There is such demand these days for impressive books in hotels that those with the deepest pockets often recruit consultant bibliophiles to gather the coolest, thickest tomes for display and, perhaps occasionally, actual reading. The Taschen imprint will beam from the spines of many; the family-run German publishing house still dominates coffee tables and expensive shelves everywhere. And, as well as putting books in hotels, it likes putting hotels in books.

The latest editions of its popular Great Escapes series are out and include some of the world’s finest properties photographed in the publisher’s typically immersive style. Great Escapes: Europe collects 38 hotels in 17 countries, from the Highlands of Scotland to the Georgian Caucasus. Edited by Ms Angelika Taschen, a giant of interior design and good taste (and the ex-wife of Taschen founder Mr Benedikt Taschen) the book is a window to the continent to be enjoyed equally by those with holidays to plan and those who are bound to armchairs – perhaps in a hotel somewhere glorious. Here is a very brief tour of three of its best entries.

Creatives of all stripes in the know plot a course for the Hotel Der Seehof, an outwardly modest property on the banks of the small but perfectly formed Lake Goldegg, about 75km south of Salzburg in Austria. Inside, owners Ms Susi and Mr Sepp Schellhorn have created a space bursting with artistic inspiration that commands visitors to sit back and marvel at its breadth and variety. Rooms are by several designers (Ms Angelika Tacshen herself has had a go at one) and there are more artworks than the hotel has walls on which to hang it, including modern pieces by Mr Gerhard Richter and Ms Maria Lassnig. The hotel’s Restaurant Hecht is no less creatively ambitious, serving locally sourced dishes with a view over the lake, a picture itself at any time of year.

derseehof.at

Setting out to spot the northern lights can be as fruitless as looking for leopards on safari. Maximising the chances of viewing the world’s greatest light show means always looking up. That is easy to do at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, 250km north of Finland’s Arctic Circle, where glass igloos are buried in sparse forest, their domed canopies offering big-sky views all night, even from the comfort of bed. For an even plusher aurora experience, take one of the Lapland resort’s Kelo-Glass igloos, in which domed bedrooms open out from spacious log chalets made from Finnish pine. Each houses a private sauna and fireplace. Even if aurora doesn’t appear, you’ll struggle to find a better, or more comfortable, spot from which to gaze in wonder at the stars.

kakslauttanen.fi

Mr Paddy McKillen was born into a Belfast family who did motor repairs before he started investing in property. He now owns three of London’s best hotels – Claridge’s, The Berkeley and The Connaught – but is perhaps most at home in his French castle. The Château La Coste estate and luxury villa, in an ancient vineyard in the Luberon region in Provence, satisfies Mr McKillen’s abiding interests in wine, art and, most prominently, architecture. He counts Lord Richard Rogers and Mr Renzo Piano as personal friends, and La Coste now includes a pavilion by Mr Frank Gehry and an art gallery by Mr Tadao Ando. A Ms Louise Bourgeois spider crouches over the lake as visitors arrive at Mr Ando’s breezy art centre. There’s also the small matter of the biodynamic winery, designed by Mr Jean Nouvel, no less.

chateau-la-coste.com

Great Escapes: Europe (Taschen) is out now