Sumptuous rooms with Renaissance-inspired art, infinity pool and gardens, just a short drive to Mantua’s historic city centre

Come for a huge dollop of peace and quiet in gorgeous countryside. Take long walks, enjoy the views, return to much comfort and space

Next to a glorious National Trust estate, an exceptional barn renovation, a honeymooners’ dream – and Marsden a stroll downhill

A converted 19th-century church in the Northumberland National Park with beautiful stained-glass windows and a restored tower

An iconic Cotswold pub, restored to perfection, with a cracking bar, elevated pub food and some super-smart bedrooms in pub and extension

Play boules in the garden, swim in the natural pool and enjoy Monica’s wonderful cooking served with local wines at this village farmhouse

An immaculately restored 1500s palazzo, filled with history, art, antiques and books in the buzzing heart of a charming town

B&B in the heart of Totnes with bright bedrooms and a sitting room, plus an enchanting garden with ponds and wildflower beds

Three immaculate rooms in a 17th-century building; step out onto winding streets lined with trattorias, boutiques, fountains and monuments

Dorset unfurls all around you: walk the coast path, hunt for fossils, gaze at Durdle Door, explore Weymouth from this sea-facing pub

A truly authentic place to stay on a Sicilian working farm with roaming hens, wheat fields, wild flowers and a distant view of the sea

A much-loved family home filled with warmth and characterful interiors overlooking Loch Alsh where dolphins and seals frolic

In a hamlet in the Loire countryside is a friendly estate with a family-sized gite, a shared saltwater pool and heaps of old-world charm

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

Live out all your bohemian dreams at this arty villa, with garden and plunge pool, perched above the glittering Riviera.

A rare treat to stay in this lovely stone farmhouse in the Durham Dales with acres of private farmland and magical interiors by Rita Konig

A deeply thoughtful conversion of an old Presbyterian church with wonderful watery views, much wildlife and plenty of space for joyful times

Breakfast on homemade ricotta, bask on a cool white lounger, swim in the cove below. We love this young, friendly, rustic B&B