An artist's house imbued with an understated elegance. Stay for dinner; be charmed by the garden where fruit trees throng, hens loiter

High above Lisbon, this small but elegant former palace offers stunning views, stylishly rustic rooms and a dreamy, sun-trap patio

Year-round Alpine fun at this peaceful home a short hop from the peaks with calm bedrooms, delicious breakfasts and mountain views

Simple country cottage living on a working organic farm. Bring your hiking boots or bikes, stride out from the door

A very pretty old coach house in a south London garden – perfect for a couple or a family. Friendly owners live across the courtyard

Beautiful cottages, donkey rides, a popular pool and restaurants to walk to. Dutch Peter knows all the walks in this heavenly valley!

You’ll find Norfolk ales, French wines and a hint of eccentricity at this old-school inn, where local food and comfy beds keep you smiling

Live out all your bohemian dreams at this arty villa, with garden and plunge pool, perched above the glittering Riviera.

Next to a glorious National Trust estate, an exceptional barn renovation, a honeymooners’ dream – and Marsden a stroll downhill

Come for the great outdoors and wrap-around views of Muncaster Fell and Scafell Pike from this warm, bright and spacious Passivhaus

A charming hotel in a quiet neighbourhood in medieval Bologna, just the ticket for a city escape filled with food, history and culture

Feel like the lord or lady of the manor at this sublime restoration of a Tudor, timber-framed stone house in lovely Ludlow

Heart-soaring Pyrenean views, animals roaming, natural materials in simple rural rooms, organic food: it’s a superbly welcoming eco-lodge

A big, rambling inn – welcoming and unpretentious with deep sofas, eclectic artwork, tasty food and exceedingly comfortable bedrooms

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

Choose the atmospheric early Georgian house or the garden bedrooms, all have views, Paul's welcome is genuine and his dinners delicious

Inside, a grand cathedral ceiling, outside, wisteria-covered terrace and pretty pool. Atlantic sands, Cognac and La Rochelle are in reach

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