Whether you're looking for your next slow travel escape by train, or trying to be a more sustainable traveller by visiting less-crowded places, there are some incredible cities to explore across the Continent - and we've rounded up the best Lille hotels to show you why the underrated French city is worth adding to your list.

Like Bordeaux and Provence, this fantastic Eurostar destination is one you can visit by train, taking the stress of airports and flying away. The capital of the Hauts-de-France region of northern France could just be your perfect city-break destination this year.

Less than an hour and a half from London St Pancras by direct Eurostar, it’s also roughly the same time by road from Calais if you bring your car across the Channel, making it an excellent no-fly break.

You’ll be rewarded by a vibrant university city that you can explore entirely on foot thanks to its compact historic centre packed with charming 17th-century Flemish brick townhouses and major sights such as the UNESCO-listed town-hall belfry, Gothic Palais Rihour, old stock market, Musée de l’Hospice Comtesse of Flemish life, and 19th-century Cathédrale de la Treille.

Lille is also a fantastic foodie city break destination, bursting with Michelin-starred dining opportunities (one of them in the delightful boutique Clarence Hôtel), cute bistros, iconic pâtisseries (don’t miss Meert with its revered waffles filled with sugar, butter and Madagascan vanilla) and bars specialising in regional crafts beers. One great way to explore the city is with tours in vintage Citroën 2CVs, which include tastings of local beer and champagne.

The best hotels in Lille – a blend of the charmingly historic and the glossily modern, of the romantic and the practical and sometimes family-friendly – mainly divide themselves between the centre, around the Grand Place, and the nearby Euralille business and shopping district with its train stations, Lille Europe (for Eurostar) and Lille Flanders.

Whether you're after a five-star stay, a Lille hotel with a pool or a wonderful old town hotel, here's our pick of the top Lille hotels to book this year.

Home to one of Lille’s Michelin-starred restaurants, the superb Alexandre Miquel, this 18th-century mansion built for the Countess of Hespel is part of the Relais & Châteaux group, so you know you’re in for something special. Clarance Hotel Lille's 19 rooms and suites are individually decorated in a classic-meets-contemporary style.

They include the, loft-like Clarance Suite, reached via its own private staircase and featuring a bathroom with balneotherapy and an Italian shower, plus glorious views over the rooftops of surrounding Old Lille. In warmer weather, you can sit (and dine) in the beautifully secluded garden with its organically grown fruit, vegetables and herbs.

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This one-time religious hospice built in 1462 is now a characterful hotel with rooms and suites – which are dotted throughout the tranquil courtyards and inner gardens - bearing original features such as period fireplaces, antique tiles and old beams. Some were once home to the Sisters of Saint Augustin who cared for the sick here.

All come with fluffy bathrobes and slippers, and some have complimentary access to the sleek spa with its indoor pool. At L'Hermitage Gantois, there’s also an upscale vaulted-ceilinged restaurant with seasonal modern cuisine, plus the laidback Estaminet recreating the atmosphere of a typical Flanders brasserie, serving typically northern French dishes and some of the region’s famous beers.

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The mountain-style lodge designed in a Savoyard aesthetic, with wood panelling, a fireplace and fresh contemporary decor, is part of a country escape just 10 minutes from the centre of Lille. Lodge Le Refuge is a great place to hole up as a couple, with a private lakeside terrace, outdoor Jacuzzi and and even a sauna.

You also have your own kitchenette with a coffee machine, although breakfast and dinner platters of seasonal fish, meats and cheeses can be delivered to the lodge. With hens and goat frolicking in the pasture, it’s hard to believe the city sights are within such easy reach. There are also complimentary e-bikes to take out exploring the local countryside.

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France’s Barrière group is famous for its high-end hotels, many by the seaside in stylish resorts. Lille’s offering – a 10-minute walk from the centre in the business district, by the TGV train stations – differs from many of Barrière’s more traditional hotels by occupying an imposing contemporary glass building with modern interiors using lots of plush leather and suede.

As well as its own theatre (hosting stand-up comedy, concerts and dance) and casino, the Barrière has a spa including light therapy and candle treatments, plus dining in the posh Les Hauts de Lille and the more laidback La Terrasse du Parc with its nest-like alcoves, heated terrace and popular Sunday brunches.

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The only hotel in the city with a view over the iconic Grand Place, Grand Hotel Bellevue takes up several Flemish buildings, one of which hosted the young prodigy Mozart in 1765. Rooms and suites are prettily decorated with floral wallpapers, antique-style or modern lamps, and gilded mirrors; all come with espresso machine.

Top of the pile, the Grand'Place Signature Room has views of the city’s famous Goddess statue by Théophile Bra. A copious breakfast is served in the vast dining room; for other meals, the genial staff are happy to make recommendations and reservations for the many fantastic restaurants within walking distance.

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This 'guest and art house' in front of the Citadelle a 10-minute walk from the Grand’Place showcase works by emerging and established artists, including projections and even performances. The rooms at L’Esplanade Lille are havens of simple, pared-back good taste, mixing contemporary furnishings and sleek modern bathtubs with original features such as wooden floors, tiled fireplaces and ornate windows.

Food can be ordered in, to savour either in your room or in the light-flooded lounge with its gorgeous mouldings and esplanade views.

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A few steps from the Grand Place, surrounded by tempting restaurants, bars and boutiques, the modern OKKO Hotels Lille Centre has a pretty palette of baby and salmon pinks, mint greens and silvery greys in rooms that combine practicality with a cocooning feel.

The Club, meanwhile, is a sociable 24/7 space for hanging out or working, with a business corner, day-long snacks and drinks and evening aperitifs, newspapers and an airy terrace, and there’s a well-equipped gym with a sauna.

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This is another well-located choice with gentle contemporary decor featuring lots of tactile fabrics in inviting hues and lush plant life. The best room at Hotel L'Arbre Voyageur is the Prestige Suite sleeping up to four, with its own lounge, two bow windows with fabulous city views and even a spa area with a whirlpool bath.

Family rooms are also available. As well as local cuisine in two cosseting restaurants, Jane and Ma Reine, the hotel has its own patisserie serving both classic and creative delights from its pastry chef Louis Stempin.

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These five apartments and suites within one building five minutes from the Grand Place come in different incarnations, some suited to couples and some to families. The Au 30 apartments have kitchens and two or three bedrooms but can be booked with access to fewer bedrooms at a lower rate; the smaller one has a indoor Jacuzzi, a sauna and terrace, the large one comes with a courtyard hot tub, a games room including billiards. and a small private gym.

Suites come without kitchens; they have either a sauna or an indoor Jacuzzi. A continental breakfast can be delivered to your doorstep.

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Adagio’s properties are popular for stylish stays combining the flexibility and space of an apartment with the facilities of a hotel. This addition to the city’s accommodation scene includes a breakfast room (B&B rates are available), a gym, a communal area with a pool table and other games, a children's area, books to borrow, hot drinks on tap, and a mini-grocery for stocking up on wine, snacks and breakfast items.

Not far from the Grand Place, its pretty parquet-floored rooms range from studios for two, with a separate kitchen and dining space, to one-bedroom apartments for four.

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