583 Unique Hotels in West Europe

The Algarve is one of the most crowded tourist destinations in Europe, but this isn’t the Algarve. This is the Nespeira Estate, a secluded hideaway without commercial tourism in sight. It is still close enough to the gorgeous Alentejo coast, so you can enjoy the beautiful beaches that make this …

This 18th Century villa is still privately owned by the Sersale family, who opened their summer house as a hotel in 1951. It was just about the time the Positano region of Italy was growing as a tourist destination thanks, in no small part, to John Steinbeck's remarking in an …

The A Figa Villa in Corsica was built in the 17th Century and has been wonderfully maintained in that original style. It is the signature property in a portfolio of stunning buildings in beautiful landscapes around the Corsican coast. It houses seven people and is a traditional ‘tall house’ looking …

Alta is the northernmost city in the world that has over 10,000 inhabitants. Its location in a valley along the banks of the river Alta means it is sheltered from the vicissitudes of the climate to the extent that its land does not develop permafrost. It is one of the …

This was once a convent. Built in the 16th Century, the cloisters and passageways once echoed with the sound of rosary beads and prayers. Today, it is the building that contemplates on a rock overlooking the sea while, inside, the residents relax. Thousands of religious hours have been worn into …

No, the G here doesn’t stand for ‘Gangsta’ although they may serve Crystal Champagne. Interiors by Philip Treacy OBE (he was the guy who designed the Internet’s favorite hat – the one worn by Princess Beatrice’s at the royal wedding). This top designer used an eclectic style palate drawing from …

When arriving at Masseria Torre Coccaro, you will see ancient olive groves where connoisseur olive oil is pressed, a wave-lapped Adriatic shore where a private yacht is moored, and a restored farmhouse where you will be staying. The farmhouse is hundreds of years old and is more fortress than a …

This hotel was first conceived as a place for a group of friends to live together. Then they decided to make it into a hotel where everything is made by the darlings of Berlin’s burgeoning art scene. So expect the unexpected. The hotel rule book has been cut up and …

This hotel gives you the choice: traditional Spanish Baroque or Japanese-style cubes. The designer was inspired to create the unique ‘Kube’ rooms after reading a philosophical piece called ‘In Praise of Shadows’ by Tanizaki who is one of Japan’s great modern writers. It is a sophisticated space with one glass …

Not long ago, it was just another ruined castle. Now beautifully restored, it sits in 10 hectares of land and a historic vineyard. The old outbuildings have been incorporated into the new design to create a modern complex making the most of the historic architecture. In 1163 a crusading knight, …

This was once home to lines of tough-faced worshippers from the local fishing village of Stöðvarfjörður. Now it is home to you while you explore Iceland’s volcano-carved east coast. There is plenty of room and the accommodation is warm and welcoming. There is a self-catering kitchen and the choice of …

Designed to enhance the beauty of the natural landscape traditionally used for farming and olive grows by the native Basque people, Aire de Bardenas is a great example of how contemporary architecture can be used to build excellent hotels. The main façade of the hotel is built from containers originally …

‘I must just observe that the village of Cintra in Estremadura is the most beautiful in the world’. Not my words but the words of Lord Byron, one of the world’s dashing romantic poets. The romantic style of Sintra Castle Hotel is typical of 18th Century Royal residences. You enter …

Set on a cliff with beaches on either side, the Albatroz commands a place of honor in Portugal’s foremost playground, Cascais. The former fishing village has been around since the 12th Century. A succession of Kings, Lords, and Marquises took possession of the village over centuries until today, where it …

Hotel Palafitte takes Japanese minimalism and combines it with over-water bungalows from the South Pacific islands and places it all in the Swiss Alps. And not just anywhere in the Swiss Alps, in one of the best spots available in the converted Three Lakes region. Contemporary hardwood floors and designer …

Coal mining was the principal industry of the Limburg area. The Carbon Hotel takes its namesake from these seams of history that run through the rocks and culture of the area. Luckily that’s where the similarity with coal mining ends. Your room has an iPod dock, a BOSE Soundsystem, designer …

Two specially commissioned holiday apartments located high in the Austrian Alps where the scented air holds, in its spell, spicy conifer forests and ancient glaciers. Professor of architecture, Andreas Meck used bird’s nests for his inspiration. He placed his design hotel on the edge of a deep valley with views …

It holds the world record for ‘smallest hotel in the world’, and when you arrive at Punta Grande, you will be forgiven for thinking you have arrived at the home of an insane fisherman with love for very exposed locations. Situated on a rocky outcrop on the island of El …

The Royal Crescent, Bath, was built in the 1770s by noted architect, John Wood. A keen occultist and freemason, when viewed from above, the crescent represents the moon as part of a series of buildings that mimic Masonic symbols. Shapeshifting Lizards notwithstanding, The Royal Crescent Hotel is a fine place …

You are balancing on a mountain bike at the top of a slither of rocky trail running steeply down a mountainside. Everything is focused on your next maneuver. Your behind hovers behind the saddle for balance, feet in firm contact with the pedals, white knuckles on the handlebars, you choose …