- På plats 16 ligger mas Noveau
Vi tycker om bra listor och kompetenta resurser som kan underlätta för oss resenärer. Nu har våra vänner på Times Online tagit fram en lista över de 100 bästa och mest prisvärda hotellen i Europa. Alltså inte bara femstjärniga hotell utan ställen som har den där lilla extra charmen. Mycket användbart när du hittar dit med lågprisflygbolag!
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Rates are per night for a double room. Where two prices are given, they are for low/high season
1 Enclos de l’Eveche, Boulogne
Fish and ferries here, certainly, but also a dramatic coastline, a bucolic hinterland and, above the port, an atmospheric old town. Hard by the cathedral, this stately B&B has a swish of 19th-century townhouse style, big, splendidly themed bedrooms (try the Egyptian one) and a warm family welcome. Quite a surprise in Boulogne. 00 33-3 91 90 05 90,www.enclosdeleveche.com; from £60
2 Les Tourelles, Picardy
The perfumier Pierre Guerlain’s former home is a red-and-white towered confection that overlooks the vast, bird-loved Somme estuary. Converted by a Belgian couple into a laid-back, feet-in-the-water hotel, it has stripped floors and pale colours, some rooms with shared facilities, a dorm for willing kids and the beach outside the door. 03 22 27 16 33, www.lestourelles.com; sea-view doubles from £66/£71
3 Hotel Jean de Bruges, Picardy
The 15th-century white-stone house stands next to the glorious abbey church in St Riquier, and complements it splendidly. The style is pure and simple: rooms, many with bare stone walls and wooden floors, are stripped back to classy essentials, yet there’s a whiff of classical music and fine cognac about the place. 03 22 28 30 30, hotel-jean-de-bruges.com; from £73/£103
4 Auberge de la Bonne Idée, Picardy
An hour northeast of Paris, but a time warp away, the Bonne Idée nestles in a forest village near Compiègne. It’s everything an auberge should be, and more: ancient brick without; wood and copper, flowers, open fires and cosy armchairs within. Bedrooms are lighter, the gardens are terrific and the restaurant is top-class.03 44 42 84 09, a-la-bonne-idee.fr; from £73
5 Clos Raymi, Champagne
M Chandon (of “Moët &”) built his brick and white-stone mansion round the back of his champagne house in Epernay. Now it’s been revived in light, informal and arty manner. There’s no reception, but a graceful entry hall and salon, and contemporary art spices up stylish bedrooms. 03 26 51 00 58, closraymi-hotel.com; from £91
6 Hotel du Petit Moulin, Paris
A playful 17-room former bakery, the Petit Moulin is well situated (in the Haut-Marais) for shopping at some of Paris’s more interesting boutiques. The interiors are by the never knowingly understated Christian Lacroix. Some rooms are lush and baroque, others startlingly geometric and bold, all a seductive riot of colour and contrasting styles. Small, quirky, crepuscular and flirtatious, it’s a perfect Parisian hideaway. 00 33-1 42 74 10 10,hoteldupetitmoulin.com; from £162
7 Chateau de la Barre, Pays de la Loire
The de Vanssay family have been in this stupendous chateau since the 15th century — and they’ve apparently spent all that time building up to your arrival. The welcome from the French count and his Anglo-American countess couldn’t be more cultivated or enthusiastic. They’ve infused castle and bedrooms with warmth and bright colour, and the gardens and grounds go on for ever. 02 43 35 00 17, chateaudelabarre.com; from £129 low/£154 high
8 Hotel Diderot, Pays de la Loire
Slotted into a side street in Rabelais’s home town, Chinon, the Diderot greets you as a friend of the family. Rooms have heavy furniture but a lightness of touch, corridors weave and creak, aromas mix polished wood and jam-making from the kitchen. A lovely base for visiting nearby chateaux. 02 47 93 18 87,diderot.com; from £47/£67
9 Hotel de Vougeot, Burgundy
Wood and stone sobriety provides the setting for contemporary comfort and charm. The hotel is in the middle of the village of Vougeot, itself in the middle of Burgundy’s finest vineyards. (Some of the stone-and-beam hotel rooms look out over the Clos de Vougeot vineyards.) An excellent base for a few days of wandering and tippling. 03 80 62 01 15, hotel-vougeot.com; from £50/£63
10 Chateau de Bagnols, Near Lyons
If there’s a finer hotel in France, please tell us. Bagnols, a 13th-century castle rising above the vineyards of Beaujolais, is sheer, unadulterated sophistication. With only 21 rooms and suites, all decked out in sumptuous period furniture, manicured lawns and a fabulous Michelin-starred restaurant, it’s worth every one of the quite considerable number of pennies you need to stay here. Two kirs on the terrace, s’il vous plaît, garçon. 04 74 71 40 00,chateaudebagnols.co.uk; from £590
11 Chateau du Ludaix, Limoges
This fabulous restored chateau, set in seven acres of woodland, is owned and managed by the mother of the fashion designer Henry Holland — one of the rooms is even named after him. A stay here is bucolic bliss, especially if you book the private Maison Guardien, the ultimate romantic hideaway. 06 74 31 18 43,chateauduludaix.com; from £103
12 Domaine de Brandois, Vendée
From the 53-acre grounds, this fine old pile looks like what it is, a 19th-century chateau. Inside, things get playful. Rooms come with swathes of sharp colour, contemporary furniture and baths in the middle of the floor, modern sculpture abounds and the graceful dining room has designEr plastic chairs. Somehow it all stays dignified, and works splendidly. 02 51 06 24 24,domainedebrandois.com; from £81/£128
13 La Maison Douce, Ile de Ré
Like what you see? It’s yours for the right price. Because, while the Maison Douce is a lovely hotel, it’s also an excuse for the impeccably styled owner, Alain Brunel, to show off his collection of antique Provençal beds, vintage claw-foot baths, wrought-iron garden chairs and gorgeous French linens. Romance (or purchases) will flow freely. 05 46 09 20 20, lamaisondouce.com; from £102/£115
14 La Chartreuse du Bignac, Dordogne
This takes some finding, but persevere. Isolated on a hilltop outside Bergerac and surrounded by woodland, orchards and rolling gardens, the Chartreuse is more than a farmstead, yet not quite manorial. It’s been made brilliantly comfortable by Brigitte Viargues: “casual, but not overfamiliar” are the watchwords around salons, a library and rustic rooms made over with urbane feminine chic. She cooks well, too. 05 53 22 12 80, abignac.com; from £124/£132
15 Hotel le Grézalide, Lot
The Grézalide has brought culture and gastronomy to the lost hamlet of Grèzes, near Figeac. This will have surprised local farmers as much as it does travellers across the limestone plateau. A good surprise, too: contemporary art and energy have revived the stout old stone building, the restaurant is good, the grounds are endless and the Lot and Célé valleys await discovery.05 65 11 20 40, grezalide.com; from £66/£83
16 Mas Nouveau, Cévennes National Park
Christine and Jean-Pierre have spent three years meticulously restoring this 15th-century fortified farmhouse deep in the forested hills of the Cévennes, and not a moment’s been wasted. Both building and hosts exude charm and authenticity: walk the superb trails by day, eat the superb food by night. 06 84 07 00 51; from £51
17 Chateau de la Caze, Gorges du Tarn
This spot amid the country’s loveliest gorges is as stirring as France gets. The castle has perched between river and soaring cliffs for 500 years. It remains stuffed with legend, stone and polished wood. A modern tweaking towards luxury has softened the edges, but not the integrity. The eating, though, is probably better than it’s been for five centuries. 04 66 48 51 01,chateaudelacaze.com; from £98/£105
18 Jardins Secrets, Nîmes
If a Jane Austen heroine aspired to live in 21st-century Nîmes, then she would aspire to live here, surrounded by treasures, refinement, comfort and that exquisite taste that provides much, but imposes nothing. Things remain homely: the beautiful hostess helps, and so do the gardens. It’s a hell of a place to find down a city-centre side street. 04 66 84 82 64, jardinssecrets.net; from £167/£189
19 Le Logis du Guetteur, Provence
You’re seated eating lamb and drinking rosé on the restaurant terrace of this lovely medieval fortress. The village of Les Arcs sur Argens unravels down the hill below. Beyond, Provence rolls to the sea, 30 minutes away. In the old stone warren behind, your ancient room — reviewed and corrected for the contemporary comfort-seeking classes — awaits. You want more from life? 04 94 99 51 10, logisduguetteur.com; from £111/£132
20 Hotel Windsor, Nice
Conceived as apartments by architects working for Gustave Eiffel, this place still oozes identity: 27 of its 57 rooms have been reconceived by artists, to sometimes highly entertaining effect. See the British cartoonist Glen Baxter’s tomblike space: very Raiders of the Lost Ark. Alas, no young Harrison Ford to go with it. 04 93 88 59 35, hotelwindsornice.com; from £67/£103
21 Hotel Oppoca, Pyrenees
In the utterly enticing village of Ainhoa, hard by the Spanish border, the Oppoca is an extension of the Massonde family home by slightly more formal means. The big, solid farmhouse feel is lightened by the women’s touches (flowers, nice smells). Bedrooms have had a makeover, so greys and beiges slot in among the beams and wood. The restaurant is superb. 05 59 29 90 72, oppoca.com; from £64/£77
SPAIN
22 Hotel Niza, San Sebastian
What Eastbourne hotels could learn from Hotel Niza — in the Victorian seaside town of San Sebastian — would fill a telephone directory. It’s got the seafront location you want and the period facade that every kiss-me-quick hotel needs, but the bedrooms are fresh, airy and stylish, in an untrendy way. Try the cafe, too, for tapas at lunch. 00 34-943 426663, hotelniza.com; from £110
23 Posada del Valle, Asturias
The battered Atlantic coast lies one way, the Picos de Europa rise the other. In between, the Posada del Valle, a former farmstead, clings to a hillside above the village of Collia. Magnificent mountain views take care of the aesthetics. A British couple, Nigel and Joann Burch, take care of the simple life within, with flair — and flavours from their own farm’s organic fare. 985 841157, posadadelvalle.com; from £53/£64
24 Marques de Riscal, Rioja
Designed by Frank “Bilbao Guggenheim” Gehry and wrapped in his trademark titanium swirls, this is like staying in an extraordinary art installation, complete with lavish Gehry furniture and fittings in the bedrooms. The location is almost as stunning as the purple and gold building: you’re surrounded by soft-focus lines of vines owned by the award-winning Marques de Riscal winery. 00 800 3254 5454, starwoodhotels.com/luxury; from £257
25 Mas Salvi, Costa Brava
Pals is the prettiest village on the Costa Brava, and this old manor house isn’t letting the side down. Ivy-clad and lost in private woodland, it has 22 suites in terracotta tones, a restaurant busy with posh folk down from Barcelona and a shady pool that’s often deserted, even in high summer. 972 636478, massalvi.com; suites from £201/£258
26 Sant Roc, Costa Brava
The Costa Brava can be a boisterous place. That’s as it should be. But quieter folk might prefer to be on the Sant Roc’s large terrace, overlooking Calella de Palafrugell (still a recognisably Catalan seaside village) and its bay, from a rocky headland. It is glorious, and the family-run hotel does its considerable best to feed us up and bed us down in unadorned, civilised style. 972 614250, www.santroc.com; from £96/£151
27 Hostal Sa Rascassa, Costa Brava
Less a hotel and more a terrific restaurant with rooms, Sa Rascassa sits in the shade of the pines surrounding the rocky inlet at Aiguafreda. Accommodation is basic: five rooms with no plasma, no minibar, no aircon. The food is simple — the catch of the day any way you like it, as long as it’s grilled — and the ambience is one of sun-kissed, pine-scented, wave-lapped mellowness, aided and abetted by the friendly owner, Oscar Gorriz. 972 622845, hostalsarascassa.com; from £64/£90
28 The 5 rooms, Barcelona
There are a couple more rooms to this “apart-hotel” than the name suggests: it recently consumed the floor above. It’s nicely cosy given its sweeping location in elegant Eixample. You check in for the urban-loft smartness (timber floors, recessed lighting, Parisianobjets); you stay for the sink-into homeliness. 00 34-93 342 7880,www.the5rooms.com; from £116 low/£141 high
29 Hotel La Concordia, Bajo Aragon
You’ll have no problems finding La Concordia — it rises from the Aragonese town of Alcaniz like one of those outcrops in the Utah desert. Until 1968, when it became a parador, it was a proper, scary castle, built in the 12th century by the fighting monks of the order of Calatrava. These days, it’s more atmospheric than intimidating, and as gothic as hotels get, with bedroom walls 3ft thick, keys the size of spanners and spectacular views across the Maestrazgo. 00 351 258 820150, paradores-spain.com; from £123/£133
30 Hotel Abalu, Madrid
With shades of Barbie, this self-consciously retro place is a girl thing more than a stag pad: the pink fabrics and white button-studded seating in the breakfast space recall the beauty parlour in Grease. Two years after opening, though, its 17 rooms are box-fresh, and the nightly pleasures of Malasaña and Chueca are irresistibly close by. 91 531 4744, www.hotelabalu.com; from £101
31 Parador Hotel Cuenca, La Mancha
Perched dramatically above a plunging cliff face that towers over the Hoz del Huecar gorge, this magnificent four-star parador is housed in a 16th-century convent, with a cafe in the cloisters and spectacular views of the “hanging houses” that cling to Cuenca’s sheer-faced outcrops. 00 351 258 820150, paradores-spain.com; from £126/£137
32 Palau de la Mar, Valencia
Walk through the grand facade of this 19th-century palace and suddenly it’s all 21st-century glass and modern fripperies. Every wall possible has been knocked down to create huge spaces, whether it’s the double-height lobby, with its zebra-skin welcome mat, the monochrome bedrooms or the spartan (in a fashionable way) restaurant — top fish. 963 162884, hospes.com; from £94
33 Las Casas del Rey de Baeza, Seville
It’s an overused word, “liveable”, but with its slouchy designer sofas, low-lit lounges, rustic rooftop pool and sparrow-filled courtyards, this place is the Spanish home everybody wishes they owned. It’s within walking distance of the Alcazar and the tapas bars. 954 561496, hospes.com; from £111
34 EME Catedral Hotel, Seville
Slap bang in the middle of Seville’s old town, this Tardis-like property is a haven of calm in the sultry city. The surprisingly spacious rooms are arranged over six floors, but the rooftop bar — with views across the city and a tiny pool — is the only place to be come cocktail o’clock. 954 560000, emecatedralhotel.com; from £186
35 El Juncal, Ronda
The pool alone is reason to brave the hairpin road that winds from Marbella to Ronda. It gleams glacier blue, surrounded by croquet-flat lawn and sun-dappled tables tended by smart Spanish staff. Minimalism reigns over the interiors: stark white rooms, white tiled bathrooms, even white plastic sofas, which might not be a perfect fit for your behind — but my, they cut a dash in the magazine shoots. 161170, eljuncal.com; from £106
36 Posada del Patio, Malaga
Aficionados have long known that there’s much more to Malaga than an airport. The birthplace of Picasso has a magnificent Renaissance cathedral — still unfinished — a hectic arts scene, cracking tapas bars and bodegas, and a fine beach. What it has lacked until now is a decent luxury hotel, but that’s changed with the opening of the Posada del Patio. In the heart of the old city, and only 500yd from the beach, it’s all muted colours and chilled calm — the perfect antidote to all that Andalusian excess. 951 001020, www.vinccihoteles.com; from £99/£179
37 La Fructuosa, Andalusia
How many hotels can boast views of another continent? None can beat the view from the terrace at La Fructuosa, in the pueblo blanco of Gaucin — the ancient smuggling village that inspired Prosper Mérimée’s Carmen. The jaw-dropping view takes you down the valley of the Rio Genal, past the Rock of Gibraltar, across the sparkling Straits and into the Moroccan Rif. That’s two continents, three countries and two seas you’re looking at, and the beds are pretty comfortable, too. 952 151072, lafructuosa.com; from £74
38 Hurricane Hotel, Andalusia
Okay, so this one can as well… The palm-fronted Hurricane sits above the beach where the Med meets the Atlantic. Laid-back Andalusian in theme, it has simple white rooms, a good pool in lush gardens and a romantic dinner terrace with views of Africa. The wind- and kite-surfing school helps make the most of Tarifa’s famous waves. 956 684919, hotelhurricane.com, from £74/£135
39 La Casa del Califa, Andalusia
Vejer de la Frontera is a sleepy whitewashed hilltop village that overlooks the site of the battle of Trafalgar and the Costa de la Luz. Casa del Califa, on the main square, is Scottish-owned, but funky Arabian in spirit — it’s a handful of houses converted into a warren of 18 rooms and a courtyard restaurant. 00 34-956 447730,lacasadelcalifa.com; from £59 low/£74 high
40 Casa Cinco, Andalusia
In a tranquil corner of the loveliest of all the white hilltop citadels on this untamed coast, House Five is an ancient Moorish home with steep, serpentine corridors, making it unsuitable for children. There are splendid views of Africa from its roof terrace, and the four very different rooms are traditionally decorated, but with fanciful touches of 21st-century baroque’n’roll style. 956 455029,hotelcasacinco.com; from £64/£77
BALEARICS
41 Pikes, Ibiza
The stuff of rock’n’roll legend — Freddie Mercury threw his 40th birthday party here and Wham! filmed the Club Tropicana video in the pool. A recent facelift has restored Pikes to its five-star glory, and you’ll always find somebody to share a late-night — or early-morning — margarita with. 00 34-971 342222, pikeshotel.com; from £145/£196
42 Boutique Hostal Salinas, Ibiza
On the coolest beach on the island, this chic, no-frills residence has also become one of its smartest hang-outs. It’s been renovated by the Space DJ David Phillips and the couple behind the ever-popular Locura bar, in Ibiza town: the bedrooms are stylish without being overdesigned, while the public spaces (especially those outside) are fun. The result is a party atmosphere and the kind of cocktail list that attracts a good-looking, good-time crowd. 971 308899, boutiquehostalsalinas.com; from £86/£189
43 Atzaro, Ibiza
The simplest way to find an idyllic place to stay in Ibiza is to go rural. One of the best fincas — former farming homes — is Atzaro, a 100-year-old family residence that’s been turned into beautiful rooms, a restaurant and a spa. Set amid 25 acres of orange groves, pools and cosy corners, it’s both charming and romantic. No wonder, then, that it’s so popular for private hire or weddings. 971 338838, atzaro.com; from £138/£301
44 Gecko Beach Club, Formentera
This once kitsch 1960s beach motel has been given a cool Balearic facelift: chic decked lounge spaces, starched canvas day beds, white-on-white bedrooms with sea views, all topped off with a fresh Iberian menu that runs the gamut from baton-length langoustines to olive-oil-drenched salads and sangria. 971 328024,geckobeachclub.com; from £115
45 Puro, Palma, Mallorca
Elusive among the skinny backstreets of Palma’s old town, Puro is worth wheeling your case over the cobbles for. The well-travelled owners have filled the former courtyard mansion with global gorgeousness — carved Balinese doors, African feathered lamps, Indian cushions. There’s a beach club, too, on Palma’s front, with free entry for guests. 00 34-971 425450, purohotel.com; from £143
46 Caserio de Mozaga, Lanzarote
The rental car will come into its own in Mozaga, a speck of a village in the middle of Lanzarote — afternoon jaunts to Famara Beach, the La Geria vineyards and Teguise market are a cinch. Mornings should be saved for epic Canarian breakfasts on the shaded terrace, followed by sun-baking in the cactus gardens of this whitewashed 18th-century country house. 928 520060,caseriodemozaga.com; from £54
47 Finca Malvasia, Lanzarote
Slowly but surely, with the help of the odd Almodovar film and some celebrity sightings, Lanzarote is shaking off the all-day-breakfast image of the other Canaries. Photogenic Finca Malvasia leads the trend: four lava-stone apartments around a cool-kitschy pool and cactus-strewn gardens, each in bright colours, with fully equipped kitchens. 928 173460, fincamalvasia.com; from £111
PORTUGAL
48 York House, Lisbon
Gorgeous, boutique, yet affordable, York House is up a flight of tatty stone steps, but at the top is a romantic converted Carmelite convent; some rooms still even have the grilles over the door’s peephole. Flagstone floors, vaulted ceilings and arched windows make for a divine dirty weekend. 00 351-21 396 2435,yorkhouselisboa.com; from £51
49 As Janelas Verdes, Lisbon
An 18th-century palace, stuffed with antiques and olde worlde charm. The lovely library has a well-stocked honesty bar and a tiled terrace offering views over the Tagus, while in the 29 elegant rooms there are thoughtful touches such as a complimentary decanter of sherry. Breakfast in the flower-filled courtyard garden is a delight. 213 968143, asjanelasverdes.com; from £164
50 Lawrence’s, Sintra
Founded in 1764 and reputed to be the oldest hotel in Iberia, Lawrence’s is an English inn among the royal palaces and bizarre gothic villas of Sintra, a sort of hill station for the cream of Lisbon society. When Byron stayed here in the early 19th century, he declared it “a glorious Eden”. Cosy, homely and outlandishly old-fashioned, it even serves scones for tea. 219 105500,lawrenceshotel.com; from £117
51 Casa Rosada, Algarve
The British owners switched magazine and catering careers to create this B&B with three double bedrooms on the Castro Marim. Breakfast is on the terrace, aperitifs are in the garden, amid lavender and orange and lemon trees, and dinner (if required) is in the terracotta-tiled kitchen — most likely fish from the market. No pool, but the beach is two miles away. 281 544215, casarosada-algarve.com; from £51 low/£64 high
ITALY
52 Su Gologone, Sardinia
Sardinians never trusted the coast. In the old days, it was all pirates and pillage. These days, it’s all celebrities and shopping. Far better the mountainous interior, where, in the heart of what was once bandit country, Su Gologone is a charmingly idiosyncratic property, crammed with the island’s arts and crafts. It has a pool, gorgeous mountain views and unforgettable food. 00 39-078 428 7512, sugologone.it; from £180, half-board
53 Caol Ishka, Sicily
A Gaelic name (“sound of water”) for this dusky pink masseria by the River Anapo, just outside Syracuse. That’s down to the Irish owner, who wisely followed his girlfriend home to set up this 10-room wonder. Expect Italian flair in spades (concrete walls, designer deckchairs and a moodily lit restaurant), mixed with considerable Irish charm. 09 316 9057, caolishka.com; from £163/£172
54 Capofaro, Salina, Aeolian Islands
Set in a vineyard, on the island that was the setting for Il Postino, Capofaro is where Italian style and rustic simplicity come to hold hands. Chic, elegant and charmingly simple, the whitewashed cottages feel like the kind of property you might buy in a moment of mad Mediterranean enthusiasm. It has a gorgeous pool and stunning ocean views. 090 984 4330, capofaro.it; from £200/£275
55 Hotel Raya, Panarea, Aeolian Islands
In the season, Panarea is a mix of local fishermen and leggy fashionistas from Milan. The Hotel Raya manages the same mix of folkloric Aeolian and eye-watering cool. Draped in bougainvillea, with terraces looking across the sea to the smoking cone of Stromboli, it also has several stylish boutiques, so you’ll have no excuse for being mistaken for a fisherman. 090 983013,hotelraya.it; from £160/£260
56 Grand Hotel Ambasciatori, Sorrento
The Ambasciatori is balanced precariously on cliffs above the Bay of Naples, and the best rooms allow you to watch the sun set behind smoking Mount Vesuvius from your balcony, watch dawn break over smoking Mount Vesuvius from your bed and enjoy smoked kippers beneath smoking Mount Vesuvius in the hotel breakfast room. Perfect. 081 878 2025, ambasciatorisorrento.com; from £157
57 Masseria Palombara Grande, Puglia
The stables of this serene whitewashed manor, built in 1776 and immersed in ancient olive groves, now contain six guestrooms, all with antiques, vaulted ceilings and patios. Yet what really sets the Masseria apart is an atmosphere of rare enchantment; think sumptuous alfresco breakfasts to the fluttering of doves. 00 39-328 907 6008, www.masseriapalombaragrande.com; from £56 low/£85 high
58 San Anselmo, Rome
Tucked away on a residential street on the Aventine, one of the Eternal City’s seven hills, this hotel is a long way from dodgy pizzerias, raucous bars, and whining Vespas. Instead, it has chanting monks, a 5th-century basilica, and a local park with heart-stopping views of the city. San Anselmo performs a rare feat — it makes Rome seem quite peaceful. 06 570057,www.aventinohotels.com; from £116
59 Hotel Le Silve, Assisi
Umbria reckons it’s full of hilltop hotels with spectacular views, but how many are actually on the summit, boasting eye-watering, knee-trembling 360-degree views of a Renaissance landscape of mist-cloaked valleys, honey-coloured hill towns and watercolour groves of ancient oak? There’s been a hotel here since the 10th century — 1,100 years later, only the luxury levels have changed. You know what to expect: gorgeous rooms, soul-stirring cuisine and the tragic realisation that all good things must come to an end. 075 801 9000, hotelassisi.lesilve.it; from £111
60 La Ripolina, Tuscany
Weatherbeaten to exacting Tuscan standards, La Ripolina is anagriturismo farmstead with a sort of Renaissance loggia for sunlit breakfasts. You look out over farmland, the village of Buonconvento in the distance and, nearer, an abbey apparently painted into place by an old master. Pienza and Montalcino aren’t far, and there’s a pool down below. Sometimes only Tuscany will do, and La Ripolina does it well. 0577 282280, laripolina.it; from £60/£90
61 Dievole, Tuscany
Vineyards, cypresses, olive groves — Dievole is cliché Tuscany, but here it rings true. The 1,000-year-old, 800-acre estate is still primarily a Chianti producer, but it also has large rooms, spectacular views, a good pool and a memorable winery-restaurant. It’s set in fabulous walking country, too, only seven miles from Siena. 0577 322632, villa-dievole.com; from £137/£162
62 Hotel Monteriggioni, Tuscany
Monteriggioni is what you go to Tuscany for — a village disguised as a castle, ringed round with story-book watchtowers, like something from Le Morte d’Arthur. The only way it could be more redolent of medieval Italy is if they installed a complimentary damsel in a turret, for rescuing purposes. The hotel has 12 sweet little rooms, mamma-made breakfasts and a pool under the battlements. 0577 305009, hotelmonteriggioni.net; from £197
63 Luna Hotel Baglioni, Venice
It’s off St Mark’s Square, and old-fashioned luxury seeps from Venice’s oldest hotel, just as the water seeps around its 15th-century foundations. For ornate marble, opulent dining, silk-panelled walls, unaffected splendour, a private jetty for your gondola and room keys with tassels on the end, look no further.041 528 9840, baglionihotels.com; from £190/£519
64 Albergo Due Mori, Veneto
There are many reasons to go to Marostica. It’s a lovely old walled village. Venice and Verona aren’t far, and Palladio’s Vicenza is nearer. But this albergo is the key one. Monica Facchini and her husband, Riadh, have infused the natural stone and wooden floors of an old village house with light, bright Italian modernity. It’s both cool and warm. 00 39-0424 471777,www.duemori.it; from £81 low/£106 high
65 Villa Feltrinelli, Lake Garda
It’s insanely expensive, but spend a day at this art-nouveau mansion and you’ll realise that it’s definitely worth every penny (if you’ve got it). It’s so joyously Italian. Every room is like a feelgood Fellini film set; the attention to detail is awesome and the setting, right on the mistily magical lake, is intoxicating. 0365 79800, villafeltrinelli.it; from £773/£1,030
66 Hotel Cannero, Lake Maggiore
Bag one of the rooms at the front — it’ll be unflashy but comfortable — overlooking the landing stage for the ferries that ply the lake and you’ll be sitting at the window for hours. This hotel, like this part of the lake, is a place to unwind. It’s been in the same family for more than 100 years, and some of the guests look as if they’ve been regulars that long; but kids are very welcome (there is a pool) and it’s just right if you value a warm welcome and good service over contemporary design. 0323 788046, hotelcannero.com; doubles from £49
67 Vigilius Resort and spa, South Tyrol
You take a cable car up to the Vigilius… nought to 5,000ft in seven minutes, and not only are you on top of the world, but that top is all minimalist decor, cool, light, airy rooms and an awful lot of proper outdoor-indoor design. It’s the sort of architecture that would make Kevin McCloud go ooh. The spa is amazing. The mountain walking is even better. 0473 556600, www.vigilius.it; from £280
68 Rosa Alpina, Italian Dolomites
If you like your mountains raw and rugged, but your hotels small and sophisticated, this is the place to come. You can go trekking and biking by day, then come back to this charming, family-run, chalet-style retreat for fine wine and finer food in the evening, safe in the knowledge that you’ve probably earned it. The chef, Norbert Niederkofler, has two Michelin stars, but we didn’t hear him use the f-word once. 0471 849500, rosalpina.it; from £150 in summer (and summer is the best time to go)
NORTHERN EUROPE
69 Pand Hotel, Bruges
The Pand does eclectic in a big way. Its 26 rooms, in an 18th-century coaching inn, are packed with antiques, chintzes, books and objets, perhaps overly so in the smallest ones. It also oozes charm and character, increasingly to be valued in tourist-driven Bruges. 00 32-50 340666, www.pandhotel.com; from £158
70 ‘T Sandt, Antwerp
A whitewashed corner building a stone’s throw from the Scheldt, a short walk from the cathedral and near the Sunday antiques market, ’T Sandt is as chic as the nearby stores of Belgium’s fashion capital. Stripped floors, pared-down decor, big windows, eager service and a 17th-century building with 21st-century comforts make a seductive combination. 03 232 9390, hotel-sandt.be; from £122
71 Hotel Brouwer, Amsterdam
Had minimalist chic been around in 1652, Hotel Brouwer would be it. Simply furnished and slopey-floored, it is a stripped-down canal house: staircases spiral, shutters creak and, outside the window, the boat traffic of Amsterdam glides gratifyingly by. When you stroll into the toasty breakfast parlour, with Bach playing on the hi-fi and the smell of croissants wafting from the kitchen, you’ll begin to wonder whether the room rate was a misprint. 00 31-20 624 6358, www.hotelbrouwer.nl; from £81
72 The College Hotel, Amsterdam
The clue’s in the name: this hotel is also a college, where elite students come to learn the hospitality trade. It’s like Top Gun for waiters, so the service, food and ambience are impeccable. Largely because the staff are all being given marks out of 10. 20 571 1511, collegehotelamsterdam.com; from £149
73 Side Hotel, Hamburg
If über-design floats your boat, and cutting-edge is the way you roll, you’ll adore the architect Jan Störmer’s 12-floor art hotel in Hamburg’s city centre. The furniture looks like pharmaceuticals, the bar is the sort of place Han Solo would start a fight in and there’s techno leaking out of the ceilings. It’s young, minted and hip, and it’s exactly what Hamburg needed. 00 49-40 309990,www.side-hamburg.de; from £129/£215
74 Lux 11, Berlin
West of Alexanderplatz — formerly Soviet Berlin — this block of 76 rooms epitomises what is now the city’s fashion core, Mitte. Interiors have roughish sex appeal (concrete floors, blocky baths) and staff wear Adidas. If the communal breakfast at a whimsical long table is unsettling, the apartment-living feel, thanks to a minimal lobby, should appeal. 30 936 2800, lux-eleven.com; from £101/£179
75 Michelberger Hotel, Berlin
This place is trendy even by Berlin standards — your bed is a mattress on a mezzanine in one of the small but cleverly put together rooms. The staff are straight off the pages of a style mag (even the hotel’s dog has a mullet), and the loungy coffee shop-cum-bar downstairs is people-watching heaven. 30 2977 8590,michelbergerhotel.com; from £60
76 Cortiina Hotel, Munich
Bavaria’s cute and snowy capital is not just for Christmas — it’s another alfresco animal in summer, when the sun shines, often with Mediterranean force. City insiders love the Cortiina — possibly Munich’s best little design hotel — for its smart back terrace and cold cocktails on hot nights. The decor gets it just the right side of fashionable throughout, in outbreaks of bare brick, warm oak and Jura stone. 89 242 2490, cortiina.com; from £195/£296
77 Andel’s, Krakow
This eye-catching new 159-room hotel lies just beyond the city walls, five minutes from the redesigned Market Square — ideal for days exploring the city’s famous cobbles and quaintness, and nights sleeping in crisp contemporary comfort. The rooms are big and bright, with floor-to-ceiling windows and great bathrooms; there’s a snazzy bar and restaurant; and when it’s time to go, you’re right across the square from the train station, taxi rank and airport bus stop. 00 48 12 660 0100, www.andelscracow.com; from £95/£198
78 The Three Sisters, Tallinn
The titular trio are three handsome, haughty 14th-century merchant houses on a quiet cobbled street within the medieval city walls, but you leave the Middle Ages at the door. The historic interiors have been spruced up in impeccable contemporary style — think beams meet Eames — with four-posters aplenty and a colour scheme that’s warm and welcoming, not icily cool. The Piano Suite comes with a proper grand (though sadly it’s more than a grand for two nights). 00 372 630 6300,threesistershotel.com; from £137
79 Hotel J, Stockholm
It’s a 10-minute drive out of town, slightly longer by water taxi, on a waterfront suspended between city and sea. Boats dominate the public areas, with models of various craft dotting the place, while from your balcony you can watch the genuine articles bobbing about. Rooms are nautically decorated in pale woods, cool whites and blues, softened by candles if desired. Service throughout is effortless and accommodating. 00 46-8 601 3000,www.hotelj.com; from £140
80 Lydmar Hotel, Stockholm
A few doors down from the Grand Hotel, Stockholm’s grandest dame, the Lydmar does things differently. The photogenic view across the harbour is the same, but the pleasing hodgepodge of design-classic furniture and modern art is unique. The city’s trendies book their friends in here — wear your clothes in their most bizarre combinations to fit in. 8 223160, lydmar.com; from £249
81 Hotel Ranga, Hella
Post-volcanic ashgate, there’s only one place that any self-respecting traveller to Iceland wants to be this summer, and that’s as close as possible to Eyjafjalljokull without getting singed. Up until March, the quirkily luxurious Hotel Ranga, a country lodge astride a teeming salmon stream, was simply the most reliable place on earth from which to see the northern lights. Now it’s the best place on earth to loaf in a geothermally heated outdoor hot tub and watch spectacular pyroclastics from the neighbouring volcano. 00 354-487 5700, hotelranga.is; from £160/£229
82 Trappers, Svalbard
Barely 800 miles from the North Pole, and invariably engulfed in an Arctic blizzard, Trappers offers Shackleton chic, with rough-hewn timbers and walls adorned with polar-bear skins the size of duvets. Between February and May, rooms can be booked only with an activity — snowmobiling, dog-sledding and so on. 00 47 7902 4600, www.base campexplorer.com; from £151
CENTRAL EUROPE
83 Domus Balthasar, Prague
This stylish boutique is literally steps from the Charles Bridge, in the heart of town, so the location couldn’t be better. Its baroque beams and sloping ceilings contrast nicely with an unintimidatingly minimalist decor. There are only eight rooms, which makes for an intimate ambience and particularly personal service. 00 420 257 199 499, domus-balthasar.cz; from £120/£154
84 Pension Nossek, Vienna
Vienna has a penchant for a pension — with a bit of squirrelling, you can unearth a fabulous central B&B for half the price of a full-on hotel. Nossek is our favourite, a dapper 30-room guesthouse overlooking the jewelled boutiques and gilded fountains of the Graben district, with original deco cabinets, polished parquet floors and intriguing (if slightly mendacious) Mozart connections. 00 43 1 533 70410, pension-nossek.at; from £98
85 St George Residence, Budapest
Ignore the “boutique” label this inn has given itself — St George is tradition-steeped Budapest through and through, each suite a living museum. Huge, too, as the 26 of them take the same space once occupied by three medieval townhouses in the Castle District. Kitchens and lounges come as standard, so it’s great for a long stay or for playing at being a local. 00 36 1 393 5700,stgeorgehotel.hu; from £102/£140
86 Lanchid 19, Budapest
The party trick at this 48-room riverside novelty in Buda is a facade of coloured panes: these flutter with the Danube’s breezy moods, tracked by a hotel computer. Fun, if pointless — thankfully, the hotel has more up its sleeve, including desirable design and glimpses of art-nouveau Pest. 00 36 1 419 1900,lanchid19hotel.hu; from £65/£140
87 Kali Art Inn, Kali basin
Like London media types buying up the Cotswolds, the Budapest smart set is colonising the picture-book villages of the Kali basin. The Kali Art Inn is their HQ, a 19th-century merchant’s house with gorgeous period pieces, a distinctly bohemian attitude and fine local whites in the cellar. The bigger rooms in the old stables are best. 00 36 87 706090, kaliartinn.hu; from £96/£112
CROATIA
88 Hotel Vestibul Palace, Split
Not only is this friendly boutique conveniently tucked in the shadow of the city’s palace and its warren of medieval alleyways, it’s also a wonderful walk through the architectural ages. Roman, gothic and Renaissance features are complemented by stylish modern additions, including a gorgeous glass atrium and split-level suites. 00 385-21 329329, vestibulpalace.com; from £186/£233
89 Riva, Hvar
The tiny island of Hvar is the Cannes of Croatia, with a surprisingly sophisticated beach scene, and Riva is absolutely perfect for the sun-kissed diva. Right on the waterfront promenade, it has an achingly cool decor of neutral greys, vamped up by splashes of lipstick red, glass-boxed bathrooms and statement furniture, including Tom Dixon S-chairs. 21 750100,suncanihvar.com; from £144/£177
90 Lesic Dimitri Palace, Korcula
This 18th-century palace has six sumptuously restored suites, from small and intimate, with medieval vaulted ceilings, to vast and light, with views over the sparkling Adriatic and Mount Ilija. There is a spa with Thai therapists and a wine bar that’s streets ahead of anything else on this lovely little island. 20 715560, lesic-dimitri.com; from £206/£330
91 Hotel Bellevue, Dubrovnik
It’s only a 10-minute walk from the crowded old town, but it feels like a sexily spacious seaside resort, with its own buzzy little beach, overlooking the teal-blue waters of Miramare Bay. The rooms are trendily organic, with lots of billowing muslin and soft marine tones to re-create the impression of life aboard a luxury yacht. 20 330000, hotel-bellevue.hr; from £99/£250
GREECE
92 Helydorea, Trikala, Peloponnese
Hidden Greece is luxuriantly cosy at this immaculate stone and wood inn 3,600ft up Mount Kyllini, where you’ll feel like a guest at a country home. The suites have fireplaces (winter weekends are high season here), but early summer is ravishing, too, when wild flowers compete with views over the Gulf of Corinth. 00 30-27430 91444, helydorea.gr; from £60 low/£111 high
93 Emelisse, Cephalonia
You have to work hard at Emelisse to avoid the spectacular sea views — they seem to follow you round as soon as you step outside. But why would you want to get away? Sink into the spa, stroll round the harbour of Fiskardo or take a mountain bike up into the hills: soon enough, you’ll end up back at the pool, staring out to sea, before sunset turns everything deeper and redder. 26740 41200, arthotel.gr/emelisse; from £228/£414
94 Perivolas, Santorini
The infinity pool here, which seems to drip off the edge of a cliff, is such a breathtaking piece of aqua engineering that it regularly features on the front of the world’s glossy mags. Soak in its waters while gazing across the Med’s deepest blues and you’ll feel pampered like a cover star yourself. When you drag yourself inside, the hotel is within a series of 300-year-old caves and is as immaculate as you’d expect given the price tag. Genuinely luxurious. 22860 71308, perivolassuites.gr; from £447
TURKEY
95 Miapera Hotel, Istanbul
By day, the domes and spires of the postcard Sultanahmet district seduce. After dark, there’s little to turn you on. Beyoglu, by contrast, is a nocturnal dynamo — and this 61-room newcomer is a budget beauty, with fruit-pastille tones and boxy modern furnishings. Great rum baba in the restaurant, too. 00 90-212 245 0245, miaperahotel.com; from £85/£110
96 Tas otel, Alacati, Cesme Peninsula
This intimate little seven-room belter is a restored former Greek merchant house. It sits at one end of the village’s pedestrianised main street, peppered with good restaurants, craft shops and bars, favoured by arty Izmiris. There’s a small pool for summer, a log fire in the lounge for winter and a perpetual homely welcome. Rooms are cosy and uncluttered, with high-quality linen and ultramodern bathrooms. 00 90-232 716 7772, www.tasotel.com; from £94 low/£132 high
97 Bordubet, Bozburun Peninsula
Secreted in a sun-dappled forest clearing, this is the prettiest of hotels, newly refurbished, with 36 rooms, and built along the meanderings of a river so clear, you could count the terrapins and fish if there weren’t so many. There’s free WiFi, a large pool and a beach club with pedalos and kayaks (25 minutes away by foot, 10 by boat or mountain bike), staff are warm and attentive, and the food is good and varied (much of it home-grown) — all of which is important, because you’re a long way from anywhere (21 miles from Marmaris or two hours by car from Dalaman airport). Book through Exclusive Escapes; 020 8605 3500,exclusiveescapes.co.uk. Prices start at £650, half-board, for a week, including flights and transfers
98 Dionysos, Kumlubuk
Bay Sitting atop a jaw-dropping canyon overlooking the Bay of Kumlubuk, this ridiculously hip sanctuary is so sexy, it bans children in high season. A five-minute transfer takes you down to the private beach club and watersports centre, but with three gourmet restaurants, an excellent spa and a horizon pool overlooking the bay, few venture that far. 252 476 7957,dionysoshotel.net; from £145/£163
99 Villa Mahal, Kalkan Bay
Nestled into a pine forest dropping down to the sea, this chic 13-room design hotel is a fabulously plush whitewashed pasha’s palace, a cobbled Santorini towed east 300 miles and moored on the Lycian coast. Hammocks, day beds and double swing chairs litter the gardens, terraces and pool decks. A private beach club is on hand should you tire of the stunning views. 242 844 3268,villamahal.com; from £177/£195
100 Yediburunlar Lighthouse, Gulf of Fethiyeh
Built from scratch by its South African owner, Leon, and his Turkish wife, Semra, this 12-guest, ramshackle-chic lodge perches 1,800ft up in the Taurus Mountains, teetering on the edge of the sheerest of cliffs, with mighty views from room and pool down across farmland to the azure Mediterranean. Book throughExclusive Escapes; 020 8605 3500, exclusiveescapes.co.uk. Prices start at £428/£471, half-board; minimum three-night stay
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