Elegance and ease mark this gentle group of Loire-Valley buildings, with soft-textured interiors and the owners’ fine hospitality and food

A lovely old traditional pub with a merry fire, locals and dogs, a bright conservatory, large garden and excellent food, especially fish

Peaceful cottage in the heart of Derbyshire, perfect for couples and families, with a pretty garden and gorgeous valley views

Gorgeous thatched country cottage bolthole for two - perfect for a romantic escape - bring the pooch and explore Somerset

Three simple, traditional apartments in an ancient convent building with a beautiful botanical garden in the heart of the historic centre

A great spot for two plus two, with a decked area that gazes on copses, stream and treehouse. Wallow your cares away in the hot tub

A renovated bright apartment with lots of space, a hop, skip and jump away from the shingle beach of seaside-jolly Deal

You're only a whisper away from history in this family-run château, where rose gardens, sumptuous bedrooms and generous breakfasts wait

A quintessential Grade II listed thatched cottage with glorious gardens near a 13th-century church and surrounded by rolling hills

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

Rare as a bird, a proper old fashioned French inn on the side of the road in a sleepy village, a restoration project for the new owners

Come for amazing food at breakfast, really comfortable bedrooms with garden views and lovely Sasha (and her dogs) who will spoil you

At the foot of the Cambrian Mountains, an ancient whitewashed cottage with cosy, light-flooded interiors – a perfect rural bolthole for two

A bright, light newly built annexe flat adjoining a farmhouse and sitting on a hill looking out over a lake and fields beyond to the village

A pretty retreat in the grounds of a romantic château – you have your own walled garden, with terrace, pool and sunbathing area

A small, family-run boutique hotel sitting right at the foot of Etna with wonderful views, garden, pool and ambrosial Sicilian breakfasts

A babbling brook, the sound of birdsong and centuries of history steeped into the walls of this medieval barn, plus a heated indoor pool

Find beauty and tranquillity on this historic Dordogne estate for up to fourteen - plus a feast of designer colour and a fine pool to share