Europe and Middle East

Exclusive guide to the best holiday destinations in Europe and Middle East. independent reviews from award-winning travel writers

Andy Mossack reviews the Villa Rose Boutique Hotel in alpine Samoens a very desirable place to enjoy the alpine region ft villa blurred 1

Villa Rose Boutique Hotel. Enjoy luxurious Alpine hospitality in delightful Samoens

The good people of Samoens, a charming little village tucked away in France’s alpine Savoie Mont Blanc region, have been doing daily life the same way for centuries, whether it be stonemasonry, cheese making or skiing. So when the local taxi driver is at a lost to find Villa Rose, the town’s new luxury boutique hotel, I’m not really surprised. New things clearly take a while to register here in Samoens.

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Anthea Gerrie stays at Northcote, the celebrated hotel and restaurant in the Ribble Valley.

Northcote. Discover foodie heaven in Lancashire.

You don’t have to be a foodie to stay at Northcote, but the chances are it will be your tastebuds which draw you to this slightly off the beaten track country hotel. Chef-patron Nigel Haworth did, after all, put Lancashire on the map as a dining destination 30 years ago, and the place, which perches unassumingly on the corner of the main road to Preston, is now drawing celebrated guest chefs and those who like to follow them from all over the world.

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Plaza Athenee. Discover the ultimate stylish boutique

Eat your heart out, stylish boutique hotels of Paris – the fashionistas are still going for the resolutely period decor of the eternally glamorous Plaza Athenee. For a start, it’s right in their territory on the avenue Montaigne, close to Dior, Louis Vuitton and Valentino, and for another thing, they are used to divas and fulfilling their every demand.

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Anthea Gerrie eats at the magnificent Alain Ducasse At The Plaza Athenee. Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée

Alain Ducasse At The Plaza Athenee. Enjoy the best 3 Star dining.

Is Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athenee one of the best restaurants in Paris? Certainly, the man currently regarded as the god of French cooking has the prettiest room in the most glamorous hotel in town

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Obsession 16. Discover this annual gastronomic festival at wonderful Northcote

Obsession 16 is the latest incarnation of the now famous annual gastronomic celebration at Northcote. Initiated for the new millennium by this Lancashire manor hotel with Michelin-starred restaurant named best place to stay outside London, it will this year field 18 chefs with an equal number of Michelin stars from all over the UK and beyond.

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Solange Berchemin stays at the historic L'Hotel Du Chateau in Carcassonne.

L’Hotel Du Chateau. Carcassonne

L’Hotel du Chateau, situated right below la Porte de Narbonne, the main entrance to the walled city of Carcassonne, is a perfect example of what happened back then. Cecile and Stéphane Rives acquired a 1* hotel and turned it into a stylish boutique hotel

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