Tatler says that Trasierra, 80 miles north of Seville in the Sierra Morena Mountains,  is "the cosiest, most refreshing place in the world....It doesn't matter what seasons you go."   Charming hotel, lovingly restored by Charlotte Scott and her daughter Giocanda.  Good romantic, chill out spot with delicious food and a large, inviting pool around a courtyard.   Double rooms, from 200 Euro a night, including breakfast.

Former 19th century villa on Lake Garda where Mussolini was held under house arrest during the war, now converted by Bob Burns into a super-posh hotel. Tatler writes, "This place has class, it has style in spades. It's a small hotel that looks and behaves like a powerhouse." Michelin-stared food.

Charming, little beach retreat on a tiny island off the coast of Mozambique. Accommodations consist of 13 cottages as close to the water as possible. Tatler comments in its 2009 Guide to the Best 101 Hotels, "it's deeply unpretentious." Good chill out spot, paradise for divers, amazing coral reefs. Chalet rates from $400 per person, all meals included.

Good accommodations for antique lovers visiting Madrid. Super-posh, antique-filled (yet, non-fussy) B&B located in an exquisite 18th century building overlooking the Royal Opera House. Rooms from 275 Euro, breakfast included.

Town and Country's hotel pick for Vermont.  Cozy inn, with rooms housed in a rambling main house and adjoining barns on 100 acres with views of the Green Mountains. "Innkeeper Katja Matthews welcomes you as if it were her own home." "In spring and summer, you might spot chef Graham Gill (formerly of London's Savoy Hotel, snipping and picking herbs and berries from the garden." [Town & Country, Winter Wonderland, January 2009]  Stratton, Mount Snow and Bromley ski areas are nearby.   Rooms from $215.

Majorly-trendy restaurant with an open kitchen under the direction of chef Fernando Trocca. Still going strong after a few years. DailyCandy advises, "Break out the seven-centimeter stilettos for the scene." Try the braised lamb gigot or buffalo carpaccio. In December 2008, Elle Decor selected it as a cool place to eat in Buenos Aires.

"Whistler’s first boutique ski hotel, (which) caters to the young and hip with spa-like bathrooms and sleek floating fireplaces."  [DailyCandy]

According to Rahul Jacob, travel editor for the FT, The Mansouriya Hotel is the boutique hotel option in Aleppo, one of the world's oldest inhabited cities, three hours from Damascus. Read all about touring Syria in the attached Financial Times article, Syria Souks and Citadels.

Swanky new 20-room boutique hotel in Buenos Aires with its own women's polo team (and post-polo rooftop parties!)  [Departures, AMEX Platinum Members, September 2008]  Located in the trendy BA neighborhood, Palermo Soho.

"Intimate and romantic" B&B in Paris, housed in a 16th century townhouse in the Marais behind the Pompidou. Just four rooms, "extravagantly renovated."  "No one gets up before 10 [Breakfast is served until 1], not even the Americans," remarks owner Yann-Gabriel Hentschke in Tatler's 2009 Guide to the Best 101 Hotels. "It may seem grandiose, but underneath it all is a gem of a hotel that works." Tatler quotes rates from 180 pounds.