"Ou Est l'Hotel?"

Not long ago, the medieval village of Saint-Arcons-d'Allier was on its deathbed—it was partly abandoned, mostly overgrown with blackberry bushes, and as dormant as the volcanoes found in this Auvergne region of central France. Today, it's a different story. The village has come back to life, thanks to a sympathetic outsider who decided to build a hotel there. The property is neither a typical bed-and-breakfast nor a trendy health farm. Instead, it consists of 14 houses, which comprise the hotel's rooms and suites. The 9th century château is where you'll find the reception desk. And the beautiful cobbled streets are the...