10 of the best boutique hotel websites

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Support The Guardian Close Skip to main content Advertisement current edition: International edition The Guardian - Back to home Support The Guardian Subscribe Find a job Sign in Search News Opinion Sport Culture Lifestyle Show More Travel UK Europe US 10 of the best boutique hotel websites Hotels Whether it’s boutique B&Bs, budget pads, treehouses, or a glamorous hotel, these accommodation websites save you the trouble of trawling through endless internet listings Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett @rhiannonlucyc Mon 30 Nov 2015 06.30 GMT Last modified on Thu 22 Dec 2016 12.17 GMT Shares 724 Comments 21 The eco-retreat of Bambu Indah in Ubud, Bali, part of the i-escape collection i-escape Boutique accommodation website i-escape has a collection of more than 1,500 hotels, B&Bs, villas and guesthouses (in more than 50 countries) with destinations as diverse as Argentina, Zanzibar, Malaysia and Montenegro and prices ranging from budget to luxury. The site maintains that quality, rather than quantity, is the main focus and of all the properties that apply to be on the site only a few – such as the gorgeous Bambu Indah in Ubud, Bali, (from £63 per room a night) – will make the cut. There is also a dedicated Kids’ Collection for travelling families. • i-escape.com Doris and Dicky Facebook Twitter Pinterest Riad Al Jazira, Marrakech This is a new website offering a handpicked collection of 500 affordable-but-chic hotels. Its philosophy of boutique on a budget – the average price band is around £100 a night – applies to everything from European city breaks to South American adventures. Each property in the portfolio has been chosen on merit and assessed by a team of anonymous reviewers. There are luxurious bargains to be had, such as a room in the atmospheric Riad Al Jazira in Marrakech from £64.77. It’s the perfect site for anyone who wants affordable style without spending ages trawling through long lists of hotel results. • dorisanddicky.com GoUnusual Facebook Twitter Pinterest Cabanes Sister treehouse outside Bilbao GoUnusual features 345 hotels ranging price-wise from free (it has two hotels that simply ask for a donation) to one that costs £16,000 for exclusive use. Geographically, it covers everywhere except Antarctica, though apparently it is chasing the McMurdo base to try and find a location there. Its motto, “life less ordinary”, has led its team of contributors and freelancers to seek out travel experiences that make guests feel part of an adventure or a story linked to the places they visit. If, for instance, you’re looking for a kip in an igloo in Finland or this treehouse near Bilbao in northern Spain. • unusualhotelsoftheworld.com Chic Retreats Ilha de Toque Toque in Brazil The clue’s in the name: Chic Retreats curates beautifully designed hotels, villas and guesthouses subdivided into helpful collections such as budget chic, eco chic and safari chic (not to mention “hide and chic” if you’re really keen to get away from the crowds). There are about 700 places from which to choose, with prices ranging from £50 to £1,500 a night, depending on whether it is a pousada in Brazil, such as Ilha de Toque Toque (£83 a night), or a luxury suite in Rome. • chicretreats.com Mr & Mrs Smith Facebook Twitter Pinterest Brody House, Budapest A company specialising in stylish boutique hotels, with a reputation for providing comfortable luxury, whether on a smaller budget or at a price. It only works with places that the team has visited personally. It was founded by London-based couple James and Tamara Lohan after they booked a romantic break and were disappointed with a characterless, uninspiring result. They decided to launch a booking service focusing on those quirky, charismatic, smaller independent hotels, such as Brody House in Budapest (£48.17 a night), which can be so difficult to root out amid a slew of internet listings. • mrandmrssmith.com Sawday’s Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Marulivo hotel in Pisciotta, Salerno is a 14th century monestary with sea views. Family-run company Sawday’s promises to provide more than just a bed for a night; its emphasis on hotels that champion the local, the personal and the authentic, as opposed to the bland and the corporate, is underpinned by a commitment to sustainability. Founder Alastair – who has now passed the baton to his son – was a Green party candidate and it shows. All the hotels and guesthouses on offer have committed to source the food offered to guests from local, independent producers. Prices range from around €60 a night into the hundreds, with locations in Britain, France, Ireland, Spain, Italy and Portugal. • sawdays.co.uk Further Afield Facebook Twitter Pinterest Villa Mazamet, France Further Afield began in 2010 at the time of the furore around gay couples being denied B&B accommodation in the UK. Its aim has always been to create a stylish collection of places to stay: small hotels, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation both in cities and off the beaten track, which welcome everyone – gay, lesbian or straight. Many, such as the Villa Mazamet in the traditional French market town of Mazamet in the Midi-Pyrénées, are affordably priced (rooms from £80 a night). Its collection includes more than 270 properties across the world but with a focus on the UK, France, Spain, Greece and Italy. Prices range from £75 to over £500 a night. • furtherafield.com Chateaux and Hotels Collection Facebook Twitter Pinterest L’auberge de la Source, part of the Chateaux and Hotels Collection This site should be the first port of call for those who have always dreamed of a fairytale stay in a French castle. This collection of independently owned unique and boutique properties caters to all budgets, with prices ranging from €70 to €400 a night. The collection currently covers France, Italy, Mauritius, Germany, Maldives, Belgium, Austria, Spain, and Hungary – with most of the properties in France. For travelling gourmands, the site has also collated a network of top-class restaurants. • chateauxhotels.co.uk Boutique and Breakfast Facebook Twitter Pinterest Old Whyly, Lewes “The definitive guide to the most desirable Bed and Breakfast and self-catering accommodation throughout the UK”, has 129 properties on its website. The majority are stylish B&Bs such as Old Whyly in Lewes, East Sussex, which is a Grade II-listed Georgian manor house complete with pool (from £85 a night). There is also a small selection of self-catering and sleep-and-dine properties. Price bands vary with rates starting from £55 to £325 a night and beyond. The site features properties throughout the UK but there is a concentration of properties in the south-west (Devon and Cornwall), the south-east (Hampshire and Sussex), Wales, the north-east and Scotland. • boutiqueandbreakfast.com Paradores and Pousadas Facebook Twitter Pinterest View From a parador in Toledo, central Spain. Photograph: Nik Wheeler/Corbis The Spanish Paradores scheme was established by the government in 1928 and allows you to book hotels converted from fine historic buildings such as castles, convents, monasteries, fortresses throughout the country. The state maintains the buildings, the upkeep of which you contribute to with your fee for the room, as well as making a contribution to the local tourist economy. Pousadas are the Portuguese equivalent. Founded in 1942 on the Spanish model, though no longer owned by the state, they offer good value accommodation – often in spectacular or historic locations. • parador.es, pousadas.pt Since you’re here … … we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading the Guardian than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. And unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can. So you can see why we need to ask for your help. The Guardian’s independent, investigative journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe our perspective matters – because it might well be your perspective, too. I appreciate there not being a paywall: it is more democratic for the media to be available for all and not a commodity to be purchased by a few. I’m happy to make a contribution so others with less means still have access to information. Thomasine, Sweden If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as €1, you can support the Guardian – and it only takes a minute. Thank you. Support The Guardian Topics Hotels Travel websites Bed and breakfasts Top 10s features Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Google+ Reuse this content Advertisement most viewed Yanny or Laurel? 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[?] comments (21) Sign in or create your Guardian account to join the discussion. Order by oldest Threads collapsed primesafaris 30 Nov 2015 8:43 This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn't abide by our community standards. Replies may also be deleted. For more detail see our FAQs. LarringtonLobster 30 Nov 2015 9:10 15 16 As Tory austerity bites I now spend my holidays browsing boutique hotel websites. Share Facebook Twitter Report laobaixing07 LarringtonLobster 30 Nov 2015 9:53 0 1 You'd save more at hostels and have more fun! Share Facebook Twitter Report LouSmorels laobaixing07 30 Nov 2015 11:21 1 2 So you're the bloke who kept me awake all night while I was trying to sleep in the top bunk while you were having it off with your friend on the bottom bunk! 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