Slow, sun-drenched days spent beneath colourful beach parasols. Cooling dips in the sea, even cooler ice-creams in an array of flavours you can’t get at home. Market stalls laden with local produce, artisan treasures, and made-to-keep antiques. And the food, oh the food. A summer holiday in Europe is all this and more, so much more. Until international travel resumes, we’ll be squeezing every last drop of citrus-scented, sand-sprinkled inspiration from these images which capture the simple pleasures of summer on the Continent…
Italy
Follow the trail of Aperol Spritz, Limoncello, and gelato by browsing over 70 boutique hotels in Italy here. Aperitivo anyone?
Greece
Sleepy fishing villages, white-washed walls, and the impossibly blue waters of the Aegean await…choose from 40 boutique hotels in Greece here.
France
For the best places to wake up to your morning croissant, look no further than our collection of over 50 boutique hotels in France here. Can you almost taste the rosé?
Spain
From Balearic island bliss and countryside fincas, to chic city breaks brimming with culture, our Spanish selection of boutique hotels will make you want to book as fast as you can say sangria. Browsing begins here…
Portugal
Culture as colourful as its iconic azulejos, ruggedly beautiful beaches with a surf scene to rival California, Portugal packs a punch when it comes to summer holidays. Start planning your Mediterranean meets Atlantic getaway here.
Croatia
Dubrovnik’s Baroque heart beats with architectural gems, while a Dalmatian buzz surrounds Split where a hopping harbour meets ancient palace walls. Croatia is calling, inspiration starts here.
Latest stories
Editor’s picks for June: from the Himalayas to Cape Cod
Far-flung corners of the world have long held appeal, bound by a sense of seclusion and an immersion in nature that leaves you feeling restored and reconnected. Our latest arrivals in the Himalayas and a private island in the Maldives promise just that, where escapism can be enjoyed at its
The ultimate Budapest city guide
Baroque buildings, thermal baths and generous helpings of goulash. What’s not to love about Budapest? Long regarded as a drinking stop on every gap year youth’s interrailing itinerary, the Hungarian capital has a seriously grown-up side that makes for an ultra-chic city break. Thankfully, we have just the hotels to
Independent Minds: Xiaoran Zhou, Kaipuu Hotels
As the first luxury hotels in China to be certified by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), Kaipuu on the Reef and Kaipuu Belfry are setting the eco-friendly bar in the history-steeped seaport of Quanzhou. The Jin River has welcomed trade and travellers from all four corners of the globe,
10 destination hotels to plan an unforgettable trip around
Travel wish-lists are nothing new — and in our case, never ending — but what about turning a trip on its head, and making the journey for a hotel so special that it’s become a destination in its own right? Hotel-centric holidays still come down to location, to a certain
