"Despite its wintry name the Hôtel Ville d’Hiver is anything but chilly. Arcachon is located on France’s southwestern coast, and if it’s not quite Biarritz, it’s not a world away either — take a wander down to the beach if you’re skeptical. And there’s something incredibly inviting about the Ville d’Hiver itself, an old pump house that’s been lovingly restored to a state that belies its humble origins, and now, with its striped columns, archways and red tile roof, resembles some kind of whimsical mash-up between an Italian villa and the famous mosque at Córdoba." - Tablet Hotels