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This year booking a holiday is all about getting style for steal: not only bagging a bargain, but hunting down a real gem of a holiday hideaway at a great price.

Budget needn’t be bland, and with this in mind i-escape.com has created a dedicated 'Cheap & Chic' collection of boutique hotels, villas, apartments and B&Bs available for less than £100 per night (based on 2 people). With a specific ‘recommend for’ search function* and more than 200 properties to choose from across the world, the collection will make life easier for those seeking wallet-friendly places with bags of character and style. Options include a bucolic Basque Country bolthole, waterside homes on stilts in Thailand, cliff-top villas in Spain, and a cool hotel in the hip heart of Amsterdam.

Check out some of i-escape’s top picks for cheap and chic travels in 2012:

1. Hotel Aiguaclara - Catalonia, Spain
The Lowdown: Hotel Aiguaclara is a vibrant, laid-back, Cuban-style mansion in the centre of the medieval town of Begur. This place has boho-chic by the bucket load, with 10 huge bedrooms full of quirky details like 50s furniture and French armoires - some even offer outdoor space. With mismatched retro pieces in the bistro-style restaurant, and fairy lights and a bright green hanging egg chair in the garden, this place is unique and we love it! Head there to enjoy beaches, castles and Catalan cuisine.
The Deal: Bed and breakfast from £57 per room per night, based on 2 sharing (taxes included). Guests booking through i-escape receive a free bottle of cava during their stay.

2. Lanta Pole Houses - Koh Lanta, Thailand
The Lowdown: These authentic stilted houses offer a characterful and peaceful place to stay in Lanta Old Town. The traditional self-catering abodes - called Coconut and Lychee - offer long, spacious interiors of dark fragrant wood that open onto terraces facing nothing but sea and sky. Modernity has crept in, however, and you can enjoy air-conditioned comfort, WiFi, satellite TV and a hot shower. This place is a world away from Koh Lanta's tourist crowds, yet just a short tuk-tuk ride from the island's glorious beaches.
The Deal: From £53 per house per night, based on 2-3 sharing (taxes included). Book through i-escape and you’ll get a basket of seasonal fruit on arrival.

3. Hotel JL No76 - Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Lowdown: This cool but casual boutique hotel opened in May 2011 and is already one of i-escape’s favourite affordable boltholes. Set in a pair of converted 18th-century townhouses in the heart of Amsterdam’s museum and fashion district, it’s a stylish and contemporary haven. The 39 rooms offer vibrant designer wallpaper, super sleek bathrooms (some with Jacuzzi tubs) and plenty of technology. The cool design continues downstairs in the lobby and restaurant, where funky modern art abounds.
The Deal: Standard Rooms from £90 per night, based on 2 sharing on an accommodation-only basis (5% city tax not included). Those booking through i-escape can enjoy a free room upgrade on arrival (subject to availability).

4. Urune Hotela - Basque Country, Spain
The Lowdown: This chic farmhouse hotel is set high on a hill in a nature reserve, with huge views and delicious food. It’s only 20km from Bilbao, yet it feels seriously rural with views of hills, valleys and sky stretching for miles. The house has 8 lovely rooms and its beautiful interiors mix exposed stone and wooden ceilings with cool design. Add a sunny garden, a shaded terrace and exquisite Basque food, and it’s clear why guests find it so hard to leave this hip hideaway.
The Deal: Double rooms from £74 per night, based on 2 sharing. This includes taxes and afternoon tea, and guests booking through i-escape also receive a package of olive oil-based toiletries.

5. Tisara Villas - near Galle, Sri Lanka
The Lowdown: Tisara Villas opened in 2010 and is an inland retreat made up of 7 private villas, lovely gardens and a shimmering swimming pool. Located next to Koggala Lake, the villas are dotted around beautifully landscaped tropical grounds that attract monitor lizards and exotic birds. This is a truly tranquil setting, perfect for relaxing, and only 20 minutes’ drive from southwest Sri Lanka’s beautiful sandy beaches. Delicious Sri Lankan curries whipped up by the resident chef can be delivered to your villa on request, so you needn’t lift a finger during your stay.
The Deal: From £109 per villa per night, based on 4 sharing. This includes taxes, breakfast, a daily tuk-tuk shuttle to the beach, bottled water, WiFi, and use of bicycles. Book through i-escape and you’ll also get a free 20-minute Ayurvedic treatment and a complimentary cocktail.

6. The Swan Wedmore - Somerset, UK
The Lowdown: The Swan is a stunningly refurbished historic inn set in the rural heart of the Somerset Levels. It opened its doors to drinkers, eaters and sleepers in August 2011, offering leather chairs, local ales, an open fire and 6 stylish, calming bedrooms. The highlight has to be the gutsy country food, produced by Tom Blake from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage, which is quickly putting this place on the culinary map.
The Deal: Bed and breakfast from £85 per night, based on 2 sharing (taxes included). i-escape guests also receive a selection of local cheeses with biscuits and homemade chutney.

7. Villas Carrizalillo - Puerto Escondido, Mexico
The Lowdown: Surrounded by tall palm trees and perched on cliffs above turquoise sea, Villas Carrizalillo is the belle of laid-back Puerto Escondido. The beautiful villa-apartments overlook the loveliest bay in the area and have exclusive access to the golden beach below. Other highlights include an outdoor pool, an excellent restaurant and delicious sundowner margaritas.
The Deal: Villas from £68 per night, based on 4 sharing on an accommodation-only basis (16% local tax not included). Book through i-escape and get a free villa upgrade, subject to availability on arrival.

8. Siete Balcones - Andalucia, Spain
The Lowdown: This 4-bedroomed guesthouse, set in the heart of Vejer de la Frontera's labyrinthine old town, opened in July 2010. The building has been renovated to highlight its period features, and the owners have added a splash of urbane sophistication with 50s furnishings, eye-catching works of art, and brightly coloured fabrics and kilims. The resulting mix is intimate, light-hearted and uplifting. Enjoy breakfast wherever and whenever you fancy, grab a book from the shelf and a drink from the honesty bar, and chill out on the rooftop terrace with its sweeping views across the town.
The Deal: Bed and breakfast from £66 per room per night, based on 2 sharing (8% tax not included). Book through i-escape and get a free bottle of wine during your stay.

To view the Cheap & Chic collection in full click here.

* ‘Recommended for…’ is an intelligent search function that works like a personal recommendation. All i-escape properties have been painstakingly and carefully graded for 10 themes, including foodie, family, honeymoon and city style. For example, you can now use an advanced search to identify options such as family-friendly beachside villas in Europe, and spa hotels in Thailand. Chic & Cheap is one of the categories.