In the heart of beautiful Siena, it's just like staying with a friend, as hostess Paola chats whilst preparing local produce for breakfast

A hilltop setting for this ancient fortress with an illustrious past. You stay in apartments or farmhouses inside or outside the walls

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

Sit back and relax at this luxuriously elegant grand manor in the heart of the Dordogne with a concierge service to take care of everything

Three comfortable stone houses clustered around the owners' home. Glorious views spread out below you across rolling countryside

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

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

The Gautiers have the finest sense of how to treat guests: dreamy bedrooms, fantastic food & the pool beneath the orange trees is a delight

Two elegantly renovated spaces with wonderful views, lots of activities and large gardens for making memories with family and friends

A small, trendy hotel, very much of its time, with oodles of style, stunning bedrooms and fantastic staff

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

This lovely, beamy, uncluttered Tuscan farmhouse with separate apartment is an elegant lodging on a vast fruitful estate with pool, and lovely owners

Lots of space and much to do for families and friends: it’s a short walk to Lee Bay, the coastal path or the village pub

An airy Estate Manager's House set in pretty grounds with a pool, orchard, barbecue and private terrace for long lazy days in the sun

Independence at one end of the house with your own sitting room opening onto a courtyard garden. Good pub for food a few minutes' walk away

High in the Tuscan hills, at the end of an avenue of cypresses, surrounded by parkland and acres of olives... a 13th-century dream

Enter through an impressive stone arch to discover this 16th-century fortified manor house with a gorgeous communal dining and seating area

Close to Saint-Jean-d'Angély, an elegant and spacious manor house with unfussy, comfortable interiors, bucolic views, big garden and pool