These boutique hotels are the antidote to maddening crowds this summer

Summer is here in the northern hemisphere, as is the lure of sun loungers, lake dips, rolling wildflower meadows and crisp rosé. For those seeking refuge from the crowds, we’ve rounded up a selection of intimate stays with just a handful of rooms against heady, sun-drenched backdrops and blissful countryside. Whether you’re seeking wellness, gastronomy or historic provenance you’ll find it on this list, alongside striking design, compelling art and affable hosts.

What’s in this summer? Decelerating, decluttering, being present, yuzu sour cocktails and finding joy in small gestures. What’s out? Overcrowding, over-planning, overpacking. Phones on tables, live updates, internal flights and soulless spaces.

Which brings us back to boutique hotels; discreet, stylish sanctuaries where tailored service and unique design coalesce. You’ll find a sauna without a pool; a lounge in the lobby and the concierge making your coffee; thoughtful spaces where excess, crowds and queues are not.

Feeling inspired? Here are our recommendations for where to check in this summer season.

Boutique hotels in Europe

Hotel Corazón, Mallorca, Spain

Why book? A unique artistic haven with cacti-fringed views
Address: Carretera de Deià, km. 56, 7, 07100 Sóller, Balearic Islands, Spain
Price: From 426 GBP per night

British photographer Kate Bellm opened Hotel Corazón with her Mexican artist husband Edgar López Arellano in 2024. It is billed as ‘luxurious and wild. Run by artists for artists.’ Fifteen decadent rooms with soaring ceilings unfold in shades of terracotta, furnished with eclectic fabrics and furniture from the couple’s travels in Morocco and Mexico. There is a sheep-dotted farm, a pool with ocean views and an open-air restaurant, where almost everything on the menu is grown in the onsite garden or procured locally. The hotel is framed by cacti and mountain peaks, while guests can partake in guided hikes, yoga, reiki and sound baths. Hidden in the Tramuntana Mountains between Deià and Sóller, the hotel is a 40-minute drive from Palma airport.

Marqí, Sintra, Portugal

Why book? For a style-infused stay with coastline views
Address: Estr. do Rodízio 86, 2705-337 Colares, Portugal
Price: From 185 GBP per night

Perched on a hillside garden in Sintra, Marqí is owned by Danish photographer Mikkel Kristensen. It proudly refers to itself as ‘one strange hotel’, a reference borrowed from Bob Dylan’s 1975 song, Simple Twist of Fate, where he sings: “A little confused, I remember well / and stopped into a strange hotel.” However, we’d say it’s less strange and more supremely stylish, suffused with a louche, retro vibe. Interiors have all been handpicked by Kristensen and feature low-slung boucle chairs, emerald velvet seating, marble tables and a vintage Club Chair by Raphaël Raffel.

Spacious rooms and suites overlook the yucca-filled garden and swimming pool below, while the lobby bar serves drinks until late. The refreshingly quiet Praia Grande beach is a 15-minute stroll away, alongside a string of bars and restaurants. The hotel will collect you from Lisbon airport in a 1971 Mercedes-Benz, affectionately called Blondie.

Teranka, Formentera, Spain

Why book: Recharge on the Balearics’ most chilled-out island
Address: Carrer Sant Agustí Playa des Arenals, KM 10.7, 07872, Illes Balears, Spain
Price: From 592 GBP per night

Formentera is billed as the antidote to Ibiza, noted for its slow pace, simple living and serenity. The island caps the number of cars and new openings can only be built in the footprint of existing hotels. Among these, Teranka stands out for its wellness programme of soundscape meditation, yoga and guided hikes. Rooms are decorated in soothing tones, some with outdoor gardens and private terraces. At the restaurant, dine with toes in sand, while watching the theatrical outdoor kitchen. Swimming, sunset drinks and an impressive art collection complete the laidback offering. There is no airport; guests arrive by ferry from ports including Palma, Barcelona and Ibiza.

Casa Mediterraneo, Kastellorizo, Greece

Why book: Gigantic suites and gorgeous interiors
Address: Kastellorizo 851 11, Greece
Price: From 161 GBP per night

While others are crammed on Capri this summer, head to Kastellorizo – one of the few remaining quiet Greek islands. A sibling property to the island’s famed Mediterraneo Hotel, Casa Mediterraneo’s coral-hued facade pops against views of the Aegean Sea. There are five suites, each of which occupies an entire floor. Light pours through the circular windows onto limewashed walls, complemented by an earthy palette of hemp linen and pale wood. The intimate pergola bar packs out with a stylish crowd sipping cocktails – the gin-based basil comes highly recommended – overlooking views of the bay. Arrive by ferry from Rhodes.

The Terrace Ventnor, Isle of Wight, UK

Why book? A charming coastal stay for wine lovers
Address: St Augustine Villa, Ventnor PO38 1TA
Price: From 210 GBP per night

The UK’s seaside hotels have undergone a hip reinvention in recent years, from Margate’s Fort Road Hotel (owned by Frieze co-founder Matthew Slotover) to The Rose in Deal, which has long been a favourite with the creative set. Catching our eye this season is The Terrace Ventnor, occupying a seafront Italianate Victorian villa on the sunny Isle of Wight. Tom Fahey – who owns the hotel with his wife, Ashley – was a restaurant critic for more than a decade before swapping deadlines for ben linens and there is a thoughtful focus on food and drink. The restaurant uses ingredients almost exclusively from the island, met by a 900-strong bottle collection. The hotel also won gold this year for the Best Rosé Wine List in the country by the Star Wine List, so you’re in safe hands when ordering a glass of pink. Rooms – of which there are just six – have clawfoot baths and glorious sea views.

Eriro

Why book: Tranquillity and contemplation in a luxury alpine lodge
Address: Ehrwalder Alm 4, 6632 Ehrwald, Austria
Price: 1300 GBP per night

Summer holidays in Switzerland and Austria are increasingly popular for their pleasantly warm temperatures, fewer crowds, wellness credentials and farm-to-table dining. Head to the mountains for some sommerfrische at luxurious Eriro, an all-inclusive alpine hideaway in Austria’s Zugspitze mountain range. The adults-only stay opened in 2024 and was shaped by strict planning regulations that allowed only nine rooms to be rented out. As a result, sleeping quarters are generously sized with floor-to-ceiling views of grazing cows, spruce and fir trees. Architect Martin Gruber utilised reclaimed wood from nearby forests and old barns to build the hotel, including freestanding baths carved entirely from a single chunk of pine. Hands-on activities include pottery, yodelling and woodcraft workshops, alongside hiking, swimming and birdwatching with a pair of Swarovski Optik binoculars, natch. Everything is included in your stay, including spa treatments.

Boutique hotels in the US

Boon hotel + spa, Guerneville, CA

Why book: The coolest hotel in summer-perfect Guerneville
Address: 14711 Armstrong Woods Road, Guerneville, CA 95446
Price: 217 GBP per night

Guerneville, in Sonoma County wine country, California, is a go-to summer destination for its hiking trails, open-water swimming and river activities, including canoeing and kayaking. And the best place to stay is Boon Hotel + Spa, a boutique inn with 16 rooms. The resort town is noted for its vast redwood forest and furniture is made from reclaimed trees, while rooms have Malin+Goetz bath products, turntables with a selection of vintage vinyl and fair trade linens by San Francisco company Coyuchi. Guests can also book glamping tents or a gleaming vintage trailer. Lounge by the palm-fringed pool, rustle up a drink in the honesty bar and zip about Guerneville on a complimentary bike. Also newly opened in Guerneville just in time for summer is River Electric, a camp resort with a swim club and a restaurant.

Alisal Ranch, Solvang, California

Why book: Weekly summer rodeos and action-packed activities
Address: 1054 Alisal Road, Solvang, CA 93463
Price: 720 GBP per night

Those wishing to experience the current dude ranch revival should head to Alisal Ranch in Solvang. The city is an unusual fusion of Danish and Californian culture in Santa Barbara’s Santa Ynez Valley, where sunshine and wine cellars mix with bakeries, windmills and half-timbered facades. Alisal Ranch dates back to 1810 and has evolved into a luxurious ranch stay, set on 10,500 acres. Visitors sleep in lodges with wooden beams, stone fireplaces and Pendleton fabrics, with views of grazing cows. A vast array of summer activities include horseback riding, archery, fishing, golfing and boating, as well as a weekly Wednesday rodeo followed by an outdoor barbecue with live country music. For smaller explorers, there is a daily kids’ club and nightly activities including s’mores, campfires and games.

Shiguchi, Hokkaido, Japan

Why book: A luxurious, thoughtful immersion in the Japanese countryside
Address: 78-5 Hanazono, Kutchan, Abuta District, Hokkaido 044-0084, Japan
Price: 1,093 GBP per night

Niseko is one of the world’s most renowned ski resorts but it is also a beautiful summer destination, known for its vibrant fields of flowers. And for a stay like no other, Shiguchi is spread across five centuries-old kominkas (traditional Japanese farmhouses) reimagined by artist, collector and owner, Shouya Grigg. These originally stood in Tochigi and were painstakingly deconstructed and relocated, beam by beam. Now standing in contrast to the area’s glitzy resorts, quiet luxury permeates Shiguchi. The name of the hotel refers to the building’s skilful nail-free timber joinery and reflects Grigg’s commitment to functional elegance and local heritage, as well as the symbolic importance of connection. Peaceful villas each have a private onsen and terrace with uninterrupted panoramic views. Impressive art hangs throughout, including two dedicated gallery spaces. Hokkaido’s larder looms large in the restaurant, where giant windows overlook the forest and valley below.