Converted barn with the most welcoming owners – the garden and pool are all yours; explore a less touristy part of the Dordogne

With incredible views across to distant hilltop towns, olive groves and buzzing bees, this elegant farmhouse has bags of charm

This warm and friendly little hotel is on a mission - to give you really good food, excellent wine and a very comfortable night's sleep

A real treat to stay in this elegant 18th-century house with pampering bedrooms, gorgeous home-cooked food and stunning gardens with pool

Come for a spot of indulgence, with seriously good food and wine, oodles to do in the courtyard, great bedrooms and a cool spa for a splurge

Simple and rustic, this early 1700s farmhouse has warmth and charm, surrounded by countryside in the Perche

Come for peace and quiet down a long lane, pretty buildings and big, beautifully-kept gardens with a secluded outdoor pool

Classic crofter’s cottage with a minimalist chic makeover - soft colours, designer lighting - surrounded by peace; a romantic hideaway

An L-shaped former farmhouse is now a gorgeous place to stay, just half an hour from the sea or the mountains and near interesting villages

A classic French beauty of a place; home to an engaging young family who love to entertain and look after you with great care

In peaceful walled gardens, this former convent is a quiet retreat just a stone’s throw from the Riviera coast and the best of Tuscany

An eye-catching ancient inn with a colourful flower garden in summer, delicious local food and very presentable bedrooms

An enchanting hideaway with sensational views in a flowery English semi-wild country garden, near Sissinghurst and Great Dixter

If you need a great place in which to relax and don’t want to pay too much for it, try these excellent suites, which spoil you all the way

What a surprise to find a masseria in the heart of a Puglian village. Welcome to Anna’s elegant agriturismo

Farmhouse B&B with thoughtful hosts and superb breakfasts; Michelin-star dining is in the village and thermal baths are near

Glorious, thoughtful food, ales and wines using 'as much good stuff they can lay their hands on' at this restaurant with lovely rooms

An old sporting lodge in Argyll renovated with sensitivity – fish in the river, gaze at the night skies, climb Ben Udlaidh