Housed in an art-filled neoclassical mansion on the Cycladic island of Syros (just a short high-speed ferry from Mykonos), the nine-suite Hotel Aristide is designed for those in the know and with an appreciation for aesthetics. An on-site gallery plays host to rotating exhibits from resident artists, while the ritzy restored mansion is an aristocratic masterpiece in its own right with pistachio-green walls, dizzying Doric columns and pentelikon marble – the same material used in the Acropolis. Tucked right into the romantic heart of the pastel-hued, cliff-top capital of Ermoupoli, Hotel Aristide is less than 10 minutes from both the city’s main Miaouli Square as well as the beach; however, Aegean views can also be found closer to home, at the hotel’s rooftop restaurant and bar.

hotelaristide.com

If you ever wanted to know what it’s like to live inside a novel by Ms Jane Austen, check out Henry’s Townhouse, a six-key hideaway once occupied by Austen’s older brother, the eponymous Henry. Quaint, curious and characterful with candlelit snugs and no shortage of velvet, this intimate Marylebone townhouse first opened in 2020 as an exclusive-use rental property. However, it’s now available to book by the room. Each takes its personality from a member of the Austen clan (Cassandra is our pick, with its duck-egg-blue walls and a roll-top tub). Spend your stay sipping English cuvées in the Georgian-style pantry; playing backgammon in the red-and-white striped drawing room; or catching up on the classics in the reading room, which is, of course, named after Jane.

henrystownhouse.co.uk

In a centuries-old stone farmhouse in the petite Norman commune of Bellou-le-Trichard, La Planque en Perche isn’t so much a boutique hotel as it is a restaurant with rooms. There is just a handful of chambres d’hôtes to choose from at this warm rural refuge just two hours from Paris, but with pared-back, country minimalism (see: exposed beams and wide windows overlooking beds of wildflowers and farmland freckled with horses), you cannot choose wrong. Then there is the 35-cover restaurant, an absolute must with garden-fresh fare and biodynamic wines. The menu – cooked up by the owners – changes every week, but the highlight is always the seasonal produce, sourced right from the vegetable patch and nearby farmers’ market.

laplanqueenperche.com

Kraków might not be at the top of your travel list, but it should be. A jumble of castles and cathedrals, bars and boutiques, this is a buzzy university town with an old soul that translates seamlessly into 21st-century cool. The place to stay? The Warszauer, which opened in early 2022 by jewellery designer Ms Marta Gajewska. With six rooms and four apartments, this is a modern townhouse of concrete, terrazzo and steel, located in the hip and creative historic Jewish quarter, Kazimierz. Far from your average hotel, this boutique bolthole feels more like a gallery: geometric, Picasso-esque artworks are custom creations by local Polish artist Mr Tomasz Opaliński, while the sculptural furniture – with Wassily chairs and industrial lighting – makes for an original and completely contemporary backdrop. Take the two-floor penthouse apartment, which has views over the rooftops and a bathroom framed by swathes of marble.

warszauer.com

In the town of Ashford on the scarp edge of the North Downs, the wisteria-tangled Boys Hall – named for the prominent Boys family who built the property in 1616 and lived there for five generations – is not short on stories. It’s rumoured that Charles I made a stop there while on the run from Mr Oliver Cromwell’s Parliamentarians. Underground tunnels were discovered in the cellar, likely used by wool smugglers from nearby Romney Marsh, and during renovations in the 1970s, 17 gold coins were found under the floorboards – three of which now reside at the British Museum. These days, as a hotel and restaurant by husband-and-wife team Ms Kristie and Mr Brad Lomas, Boys Hall has entered its next chapter since it opened in 2023. The Ernest room, with its freestanding soaking tub framed by light-filled mullioned windows, is a favourite pick.

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Portugal has become ultra-trendy over the past few years, and soulful, red-roofed Lisbon, with its winding alleys and cobblestoned hills, is leading the charge as one of Europe’s coolest capitals. There are plenty of little pockets to discover on your next trip, such as the leafy and historic neighbourhood of Príncipe Real, site of the Montecarmo 12 property. With 10 rooms spread over three floors and set on the quiet Travessa Monte do Carmo – just off the main drag and the four-hectare Botanical Garden of Lisbon – the minimalist hotel is a real refuge in the city. Local lioz limestone features prominently, giving the building an unadorned, monastic feel, while a spiral staircase uncoils at the hotel’s heart. A custom scent of geranium, lavender, lemongrass and rosemary refreshes the space and the intimate restaurant, whose shared kitchen table creates a sense of community among guests.

montecarmo12.com

Pinned to the top of a cypress and vine-covered hill overlooking Lake Garda in Northern Italy, Eremus Relais dates back to the 16th century. If you had to describe it in one word? Peaceful. Occupying a one-time convent for Capuchin friars, each of the seven private apartments (with two more on the way) are quietly stylish with vistas across the lake and hillscapes. There are natural wood accents and original architectural features dating back to its time as a convent, such as the private porticos in the ground-floor apartments. Breakfast of fresh pastries and fluffy cappuccinos can be taken in the deconsecrated church with surrounding terracotta-roofed cloisters. There’s also a rather divine infinity pool and bar (the perfect spot for a sunset spritz) and serene garden, teeming with citrus trees and frilly fronds of lavender.

eremusrelais.com