Philippe and Stéphanie give you delicious food and comfortable, colourful bedrooms in their ancient château with gardens and pool

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

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

Stylishly refurbished gastro inn on historic market square with gorgeous bedrooms, local ciders and some rather tasty food

A fine country manor house on the edge of a village, peacefully surrounded by gardens and trees, and close to the D-Day landing beaches

Explore the coastal paths on foot or by bike, or simply sunbathe next to the pool... Leafy gardens, comfortable rooms and excellent dinners

A beautifully restored annexe in a picturesque village in the heart of Suffolk. Take a camera - it's seriously picture-perfect around here

A boutique hotel on the edge of Arcachon Bay. A natural pool, zen gardens, contemporary Eastern-style interiors, and good food await

Tranquil stone house with a rustic feel, a large garden with a swimming pool and views of the French Riviera and out to sea

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

A superb palazzo in beautiful old Florence with 13 design rooms, a cocktail menu and breakfast in your room. Arty, stylish and near the Duomo

A 17th-century townhouse sitting on a quiet side street with lots of original features and a west-facing patio screened by vines and lemons

A big old house with a lovely pool, surrounded by ancient olives just 3kms from the sea and deep in the heart of Bandol wine country

Magnificent house with old-fashioned charm and gardens leading down to the Beaulieu River – take the footpath to Beaulieu or Bucklers Hard

Colourful coastal apartments and studios where you can be nicely independent, and enjoy a communal café and health club with Art Deco pool

Great owners, beautiful Interiors, delicious food, modern art, an open fire and an iPad in the dining room! Enjoy coastal walks and views...

Escape to mountains, sea and sky, simple rooms and lovely food. Walk, swim, read, write, nurture your soul

Settle into an unhurried pace of life on the coast. Comfortable houses and an eco-friendly garden; yoga, massages and riding can be arranged