Straight out of a fairy tale, a rustic cottage by a babbling brook: a magical escape for couples, the craggy coast in easy reach

Airy interiors, good local food and a blissful rural setting for this refurbished inn, popular with locals and with a happy, bustling vibe

Lose yourselves in this picturesque castle, magical with its luxurious rooms and timeless atmosphere. Count and Countess are brilliant hosts

Ideal for families: pool, tennis and golf at the hotel with beach and yachting nearby. Comfortable bedrooms and a terrace for outdoor dining

Gather loved ones and come for a family holiday with oodles of space, a gorgeous pool and a tropical garden with views of mountains and sea

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

Come to be cossetted in this 300-year-old Burgundy farmhouse with rose garden, sheltered pool and convivial Dutch owners

A dog-friendly hotel with traditional bedrooms, excellent breakfasts & a cool bar set on a peaceful side street, minutes from the centre

A gem of a house; spacious, warm and hidden in a lush garden. Get together with friends to explore medieval villages and the Costa Brava

Your own cottage sitting room downstairs and a swish bedroom up – breakfast in the courtyard before venturing forth to discover Canterbury

A romantic creekside cottage down a web of narrow lanes in a tumbling green valley – mess about on the water to your heart’s content

What a surprise! Tucked into a row of tightly woven old cottages is this contemporary open-plan hideaway with huge windows and much flair

Glorious views of Derwentwater and Skiddaw from this comfortable house. Art dotted about, a big table for chatty meals and a pretty garden

At the end of the unpaved road, surrounded by oaks, chestnuts and pines, a wonderful surprise for families and children who love to explore

A traditional country house experience with plenty of space for big family get-togethers, on a very old estate with fascinating gardens

Lovely owners have created this quirky space on their farm; side-by-side al fresco baths make it romantic for two

An idyllic hotel-restaurant in a postcard-pretty medieval village. Warm interiors, a varied menu of local produce, masses to see and do...

Return to warming fires after hiking in Ireland's highest mountains. Two traditional cottages on the outskirts of pretty Killorglin