A hop from St Mark’s Square, this long-standing hotel - a delightful family affair - could not be better placed for exploring Venice

Chill under poolside palm trees or lose yourself in novels on super comfy armchairs. Funchal with its colourful markets is within easy reach

Sustainably built Suffolk retreat with plenty of space for friends and family to properly unwind (a steam room seals the deal)

Traditional bedrooms lie under the beams of this fascinating country mansion - a grand, hospitable B&B near St Malo and sand beaches

A bright and prettily beamed barn with very comfortable interiors, private outdoor seating and a shared courtyard for barbecues and games

A much-loved Tuscan villa restored to elegance: dinner on the terrace, frescoes, rose garden, a small spa…and Florence a 20-minute drive

A warm, gracious townhouse in a small town, run by delightful new hosts. Explore chateaux, canoe on the Loire... cycle to Angers!

In a chocolate-box village just an hour on the train, and a short hop in a taxi, from London is this foodie inn with pretty bedrooms

A rustic and elegant farmhouse retreat in Provence with a pool, vineyards and wildlife-filled pond – a launchpad for the Luberon

A converted coach house and stables, now one long cottage with much space, a country house feel and your own walled garden

A very peaceful, family-run hotel on the shores of Lake Garda with rose and jasmine-scented gardens for summer dinners by candlelight

Come to this cosy barn down a winding lane for a back-to-nature escape: hike the Black Mountains, splash in the stream, gaze at the views

Romantics will love this small converted hut-on-a-hillside surrounded by pines and olives with stunning views over the old town and the sea

A charming old cottage, steeped in history and in a stunning setting, close to the Coast Path and overlooking the bustling harbour at Fowey

A 19th-century bothy in remote, rugged countryside on the edge of the Cairngorms, for walkers, birders and seekers of peace

Rustic, quirky and layered with history, this is an exquisite slice of traditional Sicilian life, with welcoming and generous hosts

A red-brick cottage and Shepherd’s hut in a magical garden with a cookery school and views over the South Downs

Modest and authentic, a top-floor apartment in an eco-friendly Provençal farmhouse, with dogs and hens. River swims are a stroll away...