Must-see hotels in Europe

  • Berjaya Reykjavik Marina Hotel

    Reykjavík

    Captivating art, cool nautical-chic decor and up-to-the-second mod cons ensure this harbourside design hotel is a gorgeous retreat. Clever ways to…

  • Icehotel

    Lappland

    Every winter, from December onwards, the Icehotel seems to grow organically from ice blocks taken from the Torne river, while international artists flock…

  • Aldeia da Mata Pequena

    Portugal

    Located 9km south of Mafra, this unique rural tourism option is the forward-thinking vision of lisboêta Diogo Batalha, who managed to buy and restore 18…

  • Hôtel Lutetia

    St-Germain & Les Invalides

    Built in 1910 by the founders of neighbouring department store Le Bon Marché to accommodate their customers, the landmark Lutetia received a magnificent…

  • AdAstra

    Oltrarno

    There is no other address quite like it in Florence. Seductively at home in a 16th-century palazzo overlooking Europe's largest private walled garden,…

  • RomeHello

    Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo

    Funnelling all of its profits into worthy social enterprises, this street-art-adorned hostel is the best in the city. Opened in 2018, it offers 200 beds,…

  • Hôtel François 1er

    La Rochelle

    This 36-room themed hotel, squirrelled away in a centuries-old bourgeois mansion, is a secret museum of street art and rock memorabilia. Monumental…

  • Casa das Penhas Douradas

    Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela

    Make it up to this fantastic mountain hideaway and you won't want to leave. Everything about the place is just so right, from its panoramic setting to the…

  • Glenlo Abbey Hotel

    Galway City

    Set on the shores of Lough Corrib, 4km northwest of Galway, this 1740-built stone manor is the ancestral home of the Ffrench family, one of Galway's 14…

  • Residenza Amblingh

    Abruzzo

    Don't even think about leaving Vasto off your itinerary when you can stay at this debonair accommodation offering four beautifully decorated suites (two…

  • Hotel Wiesler

    Graz

    The riverside Wiesler, a Jugendstil (art nouveau) gem from 1901, has been transformed into Graz' most glamorous hotel, complete with oriental-style spa…

  • St. George Hotel

    Helsinki

    Set in a Renaissance Revival building completed by architect Onni Tarjanne in 1890, this hotel is one of the most prestigious in Helsinki. It represents…

  • Prendiparte B&B

    Bologna

    You will never – repeat, never – stay anywhere else like this. Forget the B&B tag: you don't just get a room here, you get an entire 900-year-old tower …

  • Vila Monte

    Olhão

    Set over nine hectares of olive groves, orange orchards and gardens blazing with bougainvillea, this stunningly designed farmhouse estate 11km northeast…

  • Santiago de Alfama

    Alfama, Castelo & Graça

    In 2015 Dutch hospitality dreamer Heleen Uitenbroek turned a ruined 15th-century palace into luxury sleeps at this 19-room bastion of style. It's airy and…

  • Barbialla Nuova

    Northwestern Tuscany

    Creamy Chianina cows graze on the hillside and wild boars ferret for white truffles between tree roots on this heavily wooded, 500-hectare biodynamic farm…

  • Aria Hotel Budapest

    Budapest

    Our favourite new hotel in Budapest, the Aria is a music-themed affair built around an old townhouse, with Jazz, Opera, Classical and Pop Wings. Each of…

  • SoprArno Suites

    Oltrarno

    This boutique gem, tucked in a quaint Oltrarno courtyard, creates an intimate home-from-home vibe while making each guest feel special. Thirteen designer…

  • SWEETS Hotel

    Amsterdam

    Amsterdam architectural firm Space & Matter's ingenious project lets you stay in uniquely renovated canal-bridge houses, where bridge keepers once lived…

  • Hotel Soho Boutique Palacio San Gabriel

    Ronda

    Despite new chain-hotel management, this heavyweight historic edifice retains its age-old charm, filled with antiques and faded photographs that offer an…

  • Koza Cave Hotel

    Göreme

    Koza is a masterclass in stylish sustainable tourism. Passionate owner Derviş spent decades living in Holland and has incorporated Dutch eco-sensibility…

  • El Palace

    L'Eixample

    Launched in 1919 as the Ritz (with Paris, London and Madrid), Barcelona's dazzling luxury original continues to wow a century later. The 120 exquisitely…

  • La Minerva

    Capri

    This gleaming establishment is a model of Capri style and considered by many to be one of the best hotels in Italy. The 19 rooms, which cascade down the…

  • Palácio Belmonte

    Alfama, Castelo & Graça

    Nestled beside Castelo de São Jorge, this 15th-century palace, formerly belonging to the family of Brazil explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral, turns on the VIP…

  • Villa Spalletti Trivelli

    Monti, Esquilino & San Lorenzo

    Furnished with 16th-century tapestries, antique books and original period furnishings, this mansion was built by Gabriella Rasponi, niece of Carolina…

  • Legoland Holiday Village

    Billund

    Taking everything up a notch with marvellous Lego detail, this outstanding 'village' incorporates the Pirates' Inn Motel and a huge camping ground. In the…

  • Cour des Vosges

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    Painted ceiling beams, period terracotta and a mesmerising collection of art, books and curiosities only adds to the exceeding charm of this five-star…

  • Seegasthof-Hotel Lackner

    Mondsee

    Set on the shore of the Mondsee, the Lackner offers elegant, contemporary rooms with balconies and lovely lake views. A private beach is set among the…

  • Grand Hôtel Stockholm

    Stockholm

    This is where the literati, glitterati and nobility call it a night. A waterfront landmark, with several exclusive restaurants and a see-and-be-seen piano…

  • Student Hotel

    Florence

    Designed for anyone with a fun 'student-for-life' spirit, this hostel-hotel hybrid embodies 21st-century living – in a historic palazzo from 1864. Sharp…

  • Lido Palace

    Lake Garda

    If you're flush with euros, Riva's captivating Lido Palace is the place to offload them. The exquisite building dates back to 1899 when it opened as a…

  • Gjaid Alm

    The Salzkammergut

    This delightfully remote place is set in a rocky hollow replete with grazing cattle, sheep and horses, an easy 10-minute walk from the cable-car station…

  • Moon Hill Hostel

    Sintra

    This design-forward, minimalist newcomer easily outshines the competition. Book a bed in a four-bed mixed dorm (with lockers), or a boutique-hotel-level…

  • Hotel Palazzo Murat

    Positano

    Positano personified. Hidden behind an ancient wall away from the tourists who surge along the pedestrian thoroughfares daily, this magnificent hotel…

  • Four Seasons Gresham Palace Hotel

    Budapest

    This one-of-a-kind luxury hotel was created out of the long-derelict art nouveau Gresham Palace (1907) and no expense was spared to piece back together…

  • L’Hôtel

    St-Germain & Les Invalides

    In a quiet quayside street, this 20-room establishment is the stuff of romance, Parisian myths and urban legends. Rock- and film-star patrons fight to…

  • Shantee House

    Budapest

    Budapest’s first hostel (then known as the Back-Pack Guesthouse), the Shantee has added two floors to its colourful suburban 'villa' in south Buda. It's…

  • Sextantio

    Abruzzo

    This enchanting albergo diffuso, with 28 distinctive rooms and suites scattered throughout the village, was what helped rescue Santo Stefano from oblivion…

  • Capri Palace

    Capri

    This really lives up to the 'palace' in its name – a regal mix of chicness, opulence and unashamed luxury that takes the concept of la dolce vita to…

  • Mezzatorre Resort & Spa

    Ischia

    Occupying its own promontory above the sea, this luxurious resort is surrounded by a 2.8-hectare pine wood, with sitting rooms and some guestrooms located…

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