Precise Tale Poggio Alla Sala is perfectly capable of delivering the classic experience that makes Tuscany a perennially desirable destination, but with a point of view that makes its version a particularly memorable one. Its designers took inspiration from the Silk Routes that once connected Italy to the far East, to create a style that’s local but heavily influenced by places as distant as Istanbul and Shanghai.

When staying on an island with its own unique language and character, it makes sense to stay in a hotel that’s properly rooted in the place. Enter Domaine Les Oliviers de Palombaggia. Instead of conventional rooms, the hotel has stone cottages inspired by the island’s traditional architecture. And it’s not just family-run, it’s family-built — one member of the local Bougon family, a daughter, designed the villas, while a father-and-son duo handled the carpentry.

Acro Suites brings Santorini-style cliffside romance and carved-rock drama to the north coast of Crete. This adults-only hotel is the smaller and more reserved sister to the Sea Side Resort, right next door — but is perfectly capable of standing on its own. Its 49 suites and villas are equipped with all the necessities, including views out to sea and private plunge pools, either hugging the cliff edge or carved into stone caves.

Souki Lodges & Spa feels a bit like a private discovery. In fact, despite its middle-of-nowhere location outside the village of Cabrières, it’s one of the most exclusive and sought-after places to stay in the region. The boutique hotel is the passion project of a pair of locally based designers who imagined a sleek, eco-friendly getaway built right into the landscape at the foot of the Pic de Vissou.

The raw material of Abbaye des Vaux-de-Cernay is a medieval abbey that was restored and expanded in the late 19th century by the Baroness Charlotte de Rothschild; today, after another round of careful attention, it’s been transformed once more, into a thoroughly impressive country escape. Its rooms occupy the original abbey building as well as the reconditioned stables; they’re joined by the freestanding, self-contained pavilions, for families or larger parties.

Perched on a high mountain slope, the verandas of Jaskółka Dom i Spa face an expanse of pine forests and snowcapped peaks. This landmark inn opened in 1894 and served a variety of purposes over the years, before undergoing extensive renovations and reopening as a luxury boutique accommodation. The interiors are just as impressive as the views, with high coffered ceilings, ornate chandeliers, original woodwork, and decorative stained glass panels.

Lesante Cape Resort & Villas pays homage to Zakynthian culture, from architecture to cuisine. It’s a village within a village, namely the seaside hamlet of Akrotiri; the hotel has its own taverna, shops, church, café, and central square. And while the grand archways, whitewashed buildings, and scenic olive trees mirror elements of the world outside, there’s a luxurious spin and a modern sensibility to this particular interpretation of the island lifestyle.

Set in the lush green mountains of Asturias, Solo Palacio is an unusual hotel, to say the least. The building is a 16th-century palace, but the concept is wabi-sabi, as in the Japanese idea of taking pleasure in imperfection and impermanence. Accordingly, the estate has been restored, but not to perfection; and while the experience is a luxurious one, everything feels unpretentiously rough-edged and charmingly handmade.

Aethos Monterosa is a hotel whose mission is to place as few obstacles as possible between you and the adventure you’ve come to the Alps to experience. That’s why there’s a rock-climbing wall in the lobby, and, in winter, an ice-climbing wall on the exterior of the hotel. Clearly, this is not your grandfather’s Alpine lodge — its contemporary architecture and its modern construction, in concrete, wood, and weathered metal, see to that.

Unlike some other places in the Swiss Alps, Adelboden is less about opulence and more about the classic pleasures of a mountain town. It’s fitting, then, that its top luxury hotel is as substantial as it is stylish. The Brecon resembles a classic Alpine lodge, but its interiors, by Dutch design firm Nicemakers, combine mid-century modernist gestures and chic contemporary design pieces with the warmth you expect from a Swiss mountainside hotel.