Brilliant hosts and a traditional country pub feel with warming fires, delicious food and fabulous bedrooms at this standout village inn

Your host runs home and B&B with effortless efficiency and you'll find shiny, spotless rooms to retreat to after a day's exploring

Generous apartments in a 300-year-old farmhouse with beautiful grounds and a swimming pool

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

You'll find comfortable rooms, great food and a lovely bar at this friendly inn – Heartbeat country, Castle Howard and Whitby all wait

A 17th-Century Irish castle on the water’s edge. Watch the yachts from your bedroom, join local wine nights, discover the rich history

An elegant hotel that feels like a well-kept secret, with charming staff, understated rooms and great restaurants a short walk away

Grand and old and filled with history, the estate and such a pretty house are a tonic, as are the well-tended grounds and parkland

Comfortable home with wood fires, gracious bedrooms and convivial living rooms. The drive is full of blossom and daffodils in spring

A summer hideaway by a lively Algarvian village with a pretty garden. Sundowners, a pool, massages, a BBQ and traditional bedrooms

Refined palazzo with a rooftop terrace near the historic centre of Ostuni. The Valle d’Itria region and the coast is on your doorstep

Big house in peaceful lush oasis among the bananas, vines and aloe vera, a 20-minute walk down into Funchal

A sweet little gîte for two in the centre of a dreamy medieval village. Happily private but with loads to explore from your door

This 300-year-old Cotswold pub, the hub of picture-book Sapperton from which there are glorious walks, is a superb place to eat and stay

Old wooden sleigh beds, check-clothed tables, log fires, a courtyard of centuries-old trees, a claw foot bath. Stacks of character

Find gilded mirrors, rich brocades, Fragonard toiletries and an unexpected roof terrace at this 6-bedroom guest house near St Mark’s Square

A really friendly French family home, steeped in history and tradition with delicious home-grown food, a lovely garden and peaceful pool

History, tranquillity and genuine warmth in a beautifully restored medieval château, deep in the heart of the countryside