Best budget hotels for foodies in London, the UK and Europe

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• Best budget hotels in London and the UK
• Best budget hotels in Europe

Best budget hotels in London and the UK

The Pilgrm, Paddington

• Bunk bed rooms from £119 per night, check availability at booking.com

Rooms at The Pilgrm are small so book the largest you can afford, and if you’re a light sleeper, ask for one away from the road. There are tiny (but very comfortable) bunk rooms, if you’re on a budget, or on a one-parent, one-child getaway. Decor is pared back and stylish, with slate-coloured walls contrasting with white sash windows and Egyptian linen-clad beds, and floors of reclaimed 200-year-old parquet giving a warm homely feel.

For grab and go, there’s a small coffee bar downstairs, by the entrance, that’s run by Workshop Coffee, selling their own blends of coffee, teas and homemade cakes. Between 3 and 10pm, the lounge serves snacks, juices (including Square Root London’s small-batch sodas) and cocktails.

Breakfast is the thing here, kicking off at 7am and continuing until 3pm in the vintage-chic first-floor lounge. There’s full-cooked Pilgrm (with house-baked beans) or a vegan version of smashed avocado, butternut squash hummus and a knock-out beetroot falafel. But the top seller is smashed avocado on toast with crumbled feta, which comes with the unexpected addition of a tomato and olive salsa.

Being in the heart of London, you’ve plenty of dinner choices nearby – from the cheap-and-cheerful Paramount Lebanese Kitchen, next door, to Basque-styled Lurra and Donostia a short walk away. Read our guide to the best Paddington restaurants here.

Bunk bed rooms from £119 per night, check availability at booking.com

The Buxton, Shoreditch

• Doubles from £150 per night, check availability at thebuxton.com

A former Brick Lane boozer turned polished pub-with-rooms, reimagined by the team behind Commercial Street’s The Culpeper. The heart of the action occurs in the slickly refurbished Victorian pub, on the ground floor (there are bedrooms and a roof terrace above). Tall, graceful arched windows introduce plenty of light, while a sweeping rosso levanto marble counter acts as a stylish focal point.

Bedrooms upstairs are on the small side, which is one reason for their affordable pricing. Clever design and attention to detail, however, ensures they don’t feel cramped. High ceilings and original features add space and character while whitewashed walls and smart navy accents lend a fresh and contemporary feel.

Head back downstairs for breakfast after a night in the bar and you’ll find the space transformed, and surprisingly serene. Sip local Exmouth coffee while grazing from a continental buffet that includes sourdough toast, homemade jams and granola. Or order a cooked breakfast, including thick-cut English ham with poached eggs, mustard mayonnaise and, best of all, a brick-shaped potato rosti, all golden crispy edges and soft, fluffy interior.

Doubles from £150 per night, check availability at thebuxton.com

The Pheasant Inn, Hungerford, Berkshire

• Rooms from £100 per night, check availability at thepheasant-inn.co.uk or booking.com

Once host to lock-ins and parties amongst the racing community, this renovated pub in the heart of Berkshire’s ‘Valley of the Racehorse’ still has plenty of character. Pub grub classics (Pheasant Ale-battered fish and chips, beef burgers, chicken kiev) sit on the menu alongside more unusual seafood dishes. The pub’s popular Sunday lunch includes whole-roast Cotswolds chicken for two, rich venison shepherd’s pie topped with piped mash, and crisp Kelmscott pork belly, followed by caramelised tarte tatin. There are plenty of local beers on tap – light, crisp Eagle IPA, malty Good Old Boy bitter and Ramsbury Gold, plus the pub’s own citrusy Pheasant Ale.

Each of the eleven bedrooms is individually decorated, with fabric headboards, vintage pieces of furniture and Audubon’s Birds of America watercolours (look out for the flamingo on the stairs). Room 4 is fresh and botanical, with illustrations of plants, while rooms 3 and 7 boast stand-alone bathtubs in marble bathrooms. If you want to have a few drinks with your Sunday roast, you can prolong the weekend with the Settle in Sundays deal. Spend £100 or more in the restaurant on a Sunday evening and they’ll throw in a bedroom on the house.

Rooms from £100 per night, check availability at thepheasant-inn.co.uk or booking.com

Fort Road Hotel, Margate

• Doubles from £140, check availability at fortroadhotel.com or booking.com

One of Margate’s iconic seafront buildings opposite Turner Contemporary gallery has been restored to its former life as a hotel. In a nod to its history, sepia photographs and postcards of the seaside town in its bathing holiday heyday line the burnt orange walls. Design is at the forefront throughout, with pieces from artists with Kentish ties and vintage Scandinavian furniture (Danish teak mirrors, beech chairs, rosewood tables) giving each room its own unique character. Bold-hued tiles adorn neat bathrooms, kitted out with seaweed-infused products from local spa Haeckels.

Local connections extend to the food and drink options, served in the smart, intimate ground-floor restaurant complete with flickering fire to warm up the colder months. Choose between a Kentish wine from the likes of Simpsons vineyard or a local gin (Greensand Ridge is herbaceous while Dockyard has notes of citrus and spice). Silky, thick-cut trout is lifted with Hinxden Farm Dairy crème fraîche. Crostini are topped with salty smoked anchovy slivers and tapenade or creamy garlic cannellini beans. A huge pork chop is sautéed in parsley mustard sauce, while skate wing comes bathed in beurre noisette and brown shrimp. Breakfast is a real treat, with bacon sarnies offering a satisfying crunch courtesy of hot baguettes from Oast Bakery down the road (that also bakes divine cinnamon buns).

Small touches take the hospitality to the next level. A brown paper bag of homemade cookies awaits in the room, best enjoyed with a sherry-laced hot chocolate on the rooftop while watching the sunset over the rugged coastline.

Doubles from £140, check availability at fortroadhotel.com or booking.com

The Beacon, Tunbridge Wells

• Rooms from £123 per night; check availability at thebeacon.co.uk or mrandmrssmith.com

Just an hour from London and 10 minutes outside Tunbridge Wells, The Beacon is a secluded bolthole, offering a pretty wedding venue alongside its restaurant with rooms.

There are six elegant rooms to choose from in the main house of the hotel (choose Yarrow for a round copper bathtub in a turret with views of the countryside). Our top pick is the seventh room that nestles below the main house, the Summer House, pictured below. A long, covered balcony offers 180-degree views of the countryside, with a two-way outdoor fireplace and large outdoor bathtub to enjoy. The thoughtful room design includes a king-sized bed, kitchenette, waterfall shower, Noble Isle toiletries and bifold doors to let the outside in and maximise those valley views. The radio, set to Classic FM as you walk in, sets the calming vibe. It's a secluded spot that would be idyllic all year round, offering a cosy hideaway in winter or peaceful sun trap in summer.

Warm muffins and homemade cordial greet you on arrival, or head up to the Garden Bar for cocktails with a view. The Beacon Restaurant serves locally sourced, seasonal dishes in the heart of the main country house. In the morning, enjoy breakfast al fresco on the terrace – opt for a full English or a bacon and egg bap. Footpaths at the top of the driveway offer walks through the forest, or all the way to the Pantiles and Tunbridge Wells.

Rooms from £123 per night; check availability at thebeacon.co.uk or mrandmrssmith.com

Grassmarket Hotel, Edinburgh

• Doubles from £117 per night, check availability at booking.com

Comic strip wallpaper and complimentary Tunnocks teacakes are just two of the quirky touches at the Grassmarket Hotel, a playful retreat in Edinburgh's lively Grassmarket area.

One of a clutch of hotels launched by the G1 Group in Edinburgh (the others are The Inn on the Mile, Stay Central and the Murrayfield House Hotel) the focus might be on fun rather than food (there are copies of Beano in reception, the distance to local attractions is measured in footsteps and you have to stumble next door to Biddy Mulligan's pub for breakfast) but you're in the heart of Scotland's culinary capital and the Grassmarket is peppered with pubs and restaurants.

For breakfast you can count the footsteps to nearby Swedish bakery and café Peter's Yard for a moreish cardamom bun and coffee. Just round the corner on Victoria Street mooch around gourmet stores such as champion cheesemaker I J Mellis and liquid deli Demi John – fill the glass bottles with everything from signature malt whisky to olive oil – while on Saturdays there's a weekly farmers’ market right outside your door.

Doubles from £117 per night, check availability at booking.com

Merchant's Manor, Falmouth

• Doubles from £141. Check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk

Merchant's Manor is an Edwardian manor house turned boutique hotel in a foodie corner of Cornwall, with 39 rooms, two luxurious self-catering apartments and a polished restaurant celebrating the area’s culinary riches.

Despite the hotel’s century-old beating heart, the decor feels box-fresh – calm, muted tones, parquet flooring, wood panelling, ornate coving and snuggle-into arm chairs. If you’re craving space, or arrive as a gaggle of guests, go for one of the stand-alone residencies. Ask for the Lookout for the best sea views once the Cornish mizzle clears. Clad with reclaimed timber and home to two double bedrooms and two Pinterest-perfect bathrooms, it also stretches to a kitchen, lounge and dining area, plus a private hot tub. Arrive early so you can make the most of the welcome hamper, bulging with homemade scones, jars of clotted cream and jam, freshly baked bread, fudgy brownies, Cornish Furniss ginger biscuits and chilled fizz from Padstow vineyard Trevibban Mill. Even the tea (Tregothnan) is locally grown.

Breakfast is an impressive spread with as much attention to detail as lunch and dinner. With toast there’s local honey, Cornish jams and freshly ground nut butter. Overnight oats and homemade granola are offered with freshly stewed rhubarb and Trewithan Dairy yogurt, nuts and seeds while orange juice is swapped for Polgoon Cornish apple juice and a DIY bloody mary station. There are warm croissants, cheese and hams, plus a selection of hot breakfasts, including the classics and vegan options. The must-order, though, is buttery hot-smoked mackerel with chive butter, grilled tomato and poached eggs.

The Linen Rooms spa offers a selection of massage treatments from hot stone massages to the 'work it out' massage and pamper packages. Blow off steam in the indoor pool, then enjoy afternoon tea or snack on small plates. Day passes to the spa are available.

Doubles from £141. Check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk

The Rose, Deal

• Doubles from £167, check availability at booking.com

The genteel coastal town of Deal, on the Kent coast, has gone hip in recent years. What sets this chic pub with rooms apart is the joyful use of colour. Downstairs is a bar, restaurant and lounge full of bright vintage furniture, while upstairs are eight bedrooms, each painted in a unique bold hue, inspired by the bright beach balls and deckchairs of the local seaside, just a few steps away.

Fine local brews from Kent including Ripple Steam Brewery Ale, Arden Pale Ale and award-winning Chapel Down wine and beer. The bar snacks are well worth ordering alongside a brew – they include cauliflower cheese croquettes and Welsh rarebit.

The Dealston vibe continues in the kitchen, which is headed up by chef Rachel O’Sullivan (previously of Polpo and Spuntino but most recently running the cult Towpath Cafe in East London). Rachel is originally from Australia and, although the menu is big on British comfort food, there’s a fresh Aussie feel to many of the dishes, like chicken schnitzel jazzed up with fennel slaw, and a creative veggie option of violet artichokes, white beans and dandelion and goats curd.

Breakfast is particularly impressive at The Rose. There’s a relaxed vibe in the morning, with magazine and papers piled high and the menu chalked on a blackboard. Vegetarians can fill up on roast Swiss brown mushrooms, oregano, goats cheese and toast, while the Nordically inclined can opt for the Scandi breakfast plate – smoked salmon with avocado, egg, dill, whipped cream cheese and toast. The signature dish is Scotch Woodcock – scrambled egg and gentleman’s relish on sourdough. Most importantly the restaurant passes the morning coffee test, with punchy Climpson & Sons coffee and properly made flat whites.

Doubles from £167, check availability at booking.com

The Bath Arms, Wiltshire

• Rooms start from £88 per night, check availability at batharmsinn.com

Established in 1736 and bordering the Longleat Safari Estate, the Bath Arms instantly envelopes you in its quiet rural setting, just 35-minutes outside Bath. Its Elizabethan architecture, open fires and rustic comforts are mixed with an unpretentious chicness; you’re as perfectly placed sipping an RBO Gin Fizz with Tackroom rhubarb and blood orange as a Beckford craft lager in its deep leather armchairs.

Five of the house’s 17 country rooms are in the converted stable block, set around a quiet courtyard next to the main house. Siberian Goose down duvets, Mozzo cafetiere coffee and bathrooms stocked with Bramley Bath products create an indulgent haven for retiring too. The new Bramley Treatment Cabin sits just next door, overlooking the garden’s beehives and Somerset countryside beyond, bookable separately for spa treatments.

The restaurant is an elegant but comfortably unfussy affair with a seasonally curated menu of estate and locally sourced produce. Heralding from Dartmoor’s hills, venison strip loin is served with sauerkraut, smoked pancetta, celeriac, confit kohlrabi and poached blackberries. While pan-fried pigeon breast is paired with Jerusalem artichoke, hazelnut dressing and a split 8-year-old cabernet vinegar. Armagnac prunes bring an adult, jammy richness to the duck egg custard tart with apple purée for pudding. A playful addition to the breakfast menu is eggy bread with maple syrup and bacon. Don’t forget the DIY Bloody Mary cocktail station either.

Rooms start from £88 per night, check availability at batharmsinn.com

The Greenbank, Falmouth

• Doubles from £119, check availability at booking.com

Perched on Falmouth’s waterside, with its own private pontoon, The Greenbank is a little piece of Cornish history in itself, originally serving as a lodging house for sea captains during the town’s maritime heyday before becoming a full-blown hotel (20th century guests included Florence Nightingale and Wind in the Willows author, Kenneth Grahame, whose most famous book is thought to have been based on letters he wrote while staying there).

Super-comfy king size beds, crisp sheets, fluffy robes and a white-tiled bathroom complete with huge walk-in shower and White Company toiletries all added to the luxurious feel, as did the calm and muted colour palette, speckled with little flashes of sea-blue.

Breakfast is as equally impressive as the view you get while eating it (the Water’s Edge restaurant runs the whole length of the front of the hotel). If you don’t fancy a Full Cornish you can tuck into smoked haddock and poached eggs, eggs Benedict or porridge with Rodda’s clotted cream.

Doubles from £119, check availability at booking.com

The Yan at Broadrayne, Lake District

• Cabins from £98 per night, check availability at theyan.co.uk

Nestled in the heart of the Lakes near Grasmere – home of the world-famous gingerbread – you’ll find The Yan. This converted 17th-century sheep farm is situated deep in the Cumbrian landscape, making the surroundings truly epic and a haven for keen walkers.

There’s a bistro, bedrooms, cottages and glamping pods onsite. The pods are decked in natural materials and have a minimalist, contemporary feel, with comfy areas to lounge and dine, plus a wood-burning fireplace for instant cosiness. Every consideration has been made to ensure a comfortable stay for self-caterers, plus sustainability is front and centre, including eco-friendly cleaning products and toiletries.

Hearty, seasonal food from the bistro can be ordered to the pods. After a long day hiking, dishes like shepherd’s pie with braised Grasmere Herdwick lamb and cheesy mash, followed by sticky toffee pudding, will fit the bill. The bistro also serves breakfast – expect more of the same warm hospitality, seasonal ingredients and inventive spins on classic dishes. The county’s finest – the mighty Cumberland sausage – takes centre-stage in a full breakfast that’s sure to fuel a busy day exploring the Lakes.

Cabins from £98 per night, check availability at theyan.co.uk

Havener’s Bar and Grill, Fowey

• Doubles from £145, check availability at booking.com

Looking for hotels in South Cornwall? Fowey is a pretty, buzzy harbour town. Set in a designated area of outstanding natural beauty, the town has a rich maritime history and, in season, the harbour is still filled with yachts (there’s also a Royal Regatta each summer).

Narrow cobbled streets wind uphill from the quayside and there is a lively independent shopping, eating and drinking scene. Sitting in a prime position right on the quayside is Havener’s Bar and Grill, a restaurant with five stylish bedrooms and an apartment above it.

The hearty food menu has plenty of pub classics such as fish and chips, steak and burgers but also offers some slightly more refined cooking with lots of local fish and seafood.

Doubles from £145, check availability at booking.com

Best budget hotels in Europe

Hotel Henriette, Paris

• Doubles from £148 per night, check availability at booking.com

Designed by a fashion editor-turned-hotelier Hotel Henriette is on the Rive Gauche, tucked along a quiet cobbled street in the Mouffetard district. Its 32 rooms are decked out with vintage fabrics and flea market finds and there's a lovely courtyard garden, plus a breakfast room with a distinct Scandinavian vibe. Breakfast can be eaten inside or out and runs to a full continental spread, from cake and croissants to charcuterie.

Almost 200 restaurant suggestions are split by neighbourhood, from Montmartre’s Café Lomi coffee shop to pretty patisserie Carette in Trocadero. Recommendations closer to the hotel include everything from Moroccan to contemporary French. For more recommendations of where to eat and drink in Paris, check out our guide here.

Doubles from £148 per night, check availability at booking.com

Brosundet, Ålesund, Norway

• Doubles from £133, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

The motto for this waterside boutique hotel is “curated luxury, the Norwegian way”. Set amid Norway’s striking fjords, Brosundet is housed in a set of converted warehouses perched on a cobblestone walkway beside Ålesund’s main waterway. Design geeks will love the unique features and original round windows of the loft suites as well as the one-room suite in the working lighthouse and the dramatic lobby fireplace that spans four floors.

Each of the 131 rooms is unique but all are simply styled in soft, muted tones with contemporary bathrooms kitted out with Norwegian argan oil skincare brand Sprekenhus. Ground-floor brasserie Apotekergata No 5 focusses on flavours from the Sunnmøre region and spills out onto a renovated barge outside for alfresco dining on the water as sailboats slide past. Arkivet Bar gets its name from a local fish oil business and these days serves old-school classic cocktails with contemporary Nordic twists.

Start the day with a curated breakfast buffet of Norwegian cheese, smoked fish, homemade pastries and Jacu coffee roasted in the same town. Pick up fresh sandwiches and cardamom knots from the on-site corner shop, and head out on an adventure into the fjords for kayaking, fishing and sea wildlife safaris. Reward your activities with a reservation at the hotel’s sophisticated bistro Sjøbua round the corner. Try local delicacies such as lobster bisque, grilled Sterling halibut with Norwegian cabbage and Røros sirloin aged at the bottom of the sea for 21 days. On Saturdays there are Norwegian tea dances accompanied by live piano.

Doubles from £133, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

El Gran Sueño, Asturias, Spain

• Doubles from £124, check availability at booking.com

There’s a “slow hotel” philosophy at El Gran Sueño, a boutique rural retreat in the mountains of Asturias. It uses renewable energy and serves only homemade, organic food, with at least one dinner a week meat-free.

Tuck into freshly baked bread with grated tomato and local artisan cheeses for breakfast (with a glass of freshly squeezed Valencia orange juice or pressed Asturian cider-apple juice) before heading out to explore the surrounding mountains and woodlands. Having worked up an appetite, return to base for a hearty, home-cooked three-course dinner (the vegan chocolate and beetroot brownie is a must-try pudding). elgransueno.es

Doubles from £124, check availability at booking.com

Rosa et Al Townhouse, Porto

• Doubles from £150 per night, check availability at booking.com

Though one of the more expensive hotels on this list, Porto makes such a great-value destination and prices include a hearty breakfast. This six-room hotel is a lesson in boutique design. Rooms blessed with original wooden floorboards, cornicing and sash windows that lead to balconies are made even more beautiful with claw-footed baths, contemporary furniture and local art.

Soak up Rosa et Al’s chic and cosy vibe over brunch. 50 jars of tea (some made with herbs from the garden) cover a large serving table; you can choose your own Portuguese tinned cod or sardines; and there’s a dinky walled garden out back where you can sit around tiled tables, eating eggs with spruced-up sides and drinking freshly squeezed orange juice in the sunshine.

Doubles from £150 per night, check availability at booking.com

Hotel Havgrim, Faroe Islands

• Doubles from £105, check availability at booking.com

The Faroe Islands have popped up on the foodie radar in the past few years and this recently-opened boutique bed and breakfast in a former Commodore’s house in Torshavn is the perfect place from which to discover their unique cuisine.

It's good value for the pricey Faroes. Breakfast is served in a dining room overlooking the sea and includes homemade rhubarb jam (one of the few staples to grow on these windswept islands), Faroese mutton sausage and Faroese smoked salmon, along with hipster options such as ginger shots and homemade chia porridge with coconut milk. Staff can recommend one of the town’s few (but exciting) restaurants for dinner.

Doubles from £105, check availability at booking.com

Hotel Panache, Paris

• From £108, check availability at booking.com, mrandmrssmith.com, expedia.co.uk or lastminute.com

A super-chic hotel with 40 bedrooms scattered across seven floors. Choose from seven sizes of bedrooms, the largest of which are top-floor suites. A consistent colour scheme of light grey, dusty pink and pale blue runs throughout, with filament light bulbs, wicker headboards and old-school telephones adding elegance. The classic single comes with an en-suite shower room, double bed and writing desk, while the family room can sleep up to four people, with a small living space and double sinks.

Café Panache occupies the hotel’s ground floor. It serves bistro dishes with a modern twist, including beef tartare with potato sticks, pork belly noodle soup and, for dessert, cookies sandwiched together with ice cream. For lunch, feast on a club sandwich stuffed with fried chicken, cabbage and a Japanese omelette.

From £108, check availability at booking.com, mrandmrssmith.com, expedia.co.uk or lastminute.com

Corner House, Seville

• Doubles from £86, check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk

Doubles at the Corner House, in the buzzy Alameda de Hércules (one of Seville’s most iconic squares), are very affordable. There's also an in-house restaurant/bar, El Disparate, serving a selection of traditional and innovative dishes; if you're lucky grab one of the tables on its spacious terrace, overlooking the square. thecornerhousesevilla.com

Doubles from £86, check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk

Merchant's House Hotel, Tallinn

• Single rooms from £66, check availability at booking.com

Estonia is a worthy member of the New Nordic food scene, with stylishly simple cafes and restaurants tapping into local ingredients. To experience this first-hand, check into Merchant’s House Hotel, in Tallinn’s Old Town. Its 32 rooms are centred around 14th and 16th century buildings that are rich with ancient fireplaces and beamed ceilings, hand-painted frescoes and hidden stairways.

Bedrooms themselves are fairly modern in style, though the Merchant’s Suite (scarlet walls, hand-painted wooden ceiling and clawfoot bath) and Courtyard Suite (large fireplace, exposed stone walls and private sauna) have a little more history.

There’s also a bar and restaurant on site but location is key; it’s an ideal base for exploring the city’s restaurants. You’ll find a guide to our favourite places to eat in Tallinn here but they include Art Priori, whose veg-focused seasonal cooking is minutes away, and New Nordic pioneer, Leib.

Single rooms from £66, check availability at booking.com

Conscious Hotel, Amsterdam

• Doubles from £75 per night, check availability at booking.com

There are four Conscious Hotels in Amsterdam, but the Westerpark branch is the first hotel in The Netherlands to be powered entirely by wind energy. There are 89 rooms, Roetz bikes to rent (made from discarded frames), and a vegan-friendly restaurant to try. There are seven types of room to choose from, but all are airy and uncluttered, with iron-frame furniture, light wooden panelling, navy blue feature walls, monochrome bathrooms and spacious Auping beds.

The main draw is the hotel’s Kantoor bar and restaurant, open all day until late. It’s not exclusively vegetarian, but organic ingredients are transformed into meat-free stars such as nettle risotto, tofu cheesecake with dried tangerine, and broccoli crumble. Carnivores can enjoy lamb shank with adzuki cassoulet, huge seafood platters while there’s also a great children’s menu (young guests can pick everything from the “I don’t like that” fried fish with steamed vegetables to the “I don’t know” tomato soup). The signature cocktail menu is also worth perusing – try The Boss, made with vodka, kimchi purée and tomato juice.

The 100% organic breakfast includes avocado, quinoa and watercress on rye, croissants with homemade compote, omelettes made with eggs “from the happiest chickens” and healthy granola.

Doubles from £75 per night, check availability at booking.com

Mama Shelter East, Paris

• Doubles from £89, check availability at booking.com

An affordable hotel, styled by Philippe Starck, that’s one of two sister establishments in Paris.

Take your pick between small, medium, large, XL or XXL rooms. Simple decoration runs throughout – grey walls, white linen, large mirrors and an occasional pop of yellow – while a scattering of more outré touches (masks as bedside lights, the eyes beaming, and pop art murals) are pure Starck). Small bedrooms manage to fit in a double bed, iMac and desk, while large rooms have extra space for lounging. If outdoor space is what you’re after, book XL Mama Terrace, which comes with outdoor space and a living room.

At breakfast, a brunch buffet includes starters, mains and desserts, so arrive hungry. Start with fresh fruit and cereals before moving on to baked eggs, mini croque monsieurs and smoked salmon. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, tuck into crêpes, almond tarts and Nutella waffles.

Doubles from £89, check availability at booking.com

Iturrienea Ostatua, Bilbao

• Doubles from £58, check availability at booking.com

This simple yet charming bed and breakfast is located right in the centre of the Old Town, housed in a property built in 1906 for a countess. Originally designed to look like a typical Basque country house, inside the largely modern décor is modest (simple white bedlinen, colourful quilted headboards, practical en-suite shower rooms) but homely. The nine bedrooms nod to the building’s history, with stone floors and wooden-beamed ceilings, and some have small private balconies. Breakfast is served in a country-style kitchen and stretches to local cheeses, charcuterie, sticky pastries and toast. iturrieneaostatua.com

Doubles from £58, check availability at booking.com

Hotel Ses Sucreres, Menorca

• Doubles from £131, check availability at booking.com

Hotel Ses Sucreres, in the village of Ferreries, is a quirky bolthole that epitomises the laid back, low-key authenticity of the island a world away in style from high profile party isles Mallorca and Ibiza.

The hotel is decked out with reclaimed furniture, geometric prints and modern photography. There are six bedrooms and relaxed breakfasts are served in a leafy courtyard garden – think homemade fig jam, soft sugary buns, local slithers of Mahon cheese and salty air-cured ham, sobrasada, the local sausage, smashed tomatoes and olive oil on freshly baked bread. hotelsessucreres.com

Doubles from £131, check availability at booking.com

La Favia, Milan

• Doubles from €125 including breakfast, check availability at lafavia4rooms.com

The four-bedroom La Favia guesthouse, an urban hideaway tucked inside a refurbished 19th-century building, takes its inspiration from owners Fabio and Marco’s travels: no two rooms are the same. On sunny mornings, start the day with breakfast in the rooftop garden – eggs cooked to order, pastries, cakes, bread, homemade jams, fruit and juice squeezed from oranges grown in the owners’ own citrus grove.

Doubles from €125 including breakfast, check availability at lafavia4rooms.com

Hospes Casas del Rey de Baeza, Seville

• Doubles from £141 per night, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

The Hospes Casas del Rey de Baeza is a charming hotel housed in a beautiful 18th-century ‘corral de vecino’ (characteristic of the city, these are apartments built round a courtyard) in the barrio Santa Cruz. hospes.com

Doubles from £141 per night, check availability at hospes.com, booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

Antica Fattoria La Parrina, Tuscany

• Doubles from £127, check availability at booking.com

The Maremma is a corner of Tuscany where you can still find countryside roamed by traditional cowboys called “butteri” and Antica Fattoria La Parrina is the perfect stop for a window into rural life down on the Tuscan farm. As well as making well-regarded wines and grappa, the farm also produces cheese, honey, olive oil, fruit, vegetables, pasta, flour and meat – there’s an on-site shop that would put many a farmer’s market to shame.

Overnight guests (it also doubles as an agriturismo) can also enjoy the farm’s bounty on the breakfast table, as well as at lunch and dinner; everything is made onsite. Guests can picnic in the grounds, enjoy wine tastings, join a Tuscan cookery lesson or even go boar hunting on the estate. The property’s 12 bedrooms, housed in the solid farmhouse at the centre of the estate, channel rustic charm rather than country chic and there’s a pool, gardens and the beach resorts of the Tyrrhenian Sea a short drive away.

Doubles from £127, check availability at booking.com

Sir Adam Hotel, Amsterdam

• Doubles from £114, check availability at booking.com

A funky boutique hotel with a celebrated burger restaurant at its heart. Rooms are industrial chic, with brick-style wallpaper, mahogany headboards and grey fur blankets. Every standard bedroom comes with floor-to-ceiling windows, record players, local artwork and a curated mini bar, while the Deluxe City View room looks out over the river. The Sir Suite has a cosy lounge area, freestanding bath and king-size bed.

Burgers are the focus at THE BUTCHER Social Club, the in-house restaurant open from eight until late. There’s always a veggie option, but meat dominates the menu: try an Aberdeen Angus beef burger topped with lettuce, tomato, grilled onion and truffle glaze. Add edam cheese, bacon or eggs to your burger, along with BBQ sauce, truffle mayonnaise or baba ganoush.

In the morning, rise and shine with made-to-order porridge, Nutella brioche or Belgian waffles. Or go for one of the eggy options, including poached eggs with avocado on sourdough. Smoothies are recommended – try a Super Green, stuffed with broccoli, avocado, spinach and apple.

Doubles from £114 per night, check availability at booking.com

Written by Tatty Good, Lucy Gillmore, Alex Crossley & Rhiannon Batten

Photographs ©lookimaginary, Alex Crossley and various hotels

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