From Times Online
April 1, 2009
Boutique retreats in Europe for under £100
The website i-escape has cherry picked its favourite spots. It's such a good list, we've republished it here
Holidaying in 2009 is all about getting the most for your money, but that doesn't have to mean bunking down in a hostel, pitching a leaky tent or checking into a soulless budget hotel. Here's the pick from the larders of i-escape - all offers include a gift
Casa Sibarita, Rafelguaraf, Valencia, Spain
A 19th century townhouse in the small town of Rafelguaraf, this place has a winning combination of old-world Spanish structure tempered with modern art, sculptures, wrought-iron chandeliers, art-deco lamps, as well as a lovely pool that gets the sun all day. You are on the outskirts of Valencia and just a short drive from the sandy beaches of Gandia. All rooms are on a special offer of just £47 per room per night, including breakfast, throughout 2009.
Le Tresor, Sonnac-sur-l'Hers, near Carcassonne, France
London meets Languedoc at this hip hideaway in the hills south of Carcassonne. From the outside, Le Trésor has quintessentially southern French good looks; a triple-storied French maison with green shuttered windows looking out onto the sleepy village square. But once you step inside it's a racy cocktail of contemporary prints and fabrics, jazzy chandeliers, angular lamps and whirly art. The house is engagingly laid-back and guests are actively encouraged to treat Le Trésor as you would your own home. From £80 per room per night.
Rustic meets Rococo in this stylish but affordable agriturismo in Tuscany's (relatively) unexplored Maremma region. Don't be put off by the house's exterior - beneath a 1970s coat of concrete render (a previous owner had suburban aspirations) a period farmhouse survives almost intact. The landscape is completely unspoiled; the views from the pool are stunning. And all will be forgiven once you step inside - a winning combination of traditional farmstead, a dash of contemporary style and antique furniture. From £94 per room per night, including breakfast.
Elies Hotel, Kardamyli, Peloponnese, Greece
Secluded stone cottages with stylish interiors, tucked among gnarled olive trees a pebble's throw from Kardamyli's lovely beach. Elies Hotel is the only accommodation on this lovely sweep of azure sea, fringed by those famous olive groves and backed by snow-capped Mt. Taygetos. The interiors offer an unexpected, almost Scandinavian chic-ness - classy pastel shades, gleaming kitchenettes, comfy contemporary sofas, brilliant rugs on bleached pine floors. From £94 per room per night, including breakfast.
Hotel Los Castanos, Nr Ronda, Spain
A cosy small hotel in an undiscovered white village with forest and mountain all around, 8km south of Ronda The hotel is small and intimate, welcoming and indulging. You get whitewashed walls, open fires, a big airy sitting room and six super-comfy rooms; all have small balconies. At the top of the house, a roof terrace and a plunge pool; at the bottom, a dining room for delicious home-cooked suppers. From £74 per room per night.
Masseria degli Ulivi, Noto, Sicily, Italy
A peaceful and remote hotel in the hills with a stunning pool and simple, rustic rooms. A short drive up a winding road to the hills above the lovely town of Noto brings you to the incredibly tranquil 'Farmhouse of Olives'. Simple, comfy rooms have high beamed ceilings; some are split level, which will suit families. But it's the setting which makes it: you're in the depths of nature, with Sicily's most spectacular river gorge and her loveliest Baroque town both on your doorstep. From £94 per room per night.
Blue Sturgeon, St Seurin d'Uzet, near Bordeaux, France
St Seurin d'Uzet was made famous in the 1920s when it became lead player in a nascent French caviar industry and this simple and stylish B&B looks to this delicacy of delicacies as its touchstone. An eclectic mix of new design classics and great food, with caviar and oysters as the culinary kingpins, and outside, a plunge pool sits amidst gloriously leafy gardens.From £89 (95 Euros) per room per night, includes breakfast.
Casas da Lapa, Serra de Estrela, Portugal
One of Europe's great little secrets - a stylishly renovated country hotel amidst Portugal's highest mountains, offering warm hospitality, great food and stunning hiking. Surrounded by the rugged beauty of the Serra de Estrela National Park, the hotel is constructed from old shepherd's cottages overlooking a swimming pool and courtyard. Inside you'll find light bedrooms with jacuzzi tubs, walls of rough stone and smooth whitewash, neutral colours enlivened by dusky reds and olives. And after a hard day the sauna and steam bath will leave you in the pink. From £84 per room, including breakfast and use of bikes.
Terrace Houses, Sirince, near Ephesus, Turkey
Rent your own 19th century cottage in this pretty hill town. Each has been restored with lashings of love and personality - reclaimed marble basins, claw-footed tubs, vast sleigh beds and snuggly sleeping loft mixed with cool Chinese lanterns and wrought iron chandeliers, strings of drying red peppers in the kitchens and clutches of fresh pink oleander by the bedside. These are cosy homes with character and history and you're just 10km Ephesus. A week will cost from £654 for a cottage that sleeps up to four (equal to £94 per night).
CasaCinco, Vejer de la Frontera, Andalucia, Spain
A contemporary B&B in a historic townhouse in Vejer de la Frontera, close to Spain's Costa de la Luz. A 1750 house, an 11th-century well, 21st-century lipstick and pearls, it's funky, cosy and lived-in, making it a very relaxing B&B in which to stay. The five rooms are a feast for the senses, all are furnished with colour and style. Head up to the roof terrace and chill in the shade on Moroccan rugs or gaze over the town and look down to the coast. From £89 per room per night, including breakfast.
A homely, 16th-century seaside villa on a tiny unspoilt island, an hour's ferry ride from the walled city of Dubrovnik. This is a back-to-nature escape among some of the loveliest seascapes in the world. Above the ground-floor lounge, with its library and internet corner, are 6 spacious, white-washed rooms, stylishly furnished with wicker chaise-longues and splashes of colour from Indian cotton bedcovers. From the seafront, a path leads across the island through herb-scented Mediterranean vegetation to one of Croatia's rare sand beaches set in a blissful bay. From £66 per room per night, including breakfast.
Anidri Eco-cottages, near Paleochora, Crete, Greece
An eco retreat nestling in olive groves high above Crete's spectacular south coast, with two 3-bedroom cottages and a yoga room. From the moment you awake to the tinkling of goatbells and the buzzing of cicadas, you know it's going to be a good day. Step barefoot onto the sunwarmed terrace: a gentle breeze, bright blue skies and endless olive trees. Simple, natural surroundings for guests seeking beauty and inspiration away from Crete's resorts, but not far from some of her most pristine beaches. From £38 per room per night. Three bedroom cottages (sleeping six) are also available for £700 per week.
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