Telegraph
What price would you pay to stay in a great hotel? This is not a trick question. Many might assume that what you would be happy to pay versus what you are expected to pay for a night in an amazing establishment do not match up. I have good news: there are now, more than ever before, a crop of cool hotels which will not break the bank.
We asked our experts around the globe to nominate their favourite hotels – all reviewed for us – which offer excellent value for money. They all have a standout feature: it might be a honey-toned hideaway in Provence for gourmands, a buzzing spot on the west coast of Ibiza, or a tiny island bolthole in Greece or Croatia. All of them cost from as little as £50 up to around £150 a night in low season (and some fall between these prices in high season, too). Happy budgeting.
ITALY
Il Baciarino
Vetulonia, Tuscany, Italy
Il Baciarino comprises stone cabins built into the side of a mountain, with spectacular sea views towards the island of Giglio. Owner’s Clelia and Andrea met at his family’s former fishmonger, fell in love, and created the hotel together. The design details – driftwood sculptures, family photos, cosy communal spaces – make for an unforgettable experience. Communal dinners might include perfectly seasoned fresh anchovies, raw amberjack or homemade pasta.
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From
£
62
per night
Casale Valigi
Narni, Umbria, Italy
Rome has Palazzo Fendi; Florence has Gucci Garden; and Narni has Casale Valigi, the Umbrian answer to the fashion-branded hotel. Run by the founders of the same name, this farmhouse honours the region’s rural simplicity while imbuing it with an impeccably elegant style. Expect family antiques, French flea-market treasures, contemporary Groppi lighting and Artemide chairs. Outside, there is a saltwater pool and lush gardens. Each room has a charming original architectural detail.
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From
£
103
per night
Rates provided by
Booking.com
La Locanda del Benaco
Lake Garda, Italy
This stylish boutique hotel is situated along the waterfront promenade right in the heart of Salò. The rooms are designed with industrial materials including oxidised iron, slate and cement. The buzzing restaurant is rated among the best in the area: try lake fish alongside seasonal favourites. Staff can organise activities in the area including bikes, motorbikes and boat rental, along with water sports, paragliding and visits to wineries.
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From
£
99
per night
Rates provided by
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Albergo il Monastero
Ischia, Naples, Italy
A stylish boutique hotel housed in a former monastery within the medieval Aragonese Castle, perched atop a rocky outcrop connected to the island of Ischia by a narrow causeway. The castle is one of Ischia’s main attractions, and visitors queue for entry at the foot of the rocks. Hotel guests are waved on through and directed skyward in an lift shaft carved into the rocks, with pleasing echoes of a Bond villain’s lair. Bedrooms (originally monks’ cells) are fittingly modest and tranquil.
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From
£
61
per night
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Le Moulin du Roc
Champagnac-de-Belair, Dordogne, France
Le Moulin du Roc offers French heaven in a handsome mill and trout-serenaded brook. The 15 rooms slumber peacefully beneath beams and exposed stone; some have a private terrace overlooking the river, pristine green lawns and pool beyond. Foie gras, lamb, mushrooms, Périgord truffles and strawberries are among the local products exalted in the restaurant, which has had one Michelin star since 1979.
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From
£
114
per night
Rates provided by
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Château de Mazan
Mazan, Provence, France
Foodies and wine-lovers will lap up the Provençal lifestyle in this honey-toned hideaway, which was the Marquis de Sade’s ancestral home (the only memories of him are restricted to several languorous female nudes). Bedrooms reveal faded Empire-style furniture, romantic beds and glimpses of grounds planted with lavender beds, mulberry and olive trees. Staff can organise bikes or kayaking on the River Sorgue, though you might prefer to sip the signature peach and champagne cocktail poolside.
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From
£
115
per night
Rates provided by
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Hotel Des Isles
Barneville-Carteret, Normandy, France
The Hôtel des Isles is an ideal place to stay for an old-fashioned family holiday, built in 1933 as a family seaside hotel. It stands by one of the most beautiful sandy beaches of the northwest Cotentin Peninsula and offers lots of activities, from sailing to jazz concerts. The 30 rooms all have a nautical feel, and most of them enjoy a unique view of the beach or the Ccape of Carteret.
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From
£
102
per night
Rates provided by
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SPAIN
Little Beach House
Garraf, Catalonia, Spain
Soho House’s take on a Spanish beachfront motel, in the small fishing village of Garraf, just 30 minutes’ drive from Barcelona. The group took over the former Hotel Quim which originally opened in the 1950s, and the retro feel still remains, not least because the interior design choices respect the hotel’s heritage: the restaurant tables, for example, were created using original designs. Sea View rooms are best.
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From
£
116
per night
Hotel Iraragorri
Galdakao, Basque Country, Spain
This 500 year-old farmhouse, on the outskirts of Bilbao, has been passed down generations – the youngest has made it into a boutique hotel, decorated by top interior designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán. Antique artworks, knick-knacks and furniture is arranged in a way that is distinctly modern, yet fully vintage. The restaurant, Petit Komitée, is farm-to-table inspired, so always ask what’s in season — you might be pleasantly surprised by, say, a simple heirloom tomato salad.
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From
£
58
per night
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Finca El Cerrillo
Malaga, Andalucia, Spain
A beautifully blanched 200-year-old Andalucian finca framed by palms and pines, backed by the Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama Natural Park. It was a working olive mill until the 1960s, then home to well-known artist Jack Rutherford. A flower-fringed path leads to the perfectly turquoise pool, gazing out across the valley and offset by red-and-white-striped sunbeds and terracotta tiles. Delicious Mediterranean dinners are served four nights a week.
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From
£
78
per night
Hostal La Torre
San Antonio, Ibiza, Spain
La Torre packs the essence of Ibiza into a deceptively simple package. The luxuries here are the kind that money just cannot buy: location, light and that all-important feel-good factor. It’s one of the best places on the island to watch the sun go down. The family behind the hotel – who also run the renowned Café Mambo – have got it down to a tee with a predominance of white, bleached wood and natural materials.
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From
£
67
per night
Rates provided by
Booking.com
PORTUGAL
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