Ellenborough Park

Cheltenham, England

The original dark wood-panelled dining room; the majestic great hall overseen by a minstrels’ gallery (a cosy balcony, also ideal for post- dinner single malts); and the Cotswold stone that’s the literal building blocks of the property – there’s history in every nook of this 15th-century Cheltenham manor house. Located...read more

Dunes by Al Nahda

Wadi Al Abiyad, Oman

After silently thanking George Cayley for inventing the seatbelt and ascending a near-vertical sand dune in a power-packed jeep, arriving at Dunes by Al Nahda will feel like stumbling across a desert oasis. In the distance, an infinity pool pours into the sands, the resident camel can be heard grunting...read more

Gran Meliá Arusha

A perfect pit stop for intrepid travellers exploring the wilderness of the Serengeti and the dizzying heights of Kilimanjaro, this East African resort brings a touch of Spanish flair to the Arusha region. Tucked under Tanzania’s mighty Mount Meru, expect striking views across pristine landscaped gardens and a dazzling backdrop...read more

Daydream Island

Whitsundays

In terms of colour scheme, Whitsundays stalwart Daydream Island is a little like a photograph that has been overedited. You’ll find yourself wondering how a sea could possibly be this blue as you arrive by ferry at the private island. The rainforest is ridiculously verdant and the sand as white...read more

The Swan

Ascott-under-Wychwood

A honey-hued Cotswolds darling near Chipping Norton, this 16th-century coaching inn steals the show for its modern take on pub grub. It starts with fresh bread – sourdough and rye – with three homemade churns: horseradish and dripping butter, goat’s butter with lardons and a fiery gochujang spread, and a...read more

Hotel de Russie

Rome, Italy

Rome wasn’t built in a day; perfection takes time – case in point, this 19th-century hotel. Gracing Centro Storico with its palatial proportions, the peach facade has matured with age, achieving a gravitas that charms the best-heeled Romans to frequent its Olga Polizzi interiors. Airy suites bathe in soft sunlight...read more

Beaverbrook

Leatherhead, Surrey

Grand country mansions are as common in Surrey as cucumber sandwiches are at afternoon tea. But glorious buttermilk-coloured country pads that acted as a command centre for Winston Churchill during the Second World War are, indeed, a rare gem. Owned by the late media mogul Lord Beaverbrook, high-profile guests to...read more

Villa Clarisse

Île de Ré, France

It is a singularly chic municipal edict that denotes that all shutters and doors on the Île de Ré – an idyllic 85 sq km island off France’s west coast – must be painted in one of 16 permitted shades. Against a palette spanning dove grey to moss green via...read more

Minos Beach Art Hotel

Crete, Greece

There are few places better to soothe a frazzled urban soul than poolside at Crete’s tranquil Minos Beach Art Hotel. Nestled between the whitewashed towns of Agios Nikolaos and Elounda, the low-rise, 1961-built idyll is surrounded by pines and framed by the turquoise Mirabello Bay, its fragrant, contemporary art-filled gardens...read more