This grand house on the river Derwent oozes old-fashioned comfort – find traditional bedrooms, delicious food and an open fire

Up in the hills, an amazing family holiday with Lorna and Lee. Weekly paella nights, great pool, lovely walking. Beauty therapies, too...

Choose the atmospheric early Georgian house or the garden bedrooms, all have views, Paul's welcome is genuine and his dinners delicious

A harmonious B&B in Chinon wine country. Home-cooked food, comfortable beds, easy conservations with your host and starry skies at night

Your own cottage sitting room downstairs and a swish bedroom up – breakfast in the courtyard before venturing forth to discover Canterbury

Another humdinger of a hotel from a very talented team. Hand-picked art, effortlessly cool rooms, tasty local food, a sun terrace and events

This famous old country house might not come cheap, but where else can you splash out in such decadent style for life’s big celebrations?

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

A mid 1800s converted farmhouse and a cottage in a quiet hamlet with private gardens and lovely grounds, just 15 minutes from the coast

Cuisine reigns supreme at this historic B&B. Play world-class golf, trek the Giant’s Causeway, plunder National Trust treasures

Explore Le Marche, Italy's hidden gem, from this tranquil agriturismo tucked among olive groves and fields above the Adriatic coast

A glorious château near Tours – authentic, huge fun, steeped in family history and surrounded by gorgeous gardens with a serene pool

A big, rambling inn – welcoming and unpretentious with deep sofas, eclectic artwork, tasty food and exceedingly comfortable bedrooms

Three family friendly cottages on this gorgeous eco farm with private gardens and organised outdoor activities if you like joining in

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

An immaculate restoration, a peaceful green setting, a lovely serene bedroom and historic Holt a stroll away... all set for a romantic stay!

Fabulous Drôme gîtes: contemporary in old stone buildings, uncluttered, fresh. Take all 5 for a party, laze by pool, doze in lavender

An elegant solution to a hotel - no rooms, but 13 charming villas in the heart of the maquis, nearly all with a private pool