Wonderful views over medieval Gubbio from this rural stone farmhouse with pool, cottages and apartments sitting in lush gardens

A bit like staying with friends in a smart country house, but not having to help - an elegant refuge near Bradford-on-Avon

Superbly comfortable house with beamed rooms, lovely views, club-like morning room, antiques, terrace, pool, fitness centre and lily pond

Come for good architecture, thoughtful design and much space for relaxing: swimming, massages, hammam and sauna, beautiful bedrooms

Warm family hospitality, magnificent surroundings, bedroom breakfasts, candlelit dinners and elegant windows overlooking the park

Tour the cellars or wander the history-rich château and grounds. A truly pretty place

Wild and peaceful small hotel bordering National Park of Guadarrama. Listen to birdsong, hike in the sierra, spend the day in Segovia

A 18th-century house with pool in a small town with friendly owners and a tropical garden of banana, fig and, of course, frangipani

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

Foodies will love the irresistible cooking - along with local wine and a typically Tuscan setting. Bedrooms are pretty

Once a pub, now a friendly home, with all you need for a market town break. Park the car (or leave at home) – everything is on the doorstep

A delightfully untouched and simple cottage and garden for old-fashioned family seaside holidays just a short walk to Mawgan Porth beach

Come for home-baked bread, eggs from the hens, arrays of fresh fruit, and fabulous river views... your hosts do lovely B&B

A converted old granary next to a traditional Welsh longhouse in a deeply rural setting for unfussy nature lovers

An adorable little 1800s cottage with a garden – simple, unpretentious and filled with the owner's colourful art on walls and lampshades

A medieval monastery, stunningly revived, in untouristy, car-free Pisciotta. Sip greco on the terrace; scramble through olives to the sea

Warm hospitable agriturismo for foodies, designers, wine enthusiasts and all who love the 'real' Sicily. A happy place for families, too

A lovely 19th-century stone mas with south-facing terrace, garden and pool for relaxed family holidays, just off the D99 in a small hamlet