BOUTIQUE BREAK

Stellar service, elegant design and just a handful of sumptuous rooms make these blissful boltholes truly stand out

Aristide Hotel, Syros, Greece

Sleepy Syros isn’t as high-profile as its neighbours Santorini or Mykonos, but therein lies its charm. Presiding over this Aegean ideal is Aristide Hotel, a ninesuite retreat within a rosé-pink neoclassical mansion with marble staircases and Doric columns. It’s aimed squarely at those seeking a quieter, more intimate stay, but is also eye-candy for design-minded travellers, too: walls are draped in portraiture and figurative art, while the ice-blue pools are built from sun-bleached stone. The food is a similarly appealing affair, with dishes often featuring local cheeses and courgettes — plucked from the vegetable garden, served on a palm-shaded patio. Creative cocktails are served on the rooftop, best sipped at sundown overlooking the Aegean. From €240 (£203), B&B. hotelaristide.com

RUNNERS-UP

FARMHOUSE 58, SOUTH AFRICA

Aimed at art-lovers and bookworms, this rural guesthouse and retreat near Krugersdorp is a refreshing take on a boutique hotel. Rather than focusing on all-out luxury, it cocoons guests in an atmosphere of calm. Decor is refreshingly minimalist, with polished cement floors, exposed pipes and cosy, pared-back rooms. The restaurant keeps things simple, too, using the organic kitchen garden’s daily harvest. Nature is a gentle companion: look out for the zebras, which can often been seen nibbling the lawns after dark. From R457.50 (£23), B&B. farmhouse58.co

SUBLIME LISBOA, LISBON

Secreted away behind an elegant facade near Praça do Marquês de Pombal, this 15-room bolthole feels more like the private abode of a long-lost (and extremely well-heeled) relation than a hotel. Each room is individually styled in modern-classic fashion with muted primary colours and geometric wallpaper; several come with balconies or private terraces spruced up with greenery. The boutique property is also home to Davvero, a stylish, Mediterraneanstyle restaurant, complete with marble bar tops and an outdoor terrace. From: €235 (£199), B&B. sublimelisboa.pt