochelle's historic harbor. The hotel has lots of common areas, including several salon-style sitting rooms and an outdoor garden with a patio and lounge spaces. There's a small bar and a continental breakfast is served daily (for an extra fee), but there's no full-service restaurant or wellness facilities on-site. Rooms vary, but tend to be spacious and comfortable, though decor can feel dated. Amenities are modern, like flat-screen TVs, electric kettles, and minibars. As an alternative, the nearby Residence de France offers extra property features like an outdoor pool, but it lacks the Old World charm of Hotel Champlain.

The 76-room, upper-middle range BEST WESTERN Masqhotel feels in some ways more like a boutique than a chain hotel, especially in the lobby and bar and lounge, where snaking lights and bright red molded chairs create a modern air. Rooms are spacious but more standard affairs, though furnishings are quality and the original abstract paintings add flair. They feature classic amenities like flat-screen TVs and electric kettles, but lack some standards, like mini-fridges. The hotel offers a daily breakfast buffet -- with Champagne -- for an extra fee. There's no wellness facilities or full-service restaurant, but room service is available 24-hours. Travelers looking for Old World ambiance and a few more common spaces, like salon-style sitting areas, might consider the BEST WESTERN Hotel Champlain France Angleterre, situated north of the harbor.