Príncipe Real, Santos & Estrela
Perfectly located and exquisitely restored (and accordingly priced to shock!), this 14-room B&B is housed inside what was once the same 19th-century neo…
Must-see hotels in Europe
Perugia
This fairy-tale castle comes with all the turreted, ivy-clad, vaulted trappings you would imagine. Its 18 individually designed rooms have been finished…
Bairro Alto, Chiado & Cais do Sodré
This fashionable, unsigned backpacker favourite near Santa Catarina features original frescoes, azulejos and hardwood floors – all lovingly restored by…
Anglesey & the North Coast
Victoria House is pretty much the perfect guesthouse – a delightful, solid Victorian building in the middle of Caernarfon's old town, run by exceptionally…
Graz
Central but just removed from the action, four-star Schlossberg is blessed with a prime location tucked below its namesake. Rooms are well sized,…
Syntagma & Plaka
If you aspire to the best, the most prestigious place to stay in Athens is – and always has been – the Grande Bretagne, right on Syntagma Sq. Built in…
Bernese Oberland
Picture a dark-wood, 500-year-old chalet snuggled against the hillside, flower-strewn meadows where cows graze placidly, views of waterfalls and glaciers …
Billund
Lego is everywhere here, alongside spectacular kid-friendly detail – but there's also plenty of appeal for grown-ups at this 223-room hotel. Standard …
Macedonia
Occupying a former Islamic seminary built in 1817 by Pasha Mohamed Ali, this stunning hotel complex in Panagia blends original stone features such as…
Ravello
There can be no better place to swim than the Caruso’s sensational infinity pool. Seemingly set on the edge of a precipice, its blue waters merge with the…
Lyon & the Rhône Valley
By far the most unusual sleeping option in the Gorges de l'Ardèche, this good find offers eight luxury safari tents (called 'lodges') and four modern,…
Western Sicily
Head 15km south of Trapani, into the countryside, to find this outstanding farm retreat. Four of its 13 attractive rooms have sea views and there are…
Corte
Set in a powder-blue house on Corte’s northern edge, this peach of a B&B is run by a charming couple, Marina and Antoine. The three rooms and two suites…
Positano
Cue a fanfare of trumpets. Even by Positano standards, the Franca is high-class: an operatic mix of stylish white minimalism with a few regal touches…
Vila Nova de Gaia
Named after one of port producer Taylor’s original founders, the Yeatman is Porto's only true five-star resort, terraced and tucked into the Gaia hillside…
Vilnius
Staying at luxurious Pacai, in a restored 17th-century palace, you slumber beneath the same timber beams as past nobles – except nowadays there's modern…
Rhodes Town
The life’s work of builder Sotiris Nikolis and his Danish partner Marianne, this fine hotel ranges through several restored buildings and a flowery…
Lyon
Four 14th- to 17th-century houses wrapped around a traboule (secret passage) with preserved features such as Italianate loggias make this an exquisite…
Ronda
Located in a particularly tranquil part of town, this hotel is one of those old-on-the-outside, supermodern-on-the-inside places that Spain does so well…
Southern Corsica
Run by two brothers, this boutique farmhouse near Cucuruzzu hillfort is pure class. Its 16 rooms and two stilt-perched, family-friendly treehouse cabins…
Rhodes Town
This 15th-century pasha's house lovingly recreates an Ottoman ambience with verve and style. Some rooms are in the mansion itself, the rest open onto the…
Basel
Indisputably Basel's most prestigious address, this beautiful riverfront hotel blends the dignified elegance of bygone times (waltz in the ballroom,…
Geneva
Occupying a prime waterfront position, the striking Mandarin Oriental Geneva does not fail to live up to the exceptionally high bar set by the sister…
Jersey
Jersey's most distinguished hotel is a country manor, parts of which date back to the 14th century. Each of its 30 rooms and suites is individually styled…
Geneva
If only the walls of this lavish, historic hotel, run by the esteemed Mayer family for five generations, could talk! Boasting an evocative setting where…
Tyrol
It’s the little touches that make all the difference at this chalet hotel, such as the oven-warm bread at breakfast (owner Clemens is a baker) and yoga…
Montreux
Built in a record 18 months in 1906, this stunning example of belle époque architecture maintains a traditional and elegant atmosphere: today it's managed…
Reims
Such class! If you've ever wanted to stay in a palace, this romantic château on the fringes of Reims is the real McCoy. Manicured lawns sweep to the…
Salzburg
With its bright, pine-filled rooms, mountain views and garden, this place is big on charm. The largest, quietest rooms face the back and have balconies…
Grindelwald
The sweet Breitenstein family makes you feel at home in their rustic timber chalet, brimming with heirlooms from landscape paintings to snapshots of…
Tyrol
The Kratzer-Pilotto family bend over backwards to please at this homely chalet, with sweet and simple rooms dressed in traditional Tyrolean style, with…
Liverpool
This exquisite B&B, in a converted Grade II–listed Georgian townhouse from 1826, might just be the most elegant option in town. It only has four rooms,…
Fira
This five-star cave hotel is something special, with great attention paid to tiny details. Terraces look out over the caldera, the Cliff Suite comes with…
Colmar
This graceful late-19th-century villa manages the careful balancing act of combining original art-nouveau features with modern comforts such as in-room…
Ajaccio
Nestled right at the water’s edge, 1.5km west of the old town, this colonnaded, peach-coloured 19th-century mansion is a dream. Views of the bay from its…
Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa
Interlaken
The reverent hush and impeccable service at this landmark grand hotel evoke an era when only royalty and the seriously wealthy travelled. A perfect…
Southern Corsica
This delightful family-run B&B hides in a pretty village house in tiny San Gavinu di Carbini, between Levie and Zonza. The rooms are exquisite, blending…
Innsbruck
Beneath the arcades, this atmospheric Altstadt hotel has played host to guests for 500 years, including a 13-year-old Mozart. With its wood-panelled…
Ribeira
In a restored relic overlooking the Rio Douro, these eight rooms have been blessed with gorgeous wooden floors, plush queen beds and marble baths; the…
Lyon & the Rhône Valley
Just 300m away from the Pont d'Arc, the aptly named Belvédère (Lookout) has 30 rooms that have been sleekly refitted. Half of the rooms have views of the…
