Enjoy a delightful stay at Castell d'Emporda on our Catalan Classic Walk. Perched between the Pyrenees and the Costa Brava's cliffs, This superbly restored 700-year old castle is nestled between ancient olive trees and also holds Europe's largest scale model of the Battle of Waterloo.

Admire the architecture on our Self-Guided Walking in Puglia and Matera, where you’ll stay at Hotel Sassi overlooking the ancient honeycomb structures in Matera's Sassi district.

We’ve been carefully researching and sourcing the finest, friendliest and most charming hotels and characterful accommodations since 1985. Looking out for small, family-owned accommodations that take a genuine interest in their guests, we also keep an eye out for places whose menus epitomise the local cuisine.

Our accommodations offer much more than just a bed for the night. Many are historic properties, castles and palaces that have previously hosted monarchs, renowned artists and famous authors. All are individually selected, and because we have strong, trusted relationships with our hoteliers, you can expect a warm welcome wherever you go.

It's all in the Detail

Some of the places we feature are way off-the-beaten-track in mountain villages while others are in the heart of the most ornate historic centres. Many reflect the tastes and, at times, quirky styles of their owners, with all sharing a desire to provide "service plus" at every point of your stay.

If you’re looking to stay in a small family-run hotel, our Taste of Tuscany Walking trip allows you to stay at Agriturismo La Pietriccia, run by brothers Stefano and Simone near Chianciano, Italy. For a restored castle stay, our Contrasts of Catalonia Cycling takes you to the enchanting Castell d’Emporda which houses Europe’s biggest scale model of the Battle of Waterloo. If you’d like to stay in a modern hotel, complete with a wellness centre, our Cycling from Bruges to Brussels trip, takes you to Hotel Hotel Vé, a former fish smokehouse and cigar factory in 1923, located 450 yards away from Grote Markt.

Hotel ratings

Simply follow the "Hotels" link on the individual holiday pages to find out more about your accommodation. We clearly mark each accommodation with an official star rating or, if one does not exist, then we have rated them with our own rating.

All our accommodation has been inspected and classified by the authorities of the relevant countries. As there is no direct British equivalent of many classifications, the broad expression ‘hotels’ refers to all the different types of accommodation we use, from friendly family-run B&B and country inns to luxury hotels (where is the country’s official hotel rating).

The symbol indicates the level of comfort for all accommodation not falling within the country’s official rating system and has been assessed by us in a similar way to the Rosette system used by the AA within the UK. These accommodations are usually officially licensed, extremely popular with customers and very much part of the country way of life.

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Our favourite places to stay

What our customers say

"Excellent relaxing holiday - accommodation was faultless."
Mrs Pitchforth, St Albans

"Fantastic accommodation and wonderful food!"
Mr Dickinson, Truro

"The locations were beautiful and the accommodation characterful and uniformly excellent, as was the food (and drink!) throughout."
Mr Larner, Dublin

"The accommodations and food were amazing and we would not have been able to find them on our own."
Mrs Merricks, USA

"The holiday was about as good as it gets, especially the accommodation and food, which was often provided in nearby restaurants."
Mr McGeoch, Bristol

"All accommodation was very good, with the Hotel Montmirail and Chateau de Mazan being truly excellent."Dr O'Grady, Warrington

"Our accommodation was superb at all three hotels and staff were friendly and knowledgeable."Mrs Reir, Inverurie

"The accommodation was delightful and made the most of the historical features."Dr File, Dundee