High in Ávila's unspoilt nature is this stylish, eco-brilliant family hotel: mountains, massages, pool, organic dinners... a special escape

Elegant historic house set in acres of grounds transports you to a bygone belle époque (with all mod cons)

Find gilded mirrors, rich brocades, Fragonard toiletries and an unexpected roof terrace at this 6-bedroom guest house near St Mark’s Square

Grand and old and filled with history, the estate and such a pretty house are a tonic, as are the well-tended grounds and parkland

Starry skies, wild beauty and total peace are yours in these sustainable, solar-powered eco-lodges

Great for comfort, beauty, character and home baking. Borrow vintage bikes to explore Cambridge: Christine knows it inside out

A fine old house packed with grand old things above Portree Bay in the middle of Skye - homely bedrooms, some huge, are a treat

A cool little inn lost in beautiful hills, child- and dog-friendly, with happy staff and award-winning food

A bit like staying with friends in a smart country house, but not having to help - an elegant refuge near Bradford-on-Avon

A peaceful cottage for 2-4 between the Dales and the Moors, with swallows in the barn, an idyllic village, and a garden to explore

Fabulous bakes and hot waffles at breakfast, green fields all around and Normandy steeped in history. Great for foodies and historians

Take breakfast on the terrace, splash in the fabulous pool. A secluded, friendly, immaculate villa close to golf and surfing beaches

A pub with rooms in the epicentre of London on trendy Westbourne Grove, a ten-minute stroll from Notting Hill

A stone building designed by Sir John Soane in the stable yard of this historic and beautiful estate with deer park and woodland gardens

A rare treat to stay in this lovely stone farmhouse in the Durham Dales with acres of private farmland and magical interiors by Rita Konig

A characterful Northumberland cottage-that-once-was-a-barn, with peaceful pond views and some serious stargazing

Sit back and relax at this luxuriously elegant grand manor in the heart of the Dordogne with a concierge service to take care of everything

Peace, space, nature in the Champagne-hugged Somme valley - and home-grown, organic meals with generous French hosts. Family-perfect