In the heart of beautiful Siena, it's just like staying with a friend, as hostess Paola chats whilst preparing local produce for breakfast

Two rural retreats up a shared drive for gatherings of friends and family who enjoy the great outdoors and good food from the Meikleour Inn

A beautiful villa with a medieval tower surrounded by formal gardens, gentle slopes of perfectly maintained vineyards and wooded hilltops

Tranquil manor house deep in Bordeaux wine region with six acres of grounds, a tennis court and swimming pool

Come for a sense of complete peace surrounded by country and coast with wonderful interiors to boot – a bolthole for two (plus two)

An ancient coaching inn opposite the church in the prettiest village – just the ticket for weary travellers who deserve nurturing

Traditional house with a contemporary and imaginative interior; stroll to shops and restaurants, jump in the car to explore Provence

Choose between airy bedrooms up an elegant stair, or magnificent rooms at garden-level with private terraces. Find sweetness and warmth

Gaze out to the shimmering bay from your bird and nature-filled retreat in the tree-studded mountains near Alcúdia

A lovely gîte, once a hunting lodge, with two private terraces overlooking the manicured gardens of an 1830s manor house

Family-friendly B&B above the medieval hill village of Bargemon, with soothing minimalist interiors, a large garden and a swimming pool

The nicest owners, the most magical place with wild land to roam. Two barns share a pretty courtyard; Devon's delights are on the doorstep

Gather family or friends and take both villa and cottage. The terraces and gardens have long views, the pool is roomy and the peace palpable

A period manor and pretty rooms in old stables: a quiet base for Pas-de-Calais and Picardie. Madame loves the house, animals, story-telling

If you need a great place in which to relax and don’t want to pay too much for it, try these excellent suites, which spoil you all the way

An organic farm near coast, village and Etna – super for families, done in simple good taste. Laze in the hammock, visit the coast...

A lovely bolthole in remote North Yorkshire – follow stunning hill walks with a soak in the roll top bath, and a glass of bubbly

A pretty retreat in the grounds of a romantic château – you have your own walled garden, with terrace, pool and sunbathing area