Our friends at influential publishing house Assouline, in collaboration with editors & photographers from Conde Nast Traveller, have compiled a collection of the most chic stays – from picture-perfect Positano to the wild shores of Scotland. Here are just a few of our favourites.
Le Sirenuse, Italy
Dreamy, chic and oh-so-Italian, Le Sirenuse is set on the cliffs of Positano on the adored Amalfi Coast. Owned by the Sersale family, you are instantly made to feel at home here. In the words of American author John Steinbeck who was a guest in 1953, "Positano bites deep. It is a dream place that isn't quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone."
Casa Uxua, Brazil
In the Bahian beach town of Trancoso lies Casa Uxua, a rustic, effortlessly laid-back escape from reality. Each of the 10 individual casas are designed with local ceramics and wood carvings, carefully curated by the Dutch designer-owner Wilbert Das. Uxua whisks you to a care-free world where walking barefoot and lounging in the warm ocean breeze become your daily routine.
Aman Summer Palace, Beijing
Aman are famed for their impeccable service and slick hotels around the world; Beijing's Summer Palace property wholeheartedly epitomes this. Housed in historic buildings with interiors inspired by the Ming dynasty, and tranquil courtyards contrasting with the Chinese capital, as an Aman guest you are just steps (and a secret door) away from the Summer Palace itself.
Palazzo Margherita, Italy
Built in 1892, Palazzo Margherita is tucked away in the small hilltop town of Bernalda in southern Italy. The 19th century palazzo is in fact the ancestral home of iconic film director Francis Ford Coppola, who has painstakingly restored Palazzo Margherita to its present-day glory. The region around Bernalda is known for its traditional Italian culture, food and wine with Palazzo Margherita as the perfect base.
Amilia Fushi, Maldives
Miami meets the Maldives at Amilla Fushi. With a growing list of A-list guests including Kate Moss who shares her love letter to the hotel in Chic Stays. Spend your days diving in the UNESCO-protected Baa Atoll, swimming in the brilliantly blue waters framing your villa, and sampling the freshest sashimi.
Eilean Shona, Scotland
Just off the west coast of Scotland, the rugged tidal island of Eileen Shona is a classic Scottish hideaway with quirky interiors set on 1300 acres of private land. Said to have inspired JM Barrie's Neverland, this is a Hebridean retreat for those who want to escape it all.