just enough space for a twin bed, while one suite fits a family of five. The decor is equally varied. One room has a Louis Philippe-style dresser and a crystal chandelier; another shows off a modern pink-checkered sofa. The hotel's best asset is its proximity -LRB- a five-minute walk -RRB- to Château de Chenonceau, which Henri II gave to his beloved mistress, Diane de Poitiers; the massive 16th-century building hovers over the River Cher. 7 rue du Docteur Bretonneau, 011-33/2 -47 -23 -90 -09, hotel-chenonceau. com, closed Nov. -- Jan. and Mar., rooms from $85. AMBOISE Le Clos d'Amboise Surrounded by 10-foot-high limestone walls, in the heart of the old market center of Amboise, this 17-room mansion inn offers an unexpected sanctuary from the town's bustling, narrow streets. The bedrooms come equipped with decorative elements such as mahogany four-poster beds and original fireplaces, while the common room features wood floors modeled after those at the Palace of Versailles. Most of the rooms overlook the hotel's private park, landscaped with 100-year-old magnolias and a pine tree that survived the French Revolution. A pool by the rose garden is perfect for a cool dip after relaxing in the wood sauna, housed in a former stable. Just a 10-minute stroll from the hotel stands the riverside castle that belonged to King François I -- part medieval fortress, part Renaissance royal