A rustic haven in Vouvray wine country: bask on sun beds near the elegant pool, cosy up to the wood-burner, relax in your beautiful bedroom

Italian style marries Californian comfort, with views over hilltop towns, vineyards and the majestic Sibillini mountains beyond

A smartly refurbished village pub with its own micro-brewery and a huge emphasis on cooking great food from a network of local suppliers

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

This stately-looking former manor house set back from the road in acres of gardens serves very good food and has rustic-chic bedrooms

Within the city walls and right next to the Minster, this super-smart hotel gives you gorgeous bedrooms and delicious food

A newly-renovated barn in a picturesque Cotswold village with an enclosed front garden and the river Eye at the bottom of the drive

A great find if you want to be close to all the action but nicely tucked away. Friendly pub downstairs, cool bedrooms up, Soho 20 minutes

A superb palazzo in beautiful old Florence with 13 design rooms, a cocktail menu and breakfast in your room. Arty, stylish and near the Duomo

Walkers, bikers, families and nature fans will love staying with ever-helpful Joan and Montse in this secluded but not too remote valley

A light, spacious villa in the colonial style designed for easy indoor/outdoor living, with garden, pool and the beach just a short stroll

Perfect luxury in deepest Normandy: gorgeous gardens, a heavenly pool, and interiors worthy of an art gallery

A serene restaurant-hotel on Chesil beach, with a perfect view of the big blue sea. How restorative can a hotel be?

Near Southwold beach, bird reserves and Suffolk castles, a peaceful getaway with delicious breakfasts for nature lovers and bird watchers

Countryside and seaside all in one go – what could be more inspiring? Lovely Louisa lives down the road, on hand if you need her

One of England's oldest coaching inns, full of history and wonky floors, on a Surrey market town's high street

Come for Tudor beams, a sunny roof terrace and the bustle of Lewes in this beautifully restored coaching inn

A treat in any season, a place to stir your soul, yield to nature and learn how to play again - with a pretty fine roost to come home to