Glen Affric Youth Hostel
Inverness-shire, Scotland
The most remote youth hostel in the UK, this unique place in a wide river valley surrounded by high mountains is the closest you’ll get to an alpine hut but in Scotland. Situated eight miles from the nearest road, this remote eco-hostel is a former stalking bothy on the Glen Affric Estate – a haven for walkers, nature lovers and those seeking isolation. On the doorstep are 15 Munros and good tracks through the valleys for walking and mountain biking. Indeed, the hostel is only accessible on foot or by mountain bike, so please allow at least 3-4 hours for the walk in. There are no signs to the hostel either, so a map, compass, torch and appropriate clothing are essential.
Price: from £23 pp per night
The Omnia Mountain Lodge
Zermatt, Switzerland
The Omnia is the kind of hotel where the rooms are too nice and individual to have numbers. Sitting serenely in the shadow of the magnificent Matterhorn, it’s a sleek, minimalist palace perched above Zermatt’s main street, with floor-to-ceiling windows, wood floors, Tempur mattresses, an indoor/outdoor pool and spa, and extras such as yoga. But no gaudy reception: the Omnia is accessed by a softly-lit tunnel and lift direct from the street.
Price: from £170 per person per night
Fisherman’s Cottage
Eliassen Rorbuer, Norway
Based on the tiny island of Hamnøy, you’ll find 35 different fishermen’s cottages to choose from, all picture-postcard beautiful, with red-painted wooden walls, grey roofs and white-edged windows peeping out to the sea that surrounds you. The landscape is dramatic and beautiful, with steep mountain slopes soaring 1200m above you, and the vast, blue waters of Reinefjord around you. You can chase the northern lights in winter, or, capture the sunshine at midnight from May to July, when the sun stays risen all night long. For the adventurous, take a kayaking tour or go deep-sea rafting.
Price: from £68 per night
Belle Tout Lighthouse
Beachy Head, East Sussex
You can’t get much better situated for spectacular coastal walks than this lovingly converted 19th Century lighthouse perched on the chalky white cliffs of Beachy Head, just west of Eastbourne. The Belle Tout mixes modern luxuries with a unique setting: rooms are individually styled and each is bright and airy with soft homely furnishings and inviting shower rooms. The views are, of course, spectacular – on one side the English Channel crashes onto the rocks, while on the other rise the green tops of the Seven Sisters cliffs. Every effort has been made to keep the original features of the lighthouse. The lamp room, for example, comes with a telescope to help you spy on ships that pass in the night.
Price: from £145 per night
Rifugio Scoiattoli
Cinque Torri, Italy
Picture this: You’re immersed in hot water, sipping champagne under a starlit sky at high altitude, snow all around and with a view of the magnificent 5 Torri, just a few yards away, in Italy’s beautiful Dolomites. You’ve got the Lorenzi family to thank for this experience, who had the bright idea of placing a fir-wood barrel hot tub in the snow outside the Rifugio Scoiattoli that they run. A must try at £125 for six people!
An overnight stay here also guarantees first tracks the next day – and the pasta flavoured with bilberries is a speciality.
Price: from £40 per person per night
The Treehouse
Tsichleika, Peloponnisos Greece
Enjoy real tranquillity in this wonderful treehouse, on the Kotsifas Estate – an organic olive oil farm, 5km from the town of Amaliada. The treehouse comes complete with a proper double bed, a lounge, sofa bed, bathroom, fridge, balcony and outdoor dining area. Relax in beautiful natural surroundings, be pampered with breakfast, and a full meal of your choice served with organic wine, under the tree. Take a free yoga session or add a massage to end your day. All food and wine is included in the price. If you feel like exploring, you can get a bus into the town – and to ancient Olympia and nearby beaches.
Price: from £144 per night
