30 chic hotels in budget flight destinations
1 Château de Bagnols near Lyons, France
It’s sort of demeaning to call the Château de Bagnols a sexy hotel. It’s a grande dame of a building: a 13th-century, painstakingly cared-for castle with important Gothic fireplaces and priceless frescoes. It’s a mini-fortress in a picture-perfect hamlet just north of Lyons surrounded by beaujolais vineyards.
This hotel isn’t thread-count-and-scented-candles sexy (though the sheets are the finest linen). The château has a moat and a drawbridge. It’s like saying Michelle Obama or Anna Ford are hot. But they are. And it is.
It’s not the antique four-poster beds, the Michelin-starred restaurant or the architectural details heaving with significance (though they all help), it’s the fact that the château feels intimate and discreet despite, on the face of it, being hugely imposing.
Simple pleasures are encouraged: in spring you might walk through its cherry orchard and allow the blossom to caress your cheek. In summer you could just sit in the shade of the renaissance courtyard or dive into the circular outdoor pool on the lawn. In winter you might take a whisky in front of your stone fireplace in one of the 21 rooms.
I thought I didn’t like the sort of service that means white tablecloths and too many types of cutlery. But here those jobs that, after all, have to be done are undertaken quietly, impeccably and are so artfully dealt with, you can’t call it fussy.
Hotness factor: All that Gothic stone and marble — darkly sexy.
Details: mrandmrssmith.com; tel. 0845 0340700; Doubles from £415, excluding breakfast. EasyJet has flights to Lyon from Stansted from £50
by Lesley Thomas
2 Axel Hotel Guldsmeden Copenhagen, Denmark
Trendy eco-hotel with a cool basement spa and minimalist rooms decorated in a Balinese style with bamboo furniture. There’s an excellent restaurant that uses fresh organic ingredients and has lots of vegetarian options. The superb penthouse has a roof terrace with great views and a secluded hot-tub.
Hotness factor: Organic food and superb penthouse.
Details: hotelguldsmeden.com. B&B doubles from £125. EasyJet flights from £49.
3 Three Sisters Hotel Tallinn, Estonia
Part of the Design Hotels group, Three Sisters consists of three 14th-century townhouses that have been transformed into a boutique hotel within Tallinn’s ancient city walls. Rooms are big, with exposed beams and large baths and all the high-tech gadgets that you could want. It feels a bit like a James Bond love-nest hideaway.
Hotness factor: Boutique love nest in the Old City.
Details: threesistershotel.com;balticholidays.com has two nights’ B&B from £193pp. Easyjet flights from £54.
4 Hotel Sacher Vienna, Austria
Sheer opulence in one of the most romantic cities in the world. Rooms manage to be seductively ornate, yet modern and slick at the same time. The blue-themed bar is candle-lit and discreet. The hotel is bang opposite the opera house, too.
Hotness factor: Seductive candle-lit bar.
Details: sacher.com. B&B doubles from £338. EasyJet has flights from Gatwick from £64
5 Il Salviatino Florence, Italy
The best reason to stay at Il Salviatino, an historic 15th-century palazzo in Fiesole, in the hills above Florence, is that you can see the sights and make a quick escape — on the complimentary shuttlebus — and find yourself on its peaceful terrace 20 minutes later with a glass of prosecco in hand, enjoying fabulous city views.
The hotel has large, high-ceilinged rooms and a handsome, central staircase. The overall feeling is understated and quiet — almost scholastic (the villa used to be the Italian offshoot of Stanford University). But I grew to like its sobriety and it only goes so far. What student has Bose speakers embedded in the ceiling of his study? Everything, from the linen on the beds to the solid-oak flooring, is top quality. No bling, no ostentation, no gimmicks: just beautiful materials.
A spa, offering the usual Thai treatments, and an outdoor pool, will be completed later this year. Food, delivered by the Florentine chef Saverio Sbaragli, is delicious. Typical dishes include home-made spaghetti and the tenderest beef I have ever eaten, braised in chianti. Your own “service ambassador” can be called for anything: breakfast, room service, even to accompany you to Florence — should you be short of a date.
Hotness factor: Luscious food.
Details: salviatino.com. B&B doubles from £433. Ryanair has return flights from Stansted from £34.
by Kate Quill
6 Hotel San Francesco Al Monte Naples, Italy
The views across the rooftops of Naples onwards to Mount Vesuvius in one direction and Capri in the other from this hotel on the slopes of San Martino hill are quite spectacular — especially from the rooftop pool. The hotel is in an old monastery and rooms have ornate, traditional decorations. Not flashy, but classy.
Hotness factor: Rooftop views of Vesuvius.
Details: laiholidays.co.uk. Three nights from £245pp, airport transfers included. EasyJet has flights from Gatwick, Stansted and Liverpool from £54.
7 Maison Moschino Milan, Italy
The hottest new hotel in Italy’s fashion capital has outlandish rooms with four-poster beds and scrumptious purple rooms with ballgown-shaped lampshades. Created by the Moschino fashion house.
Hotness factor: A red, dress-shaped bed for a scarlet woman.
Details: hotelphilosophycom. Doubles from £225. EasyJet has flights from Luton, Gatwick, Bristol and Edinburgh from £60.
8 Gastwerk Hotel Hamburg, Germany
Set in an old municipal gasworks with fabulous loft rooms and giant penthouse suites with vast beds, vibrant decorations and exposed beams. There’s a chilled-out spa and a lively restaurant and bar.
Hotness factor: Loft life with vast beds.
Details: gastwerk.com. Loft doubles from £134, suites from £245. EasyJet has flights from Luton and Gatwick from £54.
9 Propeller Island City Lodge Berlin, Germany
Perhaps the wackiest of our choices, this hotel has rooms with beds designed to look as though they are “flying”, a diamond-shaped room covered with mirrors (“caution: very sexy,” says the website), circular beds and sunken beds (you step down into them).
Hotness factor: Impossibly sexy beds.
Details: propeller-island.de. Doubles from £87. Ryanair has flights from Stansted from £6.
10 Stage 47 Düsseldorf, Germany
An OTT, swanky hotel with a film and theatre theme: arty black-and-white pictures of stars are dotted throughout. The public rooms have a boudoir-like feel, with red sofas, black lampshades and hidden nooks for drinks. Rooms are large. Round the corner from the Savoy Theatre.
Hotness factor: Film star cachet.
Details: stage47.de. Doubles from £139. Ryanair has flights from Stansted from £6.
11 Villa Kennedy Frankfurt, Germany This elegant five-star hotel, close to the River Main, is based in a mock Gothic palace built in 1904. The rooms are large with muted colour schemes and tasteful splashes of modern art. There’s a huge indoor infinity pool and a snazzy spa.
Hotness factor: Classy, Gothic love nest.
Details: villakennedy.com. Doubles from £207. Ryanair has flights from Stansted from £17.99.
12 Hotel Haven Helsinki, Finland Opened last year, this stylish new hotel has a plush upmarket interior with marble floors, original modern art, cool fireplaces encased in glass and a quirky edge. Each of the bedrooms comes with underfloor heating (for the bitter winters). There are Elemis toiletries and Bang & Olufsen stereos. All very cutting edge.
Hotness factor: High tech hideaway.
Details: hotelhaven.fi. B&B doubles from £127. Easyjet has return flights from Gatwick and Manchester, from £59.
13 The Augustine Prague, Czech Republic
Not so long ago it was monks in robes wandering along these hallways. Now it’s guests in bathgowns, heading for the bijou basement spa, where “spiritual bliss treatments devoted to delivering purity, energy and balance” are on offer.
The Augustine, part of the Rocco Forte Collection and a year-old this week, is based in monastic buildings full of vaulted ceilings, parts of which date back to the 13th century. One detached wing, not open to guests, still houses a handful of Augustinian friars (none of whom we spot, although we can’t help wondering what they think of the swish new hotel).
Our room feels as though thought has gone into every detail — Olga Polizzi, the renowned designer and sister of Sir Rocco Forte — is responsible for the interiors. There are stylish chairs with V-shaped backs next to amber lights on sidetables on which the works of Dostoevsky and books of love poems are placed just so. Music by the Czech composer Dvorák is playing gently as we arrive and walk across a symmetrically patterned carpet and plain wood floor to a bedroom with a giant bed in the centre.
The ceilings are high and, this being a former monk’s cell, the walls thick, so there’s no worries about noise. After a day’s sightseeing — the Augustine is just below Prague Castle — the downstairs Brewery Bar, with its flickering candles and sense of (monastic) peace, is a great place to relax.
Hotness factor: Classical music in sumptuous converted old monk’s cells.
Details theaugustine.com. Doubles from £200. EasyJet has return flights from Stansted, Gatwick, and Bristol from £50.
14 Fitzwilliam Hotel Belfast, Northern Ireland
Next to the Grand Opera House, this is a slick contemporary hotel with rooms with lime green and striking zig-zag designs. Recently included in the Condé Nast Traveller’s “Hot List” of hotels. Highlights include a Michelin-starred restaurant.
Hotness factor: Slick design and Michelin starred restaurant.
Details: fitzwilliamhotelbelfast.com. Doubles from £100. Ryanair has flights from Stansted from £18.
15 Avalon Hotel Gothenburg, Sweden
Rooms at the Avalon have a retro 1960s look — lots of bright designer chairs mixed with high-tech minimalism. The penthouse is vast and there is a lively bar and a restaurant serving nouveau cuisine.
Hotness factor: Retro retreat, lively bar.
Details: avalonhotel.se. Doubles from £134. Ryanair has flights from Stansted from £41.
16 Hotel Amanda Haugesund, Norway
This hotel with a film theme is on the waterfront of this small port — a short drive from the western fjords. Rooms are large with beautiful views. Pierce Brosnan and Ronnie Wood have stayed during Haugesund’s summer film festival.
Hotness factor: Lovely North Sea views.
Details: choicehotels.no. B&B doubles from about £115. Ryanair flights from Stansted from £54.
17 Casa Honoré Marseille, France
You could easily miss Casa Honoré: it’s tucked away a couple of streets from the waterfront. Inside, there is a courtyard with a small pool, around which are set four minimalist rooms with designer bathrooms. It feels like a secret hideaway.
Hotness factor: Minimalist hideaway.
Details: i-escape.com/casahonore.php, casahonore.com. Doubles from £131. Ryanair has flights from Stansted from £48.
18 Hotel Continental Oslo, Norway
This is a stylish hotel with brilliant original art on its walls. The downstairs café was once given rave reviews by Joseph Heller ... and the only Catch 22 here is the room rate (it’s expensive).
Hotness factor Upmarket, wonderful art.
Details: hotel-continental.no. Doubles from £213. Ryanair has flights from Stansted from £18.
19 Pousada do Porto Porto, Portugal An 18th-century Baroque palace that has been turned into an ornate design hotel. There are public rooms full of art and sweeping curtains. Bedrooms are slick and modern. There’s a terrific infinity pool.
Hotness factor: Baroque, with cool pool.
Details: pousadas.pt/historicalhotels. Doubles from £216. Ryanair has return flights from Stansted from £59.
20 Hôtel Le Saint-James Bordeaux, France
I’ve never shared a room with a Harley-Davidson (or ridden one), . But I can’t resist clambering on to the beast and pretending to zoom through Bordeaux’s vineyards. I may not ride into the French wine capital, but I can see the way through the vines from the light wood bed, which is perfectly positioned to look out through a wall of picture windows. If I tire of this stunning view, a press of the button and the shades come down over the window. All 18 rooms and suites have the same vista, some beds built low to look through the vines, others high to look over them, and also taking in the hotel’s sleek pool.
Designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel, who took his inspiration from tobacco-drying sheds, the metal grille exterior of this hotel, ten minutes from the airport at Bordeaux, rises up starkly from the vines. Inside, there are more treats, most notably in the form of Michel Portos, a two-Michelin-star chef who serves up gastronomic delicacies using locally sourced produce in the restaurant.But nothing beats the Harley — except perhaps the hot-tub suite, at the top of the hotel.
Hotness factor Rev yourself up for a Michelin-starred treat.
Details saintjames-bouliac.com or relaischateaux.com. Doubles from £188, Harley Davidson suite from £385. EasyJet has return flights from £50.
by Jane Knight
21 Corral del Rey Seville, Spain
Hidden behind studded Moorish doors, this bijou six-room hotel is minutes from the cathedral. Rooms are elegant and have DVD players and iPod docking stations.
Hotness factor: Bijou Moorish rooms.
Details: i-escape.com, corraldelrey.com. Doubles from £245. Ryanair has flights from Stansted from £73.
22 Sumahan on the Water Istanbul, Turkey This opulent new design hotel overlooks the Bosphorus. Rooms have retro 1960s chairs and terrific views across the sea — some beds face out across the water. There’s a cool bar (appropriate as it’s set in an old alcohol factory), a lively seafood restaurant and a hammam spa.
Hotness factor: Lively, retro design hotel by the Bosphorus.
Details: i-escape.com, sumahan.com. Doubles from £170. EasyJet has flights from Gatwick and Luton from £66.
23 Hotel Misc Amsterdam, The Netherlands
This reasonably priced hotel has six funky, themed rooms. The Afrika room looks like it’s from Out of Africa, with colonial-style furniture. The Retro room has 1960s furniture and the Baroque room is OTT with chandeliers and gilded mirrors.
Hotness factor: Funky themed rooms.
Details: misceatdrinksleep.com. Doubles from £127. Bmibaby has flights from East Midlands and Birmingham from £39.99.
24 Hi Hotel Nice, France
Super-trendy icebox meets a living modern art installation. There are stand-alone baths, bamboo plants, spiral staircases, light projections on the walls of the bar (which attracts top Parisian DJs), and a minimalist overall feel. Cool rooftop pool.
Hotness factor: Hip hotel with DJ nights and marvellous minimalism.
Details: i-escape.com/hihotel.php, hi-hotel.net. Doubles from £191. Bmibaby from East Midlands from £77.99.
25 Il Sogno di Giulietta Verona, Italy
In the city of Romeo and Juliet, this is perhaps the most romantic hotel — complete with a balcony for tender exchanges of devotion. The ten rooms, named after lines in Shakepeare’s play, have elegant decorations and furnishings.
Hotness factor: O Romeo, Romeo!
Details: juliet-dream.com, kuoni.co.uk. Doubles from £177. Ryanair has flights from Stansted from £56.
26 Hôtel Amour Paris, France
This hotel is a real love nest. Some of the boudoir-like rooms have ruby and black walls, others are lime-green or lilac with wacky modern art. The owner is a graffiti artist , which explains the art and the overall edgy feel. Close to Montmartre.
Hotness factor: Edgy Parisian love hideaway.
Details: hotelamourparis.fr. Doubles from £130. EasyJet has flights from Luton to Paris Charles de Gaulle from £49.
27 Hotel Rialto Warsaw, Poland
This Art Deco hotel, on a quiet backstreet, has a handful of rooms with neat 1920s and 1930s period pieces. Try the Big Apple or Black & White suites (the most romantic).
Hotness factor An Art Deco delight.
Details hotelrialto.com.pl. Doubles from £55, suites from £95. Wizz Air has flights from Luton from £75.
28 Arcotel Allegra Zagreb, Croatia
Wacky bedspreads and multicoloured lighting are to be found at this arty hotel. There’s also a top-floor hot-tub, a smart restaurant and a trendy cocktail bar. If it’s a special occasion, go for a suite.
Hotness factor: Trendy cocktail bar.
Details: arcotel.cc/allegra. Doubles from £56, suites £213. Wizz Air has flights from Luton from £51.
29 Mama’s Hotel Bratislava, Slovakia
From the rooftop hot-tub there are views across the Slovakian capital. Rooms are modern in a slick excecutive way with plenty of modern art. There’s a big indoor pool and an overall feeling of being tucked away from the hustle of the city.
Hotness factor: Giant indoor pool.
Details: hotelmamas.sk. Doubles from £145. Ryanair has flights from £30.
30 Hospes Palau de la Mar Valencia, Spain
This 19th-century mansion has been turned into a cool contemporary hotel in L’Eixample, the fashionable shopping district. Most rooms have splashes of purple art and big beds. There’s also a spa.
Hotness factor Fashion district retreat with a spa (and style).
Details hospes.com, i-escape.com. Doubles from £87. Ryanair has flights from Stansted from £47.
• All flight prices are for return flights and are correct as we go to press. See easyjet.com; ryanair.com; bmibaby.com; wizzair.com. Room prices are based on the cheapest rates in early summer.
• Tom Chesshyre is the author of How Low Can You Go? Round Europe for 1p Each Way (Plus Tax) published by Hodder, £7.99.