Choose Charming Small Hotels Italy guide to discover your dream place to stay. With this Charming Small Hotels Italy guide, you'll discover dream places to stay that are worth planning your visit around. Here you'll discover a huge selection of truly special places to stay with character, charm and the personal touch from budget to luxury. Charming Small Hotels Italy offers a calm, reasoned evaluation. We go to great pains to try to get under the skin of each hotel; to draw a word-sketch of what the hotel really is and we're not afraid to offer the negative as well as the positive points! Inside our hotel guide you'll find: *Colour photographs and a thoughtful description for each entry. *A genuinely independent review - no hotel pays to be included in our guide. *A unique focus on places with charm and character. We favour places that can offer a genuinely personal welcome. *Every entry is more than just a bed for the night: it's an experience worth going out of your way for. From chic stylish city hotels to contemporary inns, from outstanding B&Bs to captivating country houses we're sure you'll find just the place you're looking for. With each hotel hand-picked by Fiona Duncan, arguably Britain's most respected hotel critic, your visit starts here.

To journey through South Africa is to step into a world where beauty is woven into every horizon. This is a country whose landscapes defy description: from the golden savannahs of the Highveld and the emerald vineyards of the Cape to the untamed wilds of Kruger and the dramatic meeting of two oceans at the continent’s edge. South Africa’s uniqueness lies not only in its breathtaking scenery, but in the vibrant tapestry of cultures, languages, and traditions that infuse every encounter with meaning. Here, luxury is found in the stillness of dawn as elephants roam free, in the exquisite comfort of lodges designed to honour the land, and in the knowledge that each experience is anchored in a deep respect for nature and community. The country’s commitment to conservation and sustainability is a way of life – one that invites visitors to become stewards of its wild beauty. To explore South Africa is to be changed by it: to witness a place where grandeur and spirituality coexist, where adventure and serenity are never far apart, and where every moment is a celebration of life’s richness and possibility.
 
The warmth and resilience of South Africa’s people and their deep connection to the land creates encounters that resonate long after departure. Ubuntu, the unique philosophy that ‘we are because of others,’ shapes not only human relationships, but also the approach to conservation and sustainable tourism that defines the country’s finest establishments.
 
The lodges, hotels, and retreats featured in ‘South Africa’s Best’ represent more than luxury accommodation; they all embody a commitment to environmental stewardship and community empowerment by demonstrating how exceptional hospitality can coexist with conservation efforts. Here, solar-powered suites overlook pristine wilderness, organic gardens supply world-class kitchens, and tourism revenue directly supports local communities and wildlife protection initiatives. These properties are bastions of hope, demonstrating that luxury and purpose can flourish together, and that travel can be a force for good.
 
This edition has been enriched through our collaboration with Ardmore, South Africa’s celebrated design studio, whose distinctive ceramics, textiles, and homeware are inspired by the country’s flora, fauna, and folklore. Ardmore reflects a commitment to artistic excellence and social upliftment, embodying the philosophy of Ubuntu. Their work has transformed local talent into internationally recognised artistry while supporting conservation efforts.
 
Our partnership with Steadfast Africa further enhances this collection. As a boutique luxury travel company, Steadfast Africa curates bespoke journeys within South Africa that showcase the country’s most exceptional destinations. Their expertise ensures seamless access to the world-class lodges, exclusive reserves, and immersive cultural experiences featured in this edition. Steadfast Africa ensures that travellers are able to become active participants in preserving the country’s natural heritage and supporting the communities that call these landscapes home.
 
Whether tracking rhino on foot with expert guides, dining on farm-to-table cuisine under the stars, or participating in meaningful cultural exchanges, each featured destination invites guests to engage deeply and mindfully with both nature and heritage. What sets these luxury destinations apart is their shared ethos: a dedication to preserving the country’s wild beauty and uplifting its people, ensuring that South Africa’s wonders will endure for generations to come.
 
‘South Africa’s Best’ gives readers the opportunity to embark on a journey where every page is infused with purpose, gratitude, and the promise of lasting change. In compiling this edition, our hope is to unite travellers who share a love for this remarkable country and a desire to make a meaningful impact. This book is both a tribute and a call to action: to honour and protect the land, people, and wildlife that make South Africa truly extraordinary.

An Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire ( a class of knighthood). Tremain spent the 17 years before 1989 running Boston's historic Copley Plaza Hotel. He used his international contacts and social and business acumen to turn the Copley from a faltering property into a lucrative draw for the prosperous and photogenic. Tremain became a celebrity. He had a television show called Words and Music and interviewed many famous people including Luciano Pavarotti, Sebastian Cabot, Peter Falk, Elizabeth Taylor and the author, Thornton Wilder. His Cannes townhouse on the French Riviera even appeared on television's "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." In October, 2009 Tremain hosted a television show on WXEL in the Palm Beaches entitled "Meet the Chef." Harking back to the interview with the Serendipity Editor of the Palm Beach Society Magazine, Tremain said, "And a final answer to a question which you haven't asked. What would I still like to do? I would like to publish a book called Without Reservation-a fun look at my experiences in the hotel business. Well, here it is.

Here are hundreds of irresistible excuses for going to Italy. Be welcomed and utterly seduced by the vitality and sheer authenticity of Italy and its people. This collection of over 400 places provides ready-made friends and contacts, with beautiful and interesting houses to spend time in. Stay in a B&B at the foot of Mount Etna, a 16th-century monastery on the Italian Lakes, a medieval hamlet in Le Marche - there's even an entire village in Tuscany. Find plenty to do and learn too; there are yoga retreats and art & drama workshops, we have one farm that runs pottery and textile holidays another where you can go truffle hunting or honey collecting. Plus our Ethical Collection, marked on entry pages, highlights owners' commitment to the environment, the community or to serving local or organic food. * Over 17 years of experience have gone into Sawday's most exciting collection of special places to stay in Italy, with over 400 properties listed - many of which are new for this edition * Coverage is country-wide, including Sicily and Sardinia and emerging tourist regions like the Aeolian islands and Campania. You'll find self-catering places of all sizes - for two or for an entire wedding party * Places are chosen only after inspection, to suit all budgets and occasions and many of them have rooms for EURO100 or less for two people. Good value for money is important at whatever price * Clear symbols, excellent maps, over 750 colour photos, and honest and lively write-ups take the hard work out of finding the perfect place for your special stay