Secluded place with home-grown food, much peace and walks by the river for a couple (or small family). Courses and solo retreats too

A lovely big house with huge riverside gardens and an easy-going charm – a 15-minute walk from bookish Hay-on-Wye

You'll feel ensconced in the countryside in this cosy cottage with a private garden overlooking the little vineyard and a secluded pool

Creative owners have made a gorgeous, arty space for couples or a small group of friends; good beaches and Salcombe are close

A quirky hotel with enthusiastic owners in an authentic Andalucian town, just ten minutes up winding roads from Marbella

A lovely house set in 20 hectares with a park, two ponds, paths winding through and a pretty river. Delicious locally-sourced meals too

Painting courses on request, gardens full of roses, a parasol’d terrace, a seductive pool… we love this welcoming, traditional hotel

You get the best of all worlds here. Delicious beds, Provençal soaps, vineyard views, fresh croissants a stroll away…

Airy interiors, good local food and a blissful rural setting for this refurbished inn, popular with locals and with a happy, bustling vibe

An ancient inn, spruce and restorative, in a picture-perfect village with open fires, tasty food and stylish, comfortable bedrooms

Stylishly refurbished gastro inn on historic market square with gorgeous bedrooms, local ciders and some rather tasty food

An exquisite Provençal home for a large party, hidden behind grand gates in a small village surrounded by the pine-scented Alpilles

Escape to this boutique B&B in West Sussex. Long beaches, Goodwood races, Chichester theatres, woodland walks all nearby

Chocolate-box cottages in deepest Normandy, owned by bright young things with a passion for organic cuisine and the good life

A gorgeous house, beautifully refurbished in contemporary style, with chic interiors and a swimming pool in a sublime English garden

A magnificent medieval tower in the grounds of an 18th-century château sitting in a dreamy valley. Come for superb gardens and architecture

A bright comfortable retreat in an enviable spot - riverside walks, Botanic Gardens and all the hip eateries of Stockbridge on your doorstep

You have the whole North Wing of this beautiful old farmhouse with a private east-facing courtyard for early morning tea as the sun rises