A stunning château with huge rooms, pretty balconies with views, peaceful garden. Super owners, excellent dinners - and child-friendly too

Rustic, quirky and layered with history, this is an exquisite slice of traditional Sicilian life, with welcoming and generous hosts

An attractive, seaside hotel with an airy, contemporary feel - chic interiors, an excellent restaurant and big sea views await

An historic, moated manor house dating from the 16th-century, fully restored and with all mod cons, including an indoor heated pool

Leave the car, everything is walkable & buses are practically free. Visit restaurants, vineyards & markets from your lofty village bolthole

Shed your urban cares here with a gorgeous living space, woods and meadows to wander and stunning views of The Black Mountains

Remote wartime research station turned stylish retreat with knockout views, wild walks and a front-row seat to the weather

An adorable little 1800s cottage with a garden – simple, unpretentious and filled with the owner's colourful art on walls and lampshades

Vibrant, artistic barn conversion in the heart of York, a five-minute walk from the Minster. Convivial place with helpful, friendly hosts

A renovated, comfy Victorian cottage behind a small village pub, a hub for the local community and with good food, ales and wine

On a quiet road leading to the sea, this sleepy village pub has been sensitively restored. Enjoy good food, sleep in comfy bedrooms

Be warmly welcomed by your knowledgeable hosts at this eco-conscious lodge for four in the Dordogne. Immerse yourself in all things wine

Elegant house with sprawling gardens and space for family and friends, within walking distance of the coast

An extraordinary, inspiring place: eat 100% vegan food, drink organic wine, sleep in natural materials, swim in the salt-water pool

You’ll feel nicely independent in this spacious open-plan hideaway surrounded by colourful gardens and Corscombe valley views

Come to stay in a lovely old house surrounded by an important garden created by three generations of brilliant women gardeners

Gaze on Umbrian hills as the children play, watch the fireflies dance at night. Dine fabulously in Gubbio - or here. Sociable-family bliss

Rustic, relaxing, comfortable and fun with pool and play area, river beaches, great hosts, peaceful countryside, an hour from Porto