Is there anything more delightful than a lovely boutique hotel? Elegant swimming pool set-ups, comfy lobby lounges, friendly bartenders and chic rooms you can pretend are your own little European pied-à-terre. The best have fabulous restaurants and views stacked with natural bounty — but for many, you’ll have to go outside the typical Mediterranean locations. A spontaneous trip to the Continent is a great time to try something different, whether a lesser-trodden Italian region or an Alpine country in summer. From 12-room Piedmontese hideaways to family-friendly lodges on Portugal’s surfer coast, these ten boutique hotels deliver on small-scale style — and they all have decent availability in July and August. Prices listed below are for summer.
1. Le Mas de la Rose, Provence, France
The handsome stone farm buildings of this understated complex weave around an alluring swimming pool, shelving out from the shallows like a turquoise Riviera bay. With just nine rooms and three suites, this place feels intimate, and the chunky wood beams, cool farmhouse tiles and freestanding tubs give rooms a romantic lilt. The surroundings are just what you’d expect from a Provençal hideaway: olive groves, lavender trails and scented pines. You’ll find the hotel in Orgon, a 40-minute drive from pretty Avignon — a perfect jumping-off base for exploring Provence villages with a hire car.
Details Room-only doubles from £306 (mas-rose.com). Fly to Avignon
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2. Nordelaia, Piedmont, Italy
Each room at Nordelaia features unique design
RICCARDO GASPERONI
We love a small but mighty hotel, and Nordelaia’s 12 rooms cover every shade of Italian style. Take the La Foresta suite, with polished wooden panelling, bright teal and mid-century details, or the Estate room, draped in lush four-poster fabrics in Medici-in-feel golds. Independently owned, adults-only and packed with character, it’s in the northern, foodie province of Piedmont in the small town of Cremolino (expect excellent cheeses and robust bottles of barolo) and has a beautiful hillside setting. Lounge by the infinity pool with its staggering views of the countryside, join morning yoga or indulge in a winery visit or cooking class arranged by the hotel team.
Details B&B doubles from £379 (nordelaia.com). Fly to Genoa
3. La Dehesa Don Pedro, Extremadura, Spain
La Dehesa Don Pedro has 16 rooms
Lovingly restored by its owners the Valenzuela family, this 19th-century farmhouse in the town of Monesterio overlooks mountains and pastures in agricultural Extremadura. Whitewashed and russet-tiled, it contains 16 rooms, a pool and mini-spa with sauna and whirlpool. While it may be tempting to spend every day surveying the panorama of the pool terrace (let’s ignore the fact that the gym has an equally wow-factor view), these guys are all about getting you out into the landscape: horse riding through the meadows, stargazing at night or visiting the farm to learn about the region’s culinary heritage.
Details B&B doubles from £170 (dehesadonpedro.com). Fly to Seville
4. Immerso Hotel, Ericeira, Portugal
The Immerso Hotel pool deck has views out to sea
FRANCISCO NOGUEIRA
In surfy Ericeira, a 40-minute drive north from Lisbon, this self-proclaimed “slow hotel” suggests you press pause on the grind with yoga sessions on the deck, spa treatments, rental bikes to pedal along the coast, and long dinners at its restaurant. It’s family friendly, but heavy on grown-up style: a photo-worthy pool deck backdropped by coastline, freestanding bathtubs in suites and freshly grilled sardines on the sunset-view veranda. Rooms have that effortlessly stylish Portuguese vibe: sand-coloured throws, white and pine, with flashes of mermaid-tail tiles in suites; and there’s an included shuttle down to Ericeira town. The nearest beach is just a few minutes’ drive away, with many more within day-trip distance.
Details B&B doubles from £367 (immerso.pt). Fly to Lisbon
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5. Aquadulci, Chia, Sardinia
The rooms at Aquadulci are modestly furnished
Rooms may be simple at this sultry coastal hotel outside the city of Cagliari, but you’re here for the verdant grounds — swaying palms, a briskly cool freeform pool, curtained double day beds and, crucially, less than a five-minute walk to the beach. This swathe of Sardinia’s southern coast, in the Baia de Chia area, is a honeypot of natural beauty: miles of protected, grassy sand dunes, flamingos balancing in glittering lagoons and unspoilt, cream-coloured beaches. Follow the boardwalk path from Aquadulci’s car park to the cooling shallows of Su Giudeu beach — a five-star dinner awaits you in its garden restaurant when you return.
Details B&B doubles from £380 (aquadulci.com). Fly to Cagliari
6. Perdue Hotel, Fethiye, Turkey
Perdue Hotel has an extraordinary location on the cliffs outside Fethiye
Another adults-only candidate, this rustic-chic Turkish bolt hole has just 17 palm-thatched safari tents tucked into a dramatic sliver of cliffside outside Fethiye. Emphatically unspoilt, the surroundings are all thick pine forest and dramatic boulders (you’ll be plunging into the Med from the rocks rather than a sandy beach, but the swimming is heaven). Peace and quiet is paramount here — you’ll hear the odd chillout tune wafting over from the sunset bar, but the spaced-out plateaus with loungers, plunge pool and nocturnal outdoor cinema are all about unwinding. Take the hotel boat along the coast for completely undisturbed swimming, or lunch out at the beach club nearby.
Details Room-only doubles from £466 (perdue.com.tr). Fly to Dalaman
7. Priesteregg, Leogang, Austria
Austria’s lakes have cooler climes during the peak summer months
If you’re seeking cooler pastures than the traditional Med this summer, consider Austria’s lakes and mountains. The Pinzgau region outside Salzburg sees highs between 20 and 25C in July and August — comfortable enough for view-tastic hikes around Priesteregg, an 18-chalet boutique resort (nearby are 250 miles of marked Alpine trails). Last year this “chalet village” opened the Seehütten, a trio of sweet wooden chalets with direct access to its spring-water bathing lake, and gorgeous views of the surrounding peaks. Book a massage, tuck into Austrian caviar or local kasnocken dumplings at the restaurant, or join outdoor yoga sessions surrounded by pines and peaks.
Details B&B doubles from £587 (priesteregg.at). Fly to Salzburg
8. Son Moli Country House, Es Pilari, Mallorca
Son Moli Country House can be easily reached from Palma airport
For those who like to be at the cutting edge of things, try this 22-room farmhouse outside Palma, Mallorca, which opened in May. A ten-minute drive from Palma’s airport, it’s one of the speediest of this list to get to; but don’t be put off by the proximity to Magaluf — this is the sibling to Palma’s esteemed Can Bordoy hotel, with a tranquil swimming pool in manicured gardens, cushioned loungers beneath the trees and a terrace straight out of an ancient Balearic village. The farm-to-fork Mallorcan restaurant is one big draw here — while a tennis court, spacious room terraces and freshly squeezed orange juice from the estate’s trees all perk up your stay.
Details B&B doubles from £310 (sonmoli.com). Fly to Palma
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9. Anemi Hotel, Folegandros, Greece
Anemi Hotel is a five-star resort on the quiet Cycladic island of Folegandros
An hour’s ferry from the far-busier Santorini, Folegandros has a more rugged feel, with traditional Cycladian villages, secluded beaches and mountainous hiking trails. The five-star Anemi is equally fuss-free but straight-from-a-magazine stylish, with a cluster of low-lying sugar-cube buildings with a tennis court, an outdoor gym, the island’s first spa and an outdoor saltwater infinity pool with zingy yellow parasols. The 44 rooms are minimalist and largely all-white, but for sparing splashes of the same yellow in a rug or bathroom wall. There’s a relaxed Greek restaurant serving just-caught seafood or you can visit the hotel’s 30-acre organic vineyard for tastings, yoga classes and sound healing.
Details B&B doubles from £244 (anemihotel.gr). Fly to Santorini
10. Palazzo Rainis, Novigrad, Croatia
The outdoor pool at Palazzo Rainis is enclosed by lush gardens
ADAM LYNK
Overlooking the Adriatic Sea and next to Novigrad’s glamorous marina, Palazzo Rainis is the former 19th-century home of a Venetian chemist converted into an elegant adults-only retreat. There are just 16 sophisticated rooms and suites, with chocolate-brown parquet flooring, bottle-green armchairs and an art deco flair. All have balconies or terraces and most have sea views. Guests waft between the spa with its Finnish sauna, the outdoor pool surrounded by gardens and the destination restaurant serving upscale Istrian dishes. There’s a pine-backed beach on the doorstep and the hotel can arrange sunset cruises along the coastline, truffle hunting trips, sea kayaking and wine tasting.
Details B&B doubles from £531 (palazzorainis.com). Fly to Pula
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Additional reporting by Siobhan Grogan