Elegance and ease mark this gentle group of Loire-Valley buildings, with soft-textured interiors and the owners’ fine hospitality and food

A small yet elegant place for couples or small groups to enjoy the open countryside, rest, join a cooking course or book a massage

Hospitable Jorge and Clotilde love nothing more than sharing their colourful, chaotic old house with guests. The farm produce is fabulous

This fine old inn stands in blissful peace, a field or two back from the coastal path, with cosy rooms, delicious food and a rustic style

5 minutes from the Vatican in a tall palazzo above the British school. Owners share local tips, serve bakery-fresh breakfasts on the terrace

A stylish, thoughtful and impressive place for a family holiday, in a dreamy Charentais landscape with the odd sheep to keep you company

Two lovely cottages with a fresh, modern style, private terrace, tranquil communal gardens with an orchard and pool

One of Scotland’s coolest hotels waits at the end of a four-mile track - you find loch, mountain and sky, and Tom’s fabulous food

A warm family and starlit suppers in a grand estate by Soller, near wildflower walks and beaches. Citrus mingles with exotic fragrances

A beautiful old mill straddling the river Wensum, now a peaceful inn with tasty local and seasonal food, a lovely garden and comfy rooms

Cosy country cottage for four on an organic farm in the Welsh borders. Wake to the sounds of birds and sheep, walk off supper on rural romps

A peaceful, very stylish bolthole for 2 on the doorstep of glorious Holyrood Park, with Edinburgh’s sights a stroll away

Painting courses on request, gardens full of roses, a parasol’d terrace, a seductive pool… we love this welcoming, traditional hotel

A grand old Georgian building with a big old welcoming atmosphere, roaring fires, delicious food, ales and wine, warm and calming bedrooms

Pippa tells you where to find wild flowers, babbling brooks and butterflies... and hike, bike and swim. Magic for families

Towering 5 storeys above lively Palermo, a gracious B&B with sunlit rooms, lovely Sicilian hosts and breakfast in fine china on the terrace

A hugely seductive and stylish special place - with magnificent views, pool and bikes, vineyards and hilltop villages to visit