Hôtel de la Poste Saint-Louis

Built in 1850 and immortalised by the Aéropostale pilots — Saint-Exupéry among them — who slept here in the 1920s, Hôtel de la Poste sits at the heart of UNESCO-listed Saint-Louis island. Its 40 rooms are simple but full of character, and the bar, lined with aviation memorabilia from the airmail era, is reason enough to visit even if you're staying elsewhere. As a three-star it's about history and atmosphere rather than modern polish: creaking colonial charm, a good restaurant, WiFi and air conditioning, and a position that puts the whole old town on your doorstep. From here you can walk the island's grid of peeling pastel facades, cross the Pont Faidherbe and reach the Langue de Barbarie fishing quarter on foot. For anyone drawn to Saint-Louis for its layered past, there's nowhere more fitting to stay.