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BEST-VALUE HOTEL, EUROPEWINNER: Design de la Sorbonne, ParisThis dinky design B&B (pictured) opposite the Sorbonne gets the important things right: immaculate housekeeping and comfy beds (with breakfast in them if you want), not forgetting a judicious splash of funky wallpaper and an iMac in every room. The cheaper ‘classic’ rooms are tight, but who cares? You’re in the heaving heart of the Latin Quarter, with bookstores and boutiques on every corner. Online deals squeeze rates into the £100-or-less bracket (00 33 1 4354 5808, www.hotelsorbonne.com).

RUNNER-UP: Ammos Hotel, CreteIt’s great to see a travel classic perfected. At first glance, this is your archetypal Cretan beach bolthole – a strip of sand, a rectangle of pool, a nest of sugar-cube apartments with space for the kids and a kitchenette. So far, so familiar. But self-confessed design geek Nikos Tsepetis has elevated Ammos into a different stratosphere with a sea-kissed restaurant, open all day. Better still, it’s in Crete’s classiest corner, just outside the Venetian harbour-town of

Chania. Doubles from £85, room only (00 30 282 103 3003, www.ammoshotel.com).

RUNNER-UP: Barceló Raval, BarcelonaRaval’s rooftop terrace is such a stunner, people can’t help but propose marriage here. You can see why: the panorama across Europe’s sexiest city is sensational. In fact, the hotel looks good all over, its elliptical glass tower delivering floor-to-ceiling windows in all of the little rooms, which somehow cram in fat beds, large plasma-screen TVs and iPod stations. Book as high as you can, ideally sixth floor or above, for prime views. La Rambla is a seven-minute walk away. Doubles from £95, room only (00 34 933 201490, www.barceloraval.com).

BEST OF THE REST: Urbane-going-on-industrial Aloft Brussels Schuman (doubles from £78, B&B; 00 32 2 800 0888, www.aloft brussels.com); the hospitable Fresh Sheets Hostel in Dubrovnik (its one double starts at £50, B&B; 00 385 91 799 2086, www.fresh sheetshostel.com); and pastoral La Sarrazine in Provence (doubles from £79, B&B; 00 33 494 732027, www.lasarrazine.com).

BEST-VALUE HOTEL, ASIA & AUSTRALASIAWINNER: Alila Manggis, BaliBeyond the fleshpots at Kuta, beyond the airport, even beyond Bali’s sacred mountain to the east, is a realm of weaving villages and water palaces, rice paddies and coconut groves. Alila Manggis (above) is escapism incarnate, its thatched pavilions edging a shady pool. People go for peace, not partying, and the cookery school is a big draw, along with fishing trips and market jaunts. There’s a spa, of course, and the staff scurry at your whim. All this for three-star prices: doubles from £96, B&B (00 62 363 41011, www.alilahotels.com).

RUNNER-UP: Hotel Tolarno, MelbourneSt Kilda is the hippest district in Australia’s most happening city, and Tolarno has the funkiest (and best-value) rooms in the place. What’s not to like? It’s worth booking just to experience the outlandish colour schemes – chunks of scarlet beside pink, mint green teamed with burgundy – all pulled together by contemporary art in every room. It’s a five-minute walk to the beach, while trams clatter past the door towards Southbank, the National Gallery and the Botanic Gardens. Doubles from £99, B&B (00 61 395 370200, www.hoteltolarno.com.au).

RUNNER-UP: The Salisbury, Hong KongShockingly, it seems the Village People were right after all. If The Salisbury in Kowloon is any guide, the YMCA has plenty going for it. Yes, you can get yourself cleaned. Yes, you can have a good meal. But the world’s poshest hostel also has knockout views, twin pools, a climbing wall, squash courts, dance studios, even a spa. Neat and tidy doubles from £65, room only; pay just £19 more to look out on the nightly laser show (00 85 222 687000, www.ymcahk.org.hk).

BEST OF THE REST: Quaintly Colonial Tri Yaan Na Ros in Chiang Mai, Thailand (doubles from £76, B&B; 00 66 5327 3174, www.triyaannaros.com); and the romantic Tree Crop Farm in Akaroa, New Zealand (doubles from £94, B&B; 00 64 330 47158, www.treecropfarm.com).

BEST-VALUE HOTEL, NORTH AMERICAWINNER: Ace Hotel & Swim Club, Palm SpringsFrom the outside (above), this is your classic ’60s motel, slouching beneath the San Jacinto mountains. Inside, it’s the kind of place where you kick back with a ‘boozy sno cone’ (an alcoholic Slush Puppie) on the stargazing deck, before slinking off to the treatment yurt for a hot-stone massage. Vinyl to play in the bedroom, cheesy popcorn in the minibar and Rudy’s Barbershop smellies in the bathroom – retro-chic brilliance, in other words – and the kooky clientele and buzzing pool scene make it a top hangout. Doubles from £80, room only (00 1 760 325 9900, www.acehotel.com).

RUNNER-UP: Rumor, Las VegasOnly in Vegas could a ‘boutique resort’ have 150 rooms, but this new kid on the Strip actually delivers on design. With white leather, red ceilings, lots of twinkling crystal and swirly purple throws, it’s sexy – in a high-class escort kind of way. Amazingly for the price, it’s an all-suite hotel, and even the standard ones come with an in-room hot tub and a balcony view of the pool party. Opening deals go as low as £40, room only (00 1 877 997 8667, www.rumorvegas.com).

RUNNER-UP: On The Ave, New YorkBagels for breakfast at a neighbourhood diner, a stroll to the Met across Central Park, then back to bed on the Upper West Side – On The Ave is a refreshing alternative to the neon palaces of Midtown, with a real feel of Manhattan living and crisp, loft-style rooms to complete the fantasy. Its Fatty Crab restaurant is on the nail, too – a surreal Malaysian roadhouse. With a late deal, you can bag a double from £79, room only (00 1 212 362 1100, www.ontheave-nyc.com).

BEST OF THE REST: The Tabard Inn, time-warped in 1890 and five blocks from the White House (doubles from £103, B&B; 00 1 202 785 1277, www.tabardinn.com); and Boston’s budget boutique, Hotel 140 (doubles from £71, room only; 00 1 617 585 5600, www.hotel140.com).

THE PANEL Travel’s VFM Awards were voted for by an academy of globetrotting writers: Susan d’Arcy, Simone Baird, Vicky Baker, Leo Bear, Ian Belcher, Nick Boulos, Katie Bowman, Julia Buckley, Mark C O’Flaherty, Tobi Cohen, Rob Crossan, Paul Croughton, Liz Edwards, Laura Goodman, Laura Goulden, William Gray, Richard Green, Ed Grenby, William Ham Bevan, Chris Haslam, Will Hide, Ellen Himelfarb, Mark Hodson, Rachel Howard, Sally Howard, Amanda Hyde, Steve Keenan, Jeremy Lazell, Kate Leahy, Clemmy Manzo, Guyan Mitra, Katie Monk, Paul Oswell, Anthony Peregrine, Rufus Purdy, Nick Redman, Tamzin Reynolds, Alex Robinson, Dan Rookwood, Tristan Rutherford, Brian Schofield, Mimi Spencer, Jill Starley-Grainger, Stanley Stewart, Josephine Stockman, Polly Teller, Sean Thomas, Ed Vanstone >

RIP-OFF!

Our experts have picked out some of travel’s worst try-ons, too…‘I’m scandalised by hotel wi-fi charges. Some of the swankiest hotels are the worst culprits – charging up to £17 a day for internet use! (Instead I check online before travelling – there are lots of websites that reveal free hotspots.)’

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BEST-VALUE HOTEL, URBAN UKWINNER: Hope Street Hotel, LiverpoolA Venetian palazzo in the land of Ken Dodd and Stevie G? Step forward Hope Street (left and above), built in 1860 in the style of a San Marco mansion, buffed up in 2003 as the standard-bearer of Liverpool’s renaissance. The city has reinvented itself as a happening weekenders’ haunt, and this is easily its sexiest sleep: 89 rooms of polished wood, bare brick with lots of bright white light, plus surprising views of the city skyline. The London Carriage Works restaurant is more than a match for the hotel, and with an advance booking you can pay as little as £85 for a double, room only (0151 709 3000, www.hope streethotel.co.uk).

RUNNER-UP: Avo, Dalston, East LondonThere’s a picture of a pearly queen on the website, but Avo is about as far removed from the East End pie-and-mash stereotype as you can imagine – unless you count the easy welcome from owner Sunny K and her family. They have transformed this Dalston terrace into a sassy inner-city crashpad, with purple-splashed bedrooms and sparkly bathrooms anointed with

Elemis goodies. The vibe is elegant yet edgy, the neighbourhood up-and-coming, and the rooms compact. As for the prices? Doubles start at only £79, B&B (020 3490 5061, www.avohotel.com).

RUNNER-UP: Blythswood Square, GlasgowCan you create a grande dame hotel in the first year of business? Blythswood Square had a pretty good stab at it, abetted by its costume-drama setting in the old Scottish Automobile Club HQ on Glasgow’s stateliest square. Expect lots of marble and pillars, and suited sentries to open the door for you, as well as a dapper design palette of cool greys and deep clarets. It’s friendly, too, and room deals hover around the £100 mark, B&B (0141 248 8888, www.townhousecompany.com).

BEST OF THE REST: The trendy but unflashy super-cheap Borough Hotel in Edinburgh (doubles from £50, B&B; 0131 668 2255, www.theboroughhotel.com); glammed-up gastro pub the Fox & Anchor in London’s Clerkenwell (from £138, room only; 0845 347 0100, www.foxandanchor.com); and the chic – Georgian outside, minimalist inside – Grey Street Hotel in Newcastle (doubles from £65, room only; 0191 230 6777, www.greystreethotel.com).>

BEST-VALUE HOTEL, LATIN AMERICAWINNER: Mata N’ativa Pousada, Trancoso, BrazilCould it be that the gentle owners of Mata N’ativa (above) have trained a crack squad of frogs and lizards to gobble up the local mozzies? It wouldn’t surprise us as every extra is thrown in at this Bahian eco-lodge, from the fresh patisserie piled high in your veranda breakfast to the Zen-like mini spa. A rare bargain in this flamboyant former fishermen’s village, it has eight simple-but-sexy cabins set around a heliconia-filled garden, inhabited by toucans and hummingbirds. Doubles from £95, B&B (00 55 73 3668 1830, www.matanativapousada.com).

RUNNER-UP: Nuss, Buenos AiresDon’t get too excited about the rooftop pool: it’s barely big enough to simmer your smalls. Go up instead for the quiet sophistication of its geranium-filled terrace, which encircles the cool white courtyard of an old convent, with petal-strewn ponds, artful palms on pebbles – that kind of thing. The rooms stick to whites and beiges, the staff are super-smiley, and the location couldn’t be better – in the lively Palermo Viejo quarter. Doubles from £98, B&B (00 54 114 833 8100, www.nusshotel.com).

RUNNER-UP: Hickatee Cottages, Punta Gorda, BelizeNot far from Punta Gorda, gateway to the southern cayes, a British couple have built a charming commune of five Caribbean-style cottages in the throb of the forest, serving jungle-bike rides, a plunge pool and Marmite on toast. Waterfall swims, Mayan ruins and world-class snorkelling are on tap, too. All this from £51, B&B (00 501 662 4475, www.hickatee.com).

BEST OF THE REST: The happy homestays in Rio de Janeiro with Cama e Café (doubles from £42, B&B; 00 55 21 2225 4366, www.camaecafe.com.br); and Casa Natalia, a glam oceanfront pad in Baja California that could charge triple (doubles from £103, room only; 00 52 646 174 7373, www.casanatalia.com).

BEST-VALUE HOTEL, AFRICAWINNER: Tchaikana, MarrakechEveryone loves a romantic Marrakech riad, right? Maybe that’s why the service they offer is often so snooty: the owners know they’re on to a good thing. Tranquil Tchaikana (above) is the reverse, run by beguiling Belgian Jean-François, who lavishes his guests with insider tips and tour ideas. The decor is darling, too: chic yet simple; part lodging, part monastic refuge. Pull on your loosest habits, and sink in. Doubles from £79, B&B (00 212 524 385150, www.tchaikana.com).

RUNNER-UP: Pongwe Beach, ZanzibarPalm-draped paradise comes cheap at Pongwe Beach, a scattering of just 16 thatched cottages, each with a private terrace for breakfast or basking. The hotel’s traditional wooden longboat takes guests out to the reef for diving; if you sail that little bit further you can catch tuna, barracuda and marlin. Canopied beds, rustic stone floors and exposed beams make for an authentic take on the Indian Ocean look. Doubles from £87, B&B (00 255 784 336181, www.pongwe.com).

RUNNER-UP: Jardin D’ébène, Cape TownThe designer guesthouse is now the savvy way to stay in Cape Town. Here’s a cracking example, impeccably styled in modern Colonial fashion and tugging the skirts of Table Mountain. The owner, Ulrike, makes a point of showing up each morning to tailor-make your day, which only adds to the family feeling; and the robe-and-slippers service belies the £75 (B&B) starting rate. Kloof Street’s trendy cafe scene is close by as well (00 27 21 426 1011, www.jardindebene.co.za).

BEST OF THE REST: In Kenya, Adnan Khashoggi’s former ranch house, Ol Pejeta, for prime perusal of the big five (doubles from £178, full board; 00 254 20 284 2000, www.serenahotels.com); and Elephant Plains in South Africa’s Sabi Sand Game reserve (doubles from £289, full board with game drives and walks; 00 27 13 735 5691, www.elephantplains.co.za).

RIP-OFF!

‘Airport extras are getting ridiculous. At Newark you have to pay £2 to use a luggage trolley, and at Luton the security people charge £1 for a packet of clear plastic bags. Now I just grab a handful of bags when I go through Heathrow and use them on other trips.’

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BEST-VALUE SPA, WORLDWIDEWINNER: House of Jasmines, Salta, ArgentinaIt feels almost greedy to hit the spa at this decadent North Argentine estancia (above). Ruffled by Andean breezes and spritzed with the natural perfume of flowering jasmine, the hotel is a mellow, multisensory experience in its own right. But don’t deny yourself. With treatments called Inca Princess and Flowers for a King, liberal use of mountain clay and cactus blossom, and relaxation spaces fluffed with soft alpaca throws, the spa is delicious. And the

exchange rate makes it a bargain: massages from £26; doubles from £120, B&B (00 54 387 497 2002, www.houseofjasmines.com).

RUNNER-UP: Taipan Foot Massage, ShanghaiFrom the pavement, Taipan Foot Massage looks a long way from glamorous – but inside, it’s as tranquil and tasteful as you could wish. The gimmick is this: every treatment room has a large-screen DVD player. Go with a friend or partner, pop your favourite movie in the slot, and two masseuses will rub your shoulders,

back and feet for 90 minutes while you watch. Fresh juice and all-you-can-eat snacks are thrown in – for £13. Perfect for foot-sore sightseers, it’s at 370 Dagu Lu, in downtown Puxi (00 86 21 6340 0366).

RUNNER-UP: Taman Sari, BaliBeside the black-sand beaches of Pemuteran Bay, in the Balinese back country, there’s little to do at Taman Sari but loll among the coconut trees and watch the sun set behind a volcano-spiked horizon. The resort’s cottages are sprinkled behind the shore – some simple, some

smarter; all great value. The reef snorkelling is fabulous, but it’s the spa that clinches it, with its sea-view treatment beds and massages for £10 a go. Garden cottages for two start at £42, B&B (00 62 362 93264, www.balitamansari.com).

BEST OF THE REST: The Czar among Russian bathhouses, Moscow’s Sanduny Banya (00 495 625 4631, www.sanduny.ru) charges from £22 for three hours; and the Babylonian-themed Kempinski Hotel Ishtar, beside the Dead Sea in Jordan (00 962 5 356 8888, www.kempinski.com/en/deadsea) has doubles from £145, B&B. >

BEST-VALUE HOTEL, RURAL UKWINNER: 1 Lyme, Lyme Regis, DorsetSince when did the words ‘opulent’ and ‘guesthouse’ go together? Who knows how it happened, but the age of the boutique B&B is well and truly now, and here’s a special example (above): a tall-windowed Georgian townhouse, stacked on the hill above Lyme Bay. The seven guestrooms pile on snazzy design and luxuries – widescreen this, double-sprung that. Scoff your breakfast hamper in bed (an optional extra), then wander on to the Cobb harbour for your windswept Meryl Streep moment. Doubles from £75, B&B (01297 442499, www.1lymetownhouse.co.uk).

RUNNER-UP: Higher Westcott Farm, Moretonhampstead, DevonHunkering under its thatch on the eastern flanks of Dartmoor, Higher Westcott is a picture. The farm is an authentic Devon longhouse, which means that 300 years ago every room was a feathery riot of poultry. Today, it’s rustic-chic heaven; even the log pile looks like it’s been styled. Doubles from £80, B&B (01647 441205, www.higherwestcottfarm.com).

RUNNER-UP: Feversham Arms, Helmsley, North YorkshireA runner-up in last year’s The Sunday Times Travel Magazine’s Reader Awards, the Feversham does the double thanks to its combination of Yorkshire hospitality, stylish looks and nifty deals. Time it right and you might get dinner, B&B, a spa pass and cream tea for two for under £200. The hotel is especially loved for its indulgent restaurant and spa, with a heated outdoor pool. Double-room deals from £130, half board (01439 770766, www.fevershamarmshotel.com).

BEST OF THE REST: Cotswolds bolthole The Village Pub, the stripped-down satellite of super-posh Barnsley House (doubles from £95, B&B; 01285 740421, www.thevillagepub.co.uk); and jazzed-up country pile Kesgrave Hall, near Ipswich (doubles from £122, room only; 01473 333741, www.milsomhotels.com).

BEST-VALUE SPA, UKWINNER: Aqua Sana, Center ParcsNowhere reflects the democratisation of spa-going like the Aqua Sana (above) pamper palaces at Center Parcs. Put aside any holiday-park prejudices and prepare to wallow in the Balinese bath, Japanese salt room and Indian Blossom steam room, polishing off perhaps with an Elemis Spa Ritual massage and facial. Aqua Sana spas can be found at Elvedon, Longleat, Whinfell and Sherwood Forest, all featuring lush pools and lots of relaxation zones. The only thing remotely plebeian is the price: a full day starts at £69pp, half-days from £30pp for two (08448 266205, www.aquasana.co.uk).

RUNNER-UP: TOR Spa Retreat, Ickham, KentWhether or not you buy into its pledge to ‘keep your doshas in their natural equilibrium’, this ayurvedic retreat, with its homely brand of nurturing, is easy to love. Set beside a lily-planted village garden outside Canterbury, TOR is staffed by therapists from Kerala and laden with spicy South Indian decor – lots of reds and golds, incense and icons. A half-day steam and simmer starts at £35 (01227 728500, www.torsparetreat.com).

RUNNER-UP: Turkish Baths, HarrogateYes, this is a full-on Moorish hammam experience on the doorstep of the Yorkshire Dales. Restored to their former fabulousness by Harrogate Council, the theatrical 1897 interiors (glazed brickwork, Islamic arches, painted ceilings) are looking immaculate – and so will you after a 90-minute deep clean, all the way from tepidarium to frigidarium. A bathhouse session starts at £13, and the massages come at municipal prices, too (01423 556746, www.harrogate.gov.uk/turkishbaths).

BEST OF THE REST: The Turkish-style Spa London, Bethnal Green (from £22; 020 8709 5845, www.spa-london.org); and the spring-fed Thermae Bath Spa in Bath city centre (two-hour session £25; 0844 888 0844, www.thermaebathspa.com), with its rooftop pool.