Excellent location, a stone's throw from the Luxembourg Gardens and right opposite the Pantheon, this classy 18th-century, 34-room hotel was renovated in 2001 in Louis XVI style and boasts - besides some spectacular views of the last resting place of France's great and good - a delightful courtyard comeplete with chestnut tree.

19 Place du Pantheon; Tel: 01 46 34 19 60; www.hoteldupantheon.com/

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How much boutique hotel style can you take? Choose either 11 Didsbury Park or Didsbury House, two cool as can be Victorian villas in Manchester’s Hampstead. Essential trimmings include side-by-side baths and polished floors. Room prices from £135 to £300. The same company also runs the Great John Street Hotel, converted from an old school in the city centre. “New York loft meets vintage chic”, they say. All this and a hot tub too. From £235 to £750.

11 Didsbury Park, Didsbury Village; Tel: 0161 448 7711; Didsbury House Hotel, Didsbury Park, Didsbury Village; Tel: 0161 448 2200; www.eclectic-hotel-collection.com

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Grand listed building from Manchester’s golden age. Inside, sophisticated comfort with much-lauded beds and heated mirrors (for shavers who steam up?). From £101 a night.

18-24 Princess Street (on the edge of China Town); Tel: 0161 236 8999

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Cheery floral pub close to the Museum of Science And Industry. Nine comfortable en-suite rooms from £44.95. A snip in the heart of the city.

71 Liverpool Road, Castlefield; Tel: 0161 839 7740; www.theox.co.uk/

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Probably the city's most luxurious hotel, the five-star Alvear's French-style architecture, thick carpets and courteous service reek of old-world splendour, as do the prices which begin at $410 for a double room.

Avenida Alvear, 1891; Tel: 4808-2100; www.alvearpalace.com/

Google map: tinyurl.com/reyecj

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With rooms available from $74 to $107, this hotel is a well-kept secret. Ideally located in the posh Recoleta district, it is a stone's throw away from Recoleta Cemetery, the city's main museums and arts centres and some of its fanciest restaurants.

Schiaffino, 2189; Tel: 4804 9631; www.hotelplazafrancia.com/

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A fun art hotel run by two Germans in the colonial San Telmo district. Each room is decorated with works by different artists. Its modern restaurant serves kitsch cocktails and there are art events, poetry readings and DJ parties on weekends. Prices range from $30 to $50 a night.

Estados Unidos, 1393; Tel: 4381 6064; www.boquitas-pintadas.com.ar/

Google map: tinyurl.com/orqfp2

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Modelled on the Carlton in Cannes, this is the location that gave Rio its glamour in the 1950s. Even if you don’t stay here its worth coming for a caipirinha by the pool.

Avenida Atlântica 1702; Tel: 021 2548 7070; www.copacabanapalace.com.br/

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Of all the many budget places this always wins out because of its seafront location.

Rua Francisco Otaviano 177; Tel: 021 2523 0060

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A sumptuous restored art deco pile in a central but quiet location, up to ���300 for a double room.

: U Obecniho Dom 1; Tel: 222 195 195; Nearest metro: Namesti Republiky; www.hotel-pariz.cz/

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A neat little hotel in a great location with a cheap and good French-style bistro next door. Around ���120 for a double room.

Hastalska 14; Tel: +420225303111; www.maximilianhotel.com/

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Sod it. If you're going to break the bank, you might as well have a laugh doing it. At around $700 a night you'll need a sense of humour. Right on top of Central Park, it is in a great location. There are nicer hotels, I'm told, but none that give you quite so many bragging rights.

One Central Park West New York; Tel: 212 299 1000; www.trumpintl.com/

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A boutique hotel in Midtown that you could emerge from with change out of $200.

242 West 49th St; Tel: 212 586 030; www.mayfairnewyork.com/

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It’s downtown and near the social centre of Dupont Circle, but it also on a quiet street and has preserved an old-world bookish feel that is rare in America. It has a pleasant lounge with an open fire in winters that feels like the common room of some old college, and a very decent restaurant. A room is about $100.

1739 N Street, NW, at Connecticut Avenue; Tel: 1-202 785 1277; Dupont Circle Metro; www.tabardinn.com/home.htm

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Although high-end budget, it’s worth shelling out that little bit extra for this boutique hotel in the heart of ancient Athens. Its upper back rooms and bar terrace have an unrivalled view of the Acropolis and its ramparts. Recently renovated, the hotel is a stone’s throw away from the bars, cafes and restaurants of Plaka and trendy Psirri. Double room: €95 (low season); €145 (high season). Single room: €85 (low season); €115 (high season).

Mitropoleos & Kapnikareas 7; Tel: 210 322 2096; Nearest metro: Monastiraki; www.plakahotel.gr/; Reservations: plaka@tourhotel.gr

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Turn of the century building set in acres of greenery at the foot of Table Mountain. Their traditional afternoon teas are said to be formidable. Doubles are between R3,460 (low season) and R5,125 (high season). Luxury suites go from R8,030 (low season) up to R12,165 (high season).

76 Orange Street; Tel: 27 21 483 1000; www.mountnelson.co.za

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Once a prison, now cheap accommodation in a great setting, within walking distance of a multitude of bars, restaurants and shops. Doubles start at R460.

Portswood Road, Victoria and Albert Waterfront; Tel: 27 21 406 1911; www.bwl.co.za/

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Stripped brickwork and wireless internet in the rooms. Elegant bars, a gym and a narrow open-air pool. Doubles start at R1,000.

Corner of Somerset Road and Ebenezer Road; Tel: 27 21 418 1234; www.proteahotels.com/findhotel.jsp?croid=vjunc

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The building at the top of the Spanish Steps was bought by a Swiss family in 1885 and has become a byword for old school stylishness. The rooftop restaurant offers stunning views across the city and a fabled Sunday lunch buffet. Prices for a double start at €500, but special deals can be obtained.

Trinità dei Monti 6, 00187 Roma; Tel: 06 699 340; www.hotelhasslerroma.com/

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The least expensive of three hotels owned by the same group on the tranquil, up-market Aventine hill. If you ever fancied yourself as a character in a Henry James novel then this is the place for you. Prices for a double room range from €114 to €197.

Via San Domenico 10, 00153 Roma; Tel: 06 5783 214; www.aventinohotels.com/

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