Great staff, beautiful design, a fine old building and sublime food make this 600-year-old inn a perfect escape all year round

Enjoy fields of lavender and vines as far as the eye can see from this neat cottage, sharing a pool and gorgeous gardens with other guests

Generous apartments in a 300-year-old farmhouse with beautiful grounds and a swimming pool

A great base for Stratford and beyond – expect a peaceful village, smart rooms, local ales, tasty food and a happy vibe throughout

A newly-renovated barn in a picturesque Cotswold village with an enclosed front garden and the river Eye at the bottom of the drive

Great for comfort, beauty, character and home baking. Borrow vintage bikes to explore Cambridge: Christine knows it inside out

Perthshire country house with contemporary touches. Deer, red squirrels, tawny owls... and the river Tay glints way below through the trees

Between mountains and coast: come for peace and serenity at this small hotel framed by fragrant gardens and the mighty Sierra Nevada peaks

Adorable cottages in pastoral peace with views to Wimborne Minster; cook and eat in modern kitchens. Blue flag beaches are close

A stone building designed by Sir John Soane in the stable yard of this historic and beautiful estate with deer park and woodland gardens

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

Your friendly hosts offer you stylish bedrooms, swims in the heated pool, and wonderful dinners and wines. Cahors is only a 10-minute drive

Up at the top of Scotland’s west coast, a small, stylish and welcoming hotel with lovely owners and some nicely priced rooms

Converted stables on a fruitful and beautiful estate with gardens, sculpture walks, wildflower meadows and a farm-to-fork restaurant

Elegantly restored mariner’s cottage with tasteful interiors and sweeping, uninterrupted views over the ever-changing estuary

A much-loved Tuscan villa restored to elegance: dinner on the terrace, frescoes, rose garden, a small spa…and Florence a 20-minute drive

Another bright, beamed and history-filled place to stay on the smart Upton Cressett estate with walks from the door and much comfort within

Beautiful views over Bantry Bay from this thoughtfully restored house with stylish rooms, gardens and woodland – a wonderful escape