Come for sumptuous bedrooms, fine dining, colourful gardens and charming staff at this smart hotel and restaurant

A fuss-free, informal place to stay with family - your own entrance straight from the garden and tasty breakfasts set up in a summer house

In truffle, lavender and olive oil country, a dreamy wine château with terraced gardens, run by hosts whose happiness is infectious

Two charming cottages a stroll from the Coast Path, surf school, shop, pub and restaurant. Take both cottages for a big family get-together

An elegant solution to a hotel - no rooms, but 13 charming villas in the heart of the maquis, nearly all with a private pool

A delightful coastal house with lush courtyard gardens, masses of space, home office and terraces galore

Towering 5 storeys above lively Palermo, a gracious B&B with sunlit rooms, lovely Sicilian hosts and breakfast in fine china on the terrace

Steeped in history and romance, with a great big sleigh bed and open fires, is this 14th-century defence tower above the river Tweed

Deep in Calvados near vibrant Caen, a cider barn with stylish bedrooms, quirky objets, a bar in the salon. Charming hosts welcome families

A beautiful old mill straddling the river Wensum, now a peaceful inn with tasty local and seasonal food, a lovely garden and comfy rooms

Exceptional generosity reigns at this complex of 5 excellent, colourful holiday apartments, with pool and meals, on the Sorrento Peninsula

Lovely big room in its own wing of a Victorian farmhouse. A peaceful spot with views across fields and an elegant drawing room

Victorian almshouse with architectural pedigree, sweeping countryside views and easy access to charming local towns

An 18th-century beamed inn with tasty food, pretty bedrooms and a large garden just a ten-minute drive from Chichester

Come for a quintessentially English country cottage tucked down a village path with wisteria in the garden and a short walk to a foodie pub

A pretty cottage by the sea, with uplifting views, restful bedrooms, the beach a short hop, gorgeous walks and lively Kinsale nearby

In the National Park with all its glories (Ashbourne for antiques, Chatsworth for history, Bakewell for its market), a sweet village cottage

Big house with bags of character and easy access to beaches, cafés and cobbled streets, coastal paths and hidden coves