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?

History, elegance and art combine in this special spot near the Louvre. Wonderful staff too. Relax - take breakfast in bed

Come for an exceptionally inviting 17th-century inn, a chocolate-box Cotswold village, excellent local food and ales, very comfortable rooms

A spacious, luxurious family retreat, remote but close to Audierne. Watch surfers shoot the waves as seagulls wheel above

A small hotel with gorgeous interiors, friendly staff, spacious rooms, a proper library, pretty garden and a relaxed, homely feel

An exquisite Provençal home for a large party, hidden behind grand gates in a small village surrounded by the pine-scented Alpilles

An attractive, seaside hotel with an airy, contemporary feel - chic interiors, an excellent restaurant and big sea views await

A wonderful place to stay whether you enjoy golf or not, with big skies, sea views, sumptuous bedrooms, delicious food and attentive staff

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

An elegantly renovated coaching inn with inspired design, beautifully simple pub food, tempting ales and gloriously comfortable bedrooms

Gaze over sublime vistas, refresh in the plunge pool, cook up a barbecue treat. A Provençal studio, simply furnished and deeply relaxing

Come for a huge dollop of peace and quiet in gorgeous countryside. Take long walks, enjoy the views, return to much comfort and space

Come for the rural charm of this cottage. Green as far as the eye can see, near a village surrounded by rivers. Wellies essential

A hammock by the pool, dinner under the stars, Andalucian nature (wild boar, birds, olives) all around. Chatty English hosts charm all

A smartly refurbished 500-year-old coaching inn with very comfortable bedrooms, good food and the Peak District at your feet

A cosy cottage on a farm down a long winding track, wonderfully rural with footpaths across fields or along the canal

A pretty little cottage in a holiday hamlet surrounded by fields, just a stone's throw from the coast and Binic for happy escapes

Traditional B&B in a beautiful château bursting with history and surrounded by formal gardens, then farmland and two fine rivers