Close to collapsing from our marathon eight-hour drive yesterday, we found our hotel in Annecy quite easily, thank god. Frankly, it was mostly Teko’s handy driving that we were able to do what we did, battling cliff-hugging roads and Lewis Hamilton wanna-be’s, misguided GPS devices and eerily quiet co-passengers, notwithstanding. Thank you, schatje!

We checked into Hôtel du Château and were welcomed by a well-humored, seasoned hostess who gave us all we could possibly need for our one-night stay, with info to spare. There was pretty much no question needed after the fast and efficient check-in process.

Our château theme for the trip is still cheekily intact though our ‘château-hotel’ in Annecy is a château in nothing but name. It’s gorgeously located on the same hill where the town’s actual Château is located – literally across the street – and so has amazing views to offer from its veranda. As we found out last night, it’s also a quick walk into town where we snapped photos like crazy.

There is still one hotel left in this French adventure but it’s a good bet that while the Hôtel du Château is easily the cheapest hotel we’ve booked, it may also, arguably, offer the best value over all of them. While the room is tiny, it’s functional, tasteful, and well-kept, and for the 12 hours we’re here, the hourly rate is more than worth it – at least if the photos are any indication.