We hear a lot about the world’s top hotels – the legendary grandes dames, the modern masterpieces of the superlative. And yet the majority of hotels in Europe fall into this huge average of the average three-star rating. This is where the hotels of the airport chain hang out with the incredible coals in front of the sea. And yet, between the functional and the unparalleled, there are some real treasures to be excavated: boutique hotels created out of a desire to make something beautiful. simple, rural shelters that follow a sustainable lifestyle, intimate places run by the same friendly family for generations, absolutely happy to remain in their humble three-star class and excel in their field. The irony of the star rating system is that the very things that prevent these small hotels from earning more stars are what keep them apart: the familiar scale, the limited space, the listed buildings, the form above the functionality. A star rating system can not distinguish between a Canaletto heirloom and a Jack Vettriano print and favors the lift over a spiral staircase. As for charm, beauty, warmth – these qualities that make us fall in love with a particular hotel are so subjective that such things can not be measured. Three stars means old houses, messy. Tower of faded grandeur and unglazed palace, redesigned finca with a strong sense of place. Three stars are for the big romantics. For people who do not like golf or the gym, for whom the size of the room does not matter as much as the large shuttered windows that open onto a wrought-iron balcony. If you are happy to skip the extra add-ons and dig a little deeper, you can find the kind of characteristic holes where you will feel at home, with a warm welcome, charm bags and wonderful homemade breakfasts – self-enhanced pleasures. congratulatory thought on what you saved by staying there. Here are 40 small and special hotels that make three star accommodation an art form.
Spain
Ca’n Gaià, Mallorca
Mallorquin’s pre-eminent refuge: a dreamy ocher agritourism in indigenous gardens, a few miles from the sandy coves of the south-east coast. The interior is cool and with a large staircase. 12 rooms and suites, some with windows with green shutters, others with private terraces. In the morning, breakfast is provided by the vegetable garden, which is served on the sun terrace under the pine trees. Details: Double from 85 £ (00 34 97116 2021; cangaia.com).
